Lame-duck bill extends $14.6M grant for flood-prone Trempeleu County town

The town of Arcadia in Trempeleau County could get a $14.6 million flood-prevention grant thanks to a provision tucked into a bill passed during the state Legislature’s so-called extraordinary session this week.

After flooding caused widespread damage in Arcadia in 2017, the town won a grant meant to shore up its infrastructure. But a lengthy design process gave rise to concerns that the town could be in danger of losing the money if the Legislature didn’t intervene.

A provision in legislation passed week will extend the federal grant, allowing the town to receive the money in the state’s 2019-2021 biennial budget after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes designs for flood-prevention work in 2020. Without that extension, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s authority to award the grant would have expired, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

“As many of you know, Arcadia has a history of being impacted by flooding with the most devastating taking place in 2017,” state Rep. Treig Pronschinske, a Republican from Mondovi, who represents Arcadia, wrote in a letter to his constituents following the session. “Since then, I was able to successfully secure $14 million to improve their infrastructure to prevent future flooding. The legislation we passed on Wednesday safeguards this money and ensures that it can be used as intended.”

The provision was tucked into a series of bills the state Legislature passed this week in a so-called lame-duck session held before Gov.-elect Tony Evers takes office in January. Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, has not yet said when he’ll sign the bills or whether he plans to make any big changes to them.