(16) Other statutes. This section does not limit the powers of local governmental units to enter into intergovernmental cooperation or contracts or to establish separate legal entities under s. 66.30 or any other applicable law, or otherwise to carry out their powers under applicable statutory provisions.
(17) Construction. This section shall be interpreted liberally to effect the purposes set forth in this section.
184,5
Section 5
. 70.11 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Act 35, is amended to read:
70.11 (2) Municipal property and property of certain districts, exception. Property owned by any county, city, village, town, school district, technical college district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, metropolitan sewerage district, municipal water district created under s. 198.22, joint local water authority created under s. 66.0735 or town sanitary district; lands belonging to cities of any other state used for public parks; land tax-deeded to any county or city before January 2; but any residence located upon property owned by the county for park purposes which is rented out by the county for a nonpark purpose shall not be exempt from taxation. Except as to land acquired under s. 59.84 (2) (d), this exemption shall not apply to land conveyed after August 17, 1961, to any such governmental unit or for its benefit while the grantor or others for his or her benefit are permitted to occupy the land or part thereof in consideration for the conveyance. Leasing the property exempt under this subsection, regardless of the lessee and the use of the leasehold income, does not render that property taxable.
184,6
Section 6
. 71.26 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
71.26 (1) (b) Political units. Income received by the United States, the state and all counties, cities, villages, towns, school districts, technical college districts, joint local water authorities created under s. 66.0735 or other political units of this state.
184,7
Section 7
. 77.54 (9a) (em) of the statutes is created to read:
77.54 (9a) (em) Any joint local water authority created under s. 66.0735.
184,8
Section 8
. 196.01 (5) of the statutes is renumbered 196.01 (5) (a) (intro.) and is amended to read:
196.01 (5) (a) (intro.) “Public utility" means, except as provided in par. (b), every corporation, company, individual, association, their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed by any court, and every sanitary district, town, village or city that may own, operate, manage or control any toll bridge or all or any part of a plant or equipment, within the state, for the production, transmission, delivery or furnishing of heat, light, water or power either directly or indirectly to or for the public. “Public utility" does not include a cooperative association organized under ch. 185 for the purpose of producing or furnishing heat, light, power or water to its members only. “Public utility" includes any all of the following:
1. Any person engaged in the transmission or delivery of natural gas for compensation within this state by means of pipes or mains and any person, except a governmental unit, who furnishes services by means of a sewerage system either directly or indirectly to or for the public. “Public utility" includes a
2. A telecommunications utility. “Public utility" does not include a holding company, as defined in s. 196.795 (1) (h), unless the holding company furnishes, directly to the public, telecommunications or sewer service, heat, light, water or power or, by means of pipes or mains, natural gas. “Public utility" does not include any company, as defined in s. 196.795 (1) (f), which owns, operates, manages or controls a telecommunications utility unless the company furnishes, directly to the public, telecommunications or sewer service, heat, light, water or power or, by means of pipes or mains, natural gas. “Public utility" does not include a cellular mobile radio telecommunications utility.
184,9
Section 9
. 196.01 (5) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
196.01 (5) (b) “Public utility" does not include any of the following:
1. A cooperative association organized under ch. 185 for the purpose of producing or furnishing heat, light, power or water to its members only.
2. A holding company, as defined in s. 196.795 (1) (h), unless the holding company furnishes, directly to the public, telecommunications or sewer service, heat, light, water or power or, by means of pipes or mains, natural gas.
3. Any company, as defined in s. 196.795 (1) (f), which owns, operates, manages or controls a telecommunications utility unless the company furnishes, directly to the public, telecommunications or sewer service, heat, light, water or power or, by means of pipes or mains, natural gas.
4. A cellular mobile radio telecommunications utility.
5. A joint local water authority under s. 66.0735.
184,10
Section 10
. 196.52 (3) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
196.52 (3) (b) 1. The requirement for written approval under par. (a) shall not apply to any contract or arrangement if the amount of consideration involved is not in excess of $25,000 or 5% of the equity of the public utility, whichever is smaller, and. The requirement under par. (a) also does not apply to a telecommunications utility contract or arrangement or to contracts or arrangements with joint local water authorities under s. 66.0735. Regularly recurring payments under a general or continuing arrangement which aggregate a greater annual amount may not be broken down into a series of transactions to come within the exemption under this paragraph. Any transaction exempted under this paragraph shall be valid or effective without commission approval under this section.
184,10m
Section 10m. 196.85 (2e) of the statutes is created to read:
196.85 (2e) Annually, the commission shall assess a joint local water authority for the commission's costs under s. 66.0735 (8) directly attributable to that joint local water authority. The commission shall bill the joint local water authority for the amount of the assessment.
184,11m
Section 11m. 196.85 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
196.85 (3) If any public utility, sewerage system
, joint local water authority or power district is billed under sub. (1) or, (2) or (2e) and fails to pay the bill within 30 days or fails to file objections to the bill with the commission, as provided in this subsection, the commission shall transmit to the state treasurer a certified copy of the bill, together with notice of failure to pay the bill, and on the same day the commission shall mail by registered mail to the public utility, sewerage system, joint local water authority or power district a copy of the notice which it has transmitted to the state treasurer. Within 10 days after the receipt of notice and certified copy of the bill the state treasurer shall levy the amount stated on the bill to be due, with interest, by distress and sale of any property, including stocks, securities, bank accounts, evidences of debt, and accounts receivable belonging to the delinquent public utility, sewerage system, joint local water authority or power district. The levy by distress and sale shall be governed by s. 74.10, 1985 stats., except that it shall be made by the state treasurer and that goods and chattels anywhere within the state may be levied upon.
184,12m
Section 12m. 196.85 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
196.85 (4) (a) Within 30 days after the date of the mailing of any bill under subs. (1) and, (2) and (2e) the public utility, sewerage system, joint local water authority or power district that has been billed may file with the commission objections setting out in detail the grounds upon which the objector regards the bill to be excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid. The commission, after notice to the objector, shall hold a hearing upon the objections, from 5 to 10 days after providing the notice. If after the hearing the commission finds any part of the bill to be excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid it shall record its findings upon its minutes and transmit to the objector by registered mail an amended bill, in accordance with the findings. The amended bill shall have the same force and effect under this section as an original bill rendered under subs. (1) and, (2) and (2e).
184,13m
Section 13m. 196.85 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
196.85 (5) No suit or proceeding may be maintained in any court to restrain or delay the collection or payment of any bill rendered under subs. (1) and, (2) and (2e). Every public utility, sewerage system, joint local water authority or power district that is billed shall pay the amount of the bill, and after payment may in the manner provided under this section, at any time within 2 years from the date the payment was made, sue the state to recover the amount paid plus interest from the date of payment, upon the ground that the assessment was excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid in whole or in part. If the court finds that any part of the bill for which payment was made was excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid, the state treasurer shall make a refund to the claimant as directed by the court. The refund shall be charged to the appropriations to the commission.
