LRB-1177/1
MES:wlj&kg:km
1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE
February 16, 1999 - Introduced by Representatives Ladwig, Klusman, Ainsworth,
Skindrud, Ward, Albers, Freese, Handrick, F. Lasee, Owens, Porter
and
Seratti, cosponsored by Senator Schultz. Referred to Committee on Rural
Affairs and Forestry.
AB127,1,4 1An Act to amend 60.61 (2) (intro.), 60.62 (1), 60.62 (2), 60.62 (3), 62.23 (7a) (a),
266.021 (2) (intro.), 66.024 (intro.), 66.025, 66.32 and 236.02 (5); and to create
360.10 (1) (g) and 60.225 of the statutes; relating to: the authority of certain
4towns to become urban towns.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, if a town meeting authorizes a town board to do so, the town
board may exercise powers that are related to villages and conferred on village
boards by statute, except those powers that conflict with statutes relating to towns
and town boards. For example, a town board exercising village powers may not
create a tax incremental financing district, annex territory, exercise extraterritorial
zoning jurisdiction over another town or, in counties that have adopted a county
zoning ordinance, enact a town zoning ordinance unless it is approved by the county
board. If a town board exercises village powers, the town is still subject to annexation
by a city or village and may be subject to extraterritorial zoning powers exercised by
a city or village.
Subject to several conditions, this bill authorizes a town board that is
authorized to exercise village powers to adopt a resolution declaring that the town
is an urban town. Under certain circumstances and subject to several limitations,
the bill allows a town board that has adopted such a resolution to exercise any
statutory power that a village may exercise, including the power to create a housing
authority for the elderly. Before the town board may adopt a resolution declaring
that the town is an urban town, the town must either: attempt, and fail, to

consolidate with a city or village and have attempted to incorporate as a city or village
between 1988 and 1998; or attempt to consolidate with a city or village and attempt,
and fail, to incorporate as a city or village within three years after commencing the
procedures that are required to become an urban town. The town board may adopt
a resolution declaring that the town is an urban town only after its attempts to
consolidate or incorporate fail. Once the town board adopts an urban town
resolution, the resolution may take effect only after the resolution is approved by the
electors of the town in a referendum.
The bill also allows the board of an urban town to exercise certain zoning powers
and to remove the town from coverage of county zoning ordinances, other than a
county shorelands zoning ordinance, and exempts the town from being subject to
certain city and village annexation and extraterritorial powers. If the town is a party
to a cooperative boundary plan or agreement on the date that it becomes an urban
town, the terms of the plan or agreement remain in effect until the expiration of the
plan or agreement. Also under the bill, town residents may attempt to enact direct
legislation. This bill does not extend constitutional or statutory home rule powers
to urban towns, nor does it allow such towns to create a tax incremental financing
district, to adopt a village form of government, to annex territory or to engage in
extraterritorial zoning or plat approval.
The powers granted to urban towns in this bill apply only if certain conditions
are met on the date on which the town board adopts the resolution. Some of the
conditions that must be satisfied include the following:
1. The population of the town must be at least 7,500.
2. The equalized value of the town must exceed $360,000,000 and must be at
least $40,000 on a per person basis.
3. The town must provide law enforcement, fire protection and emergency
medical services 24 hours a day.
4. At least 30% of the town residents must receive water supply and sewage
disposal services from one of several entities, such as a town sanitary district, a town
utility district, a metropolitan sewerage district or another city, village or town.
5. The town must adopt a comprehensive land use plan as part of a master plan.
6. The town board must consist of five supervisors.
The bill also contains a sunset provision, such that the provisions allowing the
creation of an urban town remain in effect for only five years.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB127, s. 1 1Section 1. 60.10 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:
AB127,2,32 60.10 (1) (g) Approval of resolutions. Approve a resolution adopted by the town
3board under s. 60.225 (1).
AB127, s. 2
1Section 2. 60.225 of the statutes is created to read:
AB127,3,6 260.225 Urban towns. (1) Process; requirements. Subject to sub. (1m), if a
3town board is authorized to exercise village powers under s. 60.10 (2) (c), and subject
4to sub. (2), a town board may adopt a resolution declaring its town to be an urban
5town that is subject to this section if, on the date of adoption of the resolution, all of
6the following conditions are satisfied:
AB127,3,77 (a) The population of the town is at least 7,500.
AB127,3,88 (b) The equalized value of the town exceeds all of the following amounts:
AB127,3,99 1. According to the most recent assessment, $360,000,000.
AB127,3,1010 2. On a per person basis, $40,000 according to the most recent assessment.
AB127,3,1311 (c) The town provides law enforcement services, 24 hours a day, by establishing
12a town police department, by creating a joint police department with another city,
13village or town under s. 60.56 or by contracting with another person under s. 60.56.
AB127,3,1614 (d) The town provides fire protection services, 24 hours a day, by establishing
15a town fire department or by creating a joint fire department with another city,
16village or town under s. 60.55.
AB127,3,1817 (e) The town provides emergency medical technician services, 24 hours a day,
18by an emergency medical technician, as defined in s. 146.50 (1) (e).
AB127,3,2119 (f) The town board adopts a comprehensive land use plan as part of a master
20plan under s. 62.23 (2) and (3) that is administered by a planner who is employed by
21the town.
AB127,3,2322 (g) At least 30% of the town residents receive water supply and sanitary sewage
23disposal services from one of the following:
AB127,3,2424 1. A town sanitary district created by the town under subch. IX.
AB127,3,2525 2. A town utility district created under s. 66.072.
AB127,4,2
13. A metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 66.20 to 66.26 or under
2ss. 66.88 to 66.918.
AB127,4,33 4. A public utility created under s. 196.01 (5).
AB127,4,44 5. A town sanitary district created by another town under subch. IX.
AB127,4,55 6. A city or village.
AB127,4,86 7. A city-owned treatment works or village-owned treatment works in which
7the town has an interest under an intergovernmental cooperation agreement under
8s. 66.30.
AB127,4,99 (h) The town board consists of 5 supervisors.
AB127,4,15 10(1m) Procedure. (a) Subject to par. (c) and except as provided in par. (b), a town
11board may proceed under sub. (1) only if the town board adopts a resolution declaring
12its intent to proceed under this paragraph and only if the town board institutes
13proceedings under s. 66.02 to consolidate the town with a city or village on or after
14the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date], and if, between 1988 and
151998, the town board has done one of the following:
AB127,4,1616 1. Instituted proceedings to incorporate the town as a city under s. 66.012.
AB127,4,1817 2. Instituted proceedings to incorporate the town as a city or village under ss.
1866.013 to 66.019.
AB127,4,2519 (b) Subject to par. (c), if a town board has not instituted one of the proceedings
20under par. (a) 1. or 2. between 1988 and 1998, the town board may proceed under sub.
21(1) only if the town board adopts a resolution declaring its intent to proceed under
22this paragraph and only if the town board, within a 3-year period beginning on the
23date of the adoption of the resolution declaring its intent to proceed under this
24paragraph, institutes proceedings under s. 66.02 to consolidate the town with a city
25or village and the town board institutes proceedings described under par. (a) 1. or 2.
AB127,5,4
1(c) The town board may adopt a resolution under sub. (1) only if the town board
2institutes the proceedings under par. (a) or under par. (b) and the proceedings do not
3result in either a consolidation under s. 66.02 or the incorporation of the town as a
4city under s. 66.012 or as a city or village under ss. 66.013 to 66.019.
AB127,5,14 5(2) Ratification. (a) If a town board adopts a resolution under sub. (1), the
6town board shall call a referendum to approve the resolution adopted under sub. (1).
7The referendum shall be called for that purpose at the next spring primary or election
8or September primary or general election, or the town board may call and conduct
9a special referendum under s. 8.55, to be held not sooner than 45 days after the
10referendum is called by the town board. The town board shall call for a referendum
11under this subsection not later than 90 days after the adoption of a resolution under
12sub. (1). The referendum question shall be: "Do you approve the town board's
13adoption of the resolution declaring the Town of .... [insert name of town] to be an
14urban town?"
AB127,5,2015 (b) A resolution adopted by a town board under sub. (1) may not take effect until
16the resolution is approved in a referendum called for by the town board under par.
17(a). If the referendum is approved by the electors of the town, the town clerk shall
18certify that fact to the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall issue a
19certificate of urban town status and shall record that status in a book kept for that
20purpose.
AB127,5,22 21(3) Powers. (a) A town that is subject to this section may exercise any statutory
22power that a village may exercise, except as follows:
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