LRB-2876/2
MGG:cjs:jf
2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE
October 15, 2009 - Introduced by Representatives Hixson and Nass. Referred to
Committee on Natural Resources.
AB501,1,9 1An Act to repeal 33.26 (6) and 33.33 (2); to renumber and amend 33.25 (3),
233.26 (2) and 33.26 (3); to amend 33.21, 33.235 (2), 33.25 (title), 33.25 (1) (a),
333.25 (2) (intro.), 33.25 (2) (a), 33.25 (2) (b), 33.25 (2) (c), 33.25 (4), 33.26 (1),
433.26 (5), 33.26 (7), 33.265, 33.33 (title), 33.35, 33.37 (1) and 33.37 (2); to repeal
5and recreate
33.25 (1) (title); and to create 33.245, 33.25 (2m), 33.25 (3) (b),
633.26 (2) (c), 33.26 (3) (c), 33.26 (8) and 33.37 (1m) of the statutes; relating to:
7attachment of territory to public inland lake protection and rehabilitation
8districts and changing boundaries of proposed public inland lake protection and
9rehabilitation districts.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, a county may establish public inland lake protection and
rehabilitation districts (lake districts). A city, village, or town may also create a lake
district if all the frontage of the lake is within its boundaries.
Current law requires that certain procedures be followed by a county in
establishing a lake district. These include having a petition signed by 51 percent of
the persons owning land in the proposed lake district or by owners of 51 percent of
the land in the proposed lake district and having the county board conduct a hearing

on the petition. If the county board finds that the establishment of the lake district
will promote a public goal such as public health, convenience, or welfare and that the
land to be included in the lake district will benefit from its establishment, the county
board must approve the establishment of the lake district.
Current law requires that a different procedure be followed to annex territory
to a lake district. Under current law, an owner of land may petition the board of
commissioners for the lake district (district board) to annex the land. If the petition
is approved by a majority vote of the members of the district board, the territory is
annexed. Alternatively, the district board may begin the procedure by notifying the
owners of land that is proposed to be annexed and the county board. Under this
alternative procedure, a procedure similar to the one described above for the
establishment of a lake district applies.
This bill eliminates the procedure under which an owner of land may petition
the district board to annex territory and eliminates the authority of a district board
to begin an annexation proceeding. Under the bill, annexation requires that 51
percent of the owners of the land in the territory to be annexed sign the annexation
petition. The county board must hold a hearing on the petition.
Under current law, a county may change the boundaries of a lake district that
is being established. This bill repeals this provision.
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:
AB501, s. 1 1Section 1. 33.21 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,2,5 233.21 Public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts;
3purposes.
Districts may be created established for the purpose of undertaking a
4program of lake protection and rehabilitation of a lake or parts thereof within the
5district.
AB501, s. 2 6Section 2. 33.235 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,3,97 33.235 (2) The commissioners of a town sanitary district that does not
8encompass all the frontage of a lake within its boundaries may, with approval of the
9town board, petition under s. 33.25 for the formation of a restructured district to
10include the territory of the existing sanitary district and any additional frontage on
11the lake that is deemed appropriate by the commissioners. The commissioners may

1sign the petition for the landowners in the sanitary district. If necessary to meet the
2requirements of s. 33.25, signatures of owners of land lying outside the sanitary
3district shall be obtained. Formation of a restructured district that includes such
4additional territory shall not affect any preexisting rights or liabilities of the town
5sanitary district, and all these rights and liabilities shall be assumed automatically
6by the restructured district. The method by which these rights and liabilities are
7apportioned within the restructured district shall be determined by the county
8board, and set out in the order issued under s. 33.26 (3) (a) forming the restructured
9district.
AB501, s. 3 10Section 3. 33.245 of the statutes is created to read:
AB501,3,13 1133.245 Attachments of contiguous territory. The county board of any
12county may attach contiguous territory to existing districts in the county if the
13conditions stated in s. 33.26 are found to exist.
AB501, s. 4 14Section 4. 33.25 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,3,15 1533.25 (title) Petition for establishment or attachment.
AB501, s. 5 16Section 5. 33.25 (1) (title) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
AB501,3,1717 33.25 (1) (title) Filing of petition.
AB501, s. 6 18Section 6. 33.25 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,4,619 33.25 (1) (a) Before a county board may establish a district under s. 33.235 or
2033.24 or before a county board may approve the attachment of contiguous territory
21to an existing district under s. 33.245
, a petition requesting the establishment or
22attachment
shall be filed with the county clerk, addressed and presented to the
23county board and. A petition to establish a district shall be signed by persons
24constituting 51% 51 percent of the landowners or the owners of 51% 51 percent of the
25lands within the proposed district. A petition to attach territory to an existing

1district shall be signed by the owners of 51 percent of the lands within the territory.

2Governmental subdivisions, other than the state or federal governments, owning
3lands within the proposed district
are eligible as landowners to sign such a petition.
4A city council or village or town board may by resolution represent persons owning
5lands within the proposed district
who are within its jurisdiction and who are eligible
6to sign a petition
, and may sign for all such landowners.
AB501, s. 7 7Section 7. 33.25 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,4,98 33.25 (2) Contents of petition to establish. (intro.) The A petition filed under
9sub. (1) to establish a district
shall set forth all of the following:
AB501, s. 8 10Section 8. 33.25 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,4,1111 33.25 (2) (a) The proposed name of the district;.
AB501, s. 9 12Section 9. 33.25 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,4,1313 33.25 (2) (b) The necessity for the proposed district ;.
AB501, s. 10 14Section 10. 33.25 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,4,1815 33.25 (2) (c) That A statement that the public health, comfort, convenience,
16necessity, or public welfare will be promoted by the establishment of the district and
17that the lands territory to be included therein in the district will be benefited by such
18its establishment; and.
AB501, s. 11 19Section 11. 33.25 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB501,4,2120 33.25 (2m) Contents of petition to attach. A petition filed under sub. (1) to
21attach contiguous territory to an existing district shall set forth all of the following:
AB501,4,2222 (a) The necessity for the attachment to the existing district.
AB501,4,2523 (b) A statement that the public health, comfort, convenience, necessity, or
24welfare will be promoted by the attachment and that both the lands contained in the
25existing district and the territory to be attached will be benefited by the attachment.
AB501,5,1
1(c) The boundaries of the territory to be attached to the existing district.
AB501, s. 12 2Section 12. 33.25 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 33.25 (3) (intro.) and
3amended to read:
AB501,5,64 33.25 (3) Verification, plat. (intro.) The petition A petition filed under sub.
5(1)
shall be verified by one of the petitioners, and shall be accompanied by a one of
6the following:
AB501,5,8 7(a) For the establishment of a district, a plat or sketch indicating the
8approximate area and boundaries of the proposed district.
AB501, s. 13 9Section 13. 33.25 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB501,5,1210 33.25 (3) (b) For the attachment of contiguous territory to an existing district,
11a plat or sketch indicating the approximate area and boundaries of the territory to
12be attached.
AB501, s. 14 13Section 14. 33.25 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,5,1614 33.25 (4) Presumption. Every Each petition filed under sub. (1) is presumed
15to have been signed by the persons whose signatures appear thereon, until proved
16otherwise.
AB501, s. 15 17Section 15. 33.26 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,6,218 33.26 (1) Upon receipt of the a petition for establishment of a district or for
19attachment of contiguous territory to an existing district under s. 33.25,
the county
20board shall arrange set a hearing to be held not later than 30 days from the date of
21presentation of the petition, and shall appoint a committee to conduct the hearing.
22At the hearing all interested persons may offer objections, criticisms , or suggestions
23as to the necessity of the proposed district establishment or attachment as outlined
24and as to the question of whether their property land will be benefited by the
25establishment of such district or attachment. Any person wishing to object to the

1organization of such district establishment or attachment may, before the date set
2for the hearing, file objections to the formation of such district with the county clerk.
AB501, s. 16 3Section 16. 33.26 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 33.26 (2) (a) and amended
4to read:
AB501,6,85 33.26 (2) (a) Notice announcing the hearing set under sub. (1) and stating the
6boundaries of the proposed district or of the territory to be attached to an existing
7district
shall be published in a paper of general circulation in the county in which the
8proposed district is located
as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, and.
AB501,6,12 9(b) For a petition to establish a district, the notice shall be published in a paper
10of general circulation in each county in which the proposed district is located and

11shall be mailed by the county board to the last-known address of each landowner
12within the proposed district.
AB501, s. 17 13Section 17. 33.26 (2) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
AB501,6,1914 33.26 (2) (c) For a petition to attach contiguous territory to an existing district,
15the notice shall be published in a paper of general circulation in each county in which
16the existing district is located and in which the territory to be attached is located and
17shall be mailed by the county board to the last-known address of each landowner
18within the existing district and to each owner of land located in the area proposed
19for attachment.
AB501, s. 18 20Section 18. 33.26 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 33.26 (3) (a) amended to
21read:
AB501,6,2422 33.26 (3) (a) The A committee appointed under sub. (1) shall report to the
23county board within 3 months after the date of the hearing. Within 6 months after
24the date of the hearing, the county board shall issue its order under this subsection.
AB501,7,12
1(b) If the county board finds, after consideration of the committee's report and
2any other evidence submitted to the county board, that the a petition to establish a
3district
is signed by the requisite owners as provided in s. 33.25, that the proposed
4district is necessary, that the public health, comfort, convenience, necessity, or public
5welfare will be promoted by the establishment of the district, and that the property
6territory to be included in the district will be benefited by the establishment of the
7proposed district, the county board, by order, shall declare its findings, shall
8establish the boundaries and shall declare the district organized and give it a
9corporate name by which it shall be known. Thereupon the district shall be a body
10corporate with the powers of a municipal corporation for the purposes of carrying out
11this chapter. If the county board does not so find, the county board, by order, shall
12declare its findings and deny the petition.
AB501, s. 19 13Section 19. 33.26 (3) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
AB501,7,2314 33.26 (3) (c) If the county board finds, after consideration of the committee's
15report and any other evidence submitted to the county board, that a petition to attach
16contiguous territory to an existing district is signed by the requisite owners as
17provided in s. 33.25, that the attachment to the district is necessary, that the public
18health, comfort, convenience, necessity, or welfare will be promoted by the
19attachment, and that both the territory included in the district and the territory to
20be attached to the district will be benefited by the attachment, the county board, by
21order, shall declare its findings and shall establish the boundaries of the territory to
22be attached. If the county board does not so find, the county board, by order, shall
23declare its findings and deny the petition.
AB501, s. 20 24Section 20. 33.26 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,8,2
133.26 (5) The department shall be notified in writing of the a hearing for the
2creation of the distric
t under sub. (1) at the time the hearing date is set.
AB501, s. 21 3Section 21. 33.26 (6) of the statutes is repealed.
AB501, s. 22 4Section 22. 33.26 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,8,85 33.26 (7) Any person aggrieved by the action of the county board may petition
6the circuit court for judicial review. A verified petition shall be presented to the court
7not more than 30 days after the decision of the county board, and shall specify the
8grounds upon which the appeal is based.
AB501, s. 23 9Section 23. 33.26 (8) of the statutes is created to read:
AB501,8,1310 33.26 (8) Petitions requesting attachment and motions for attachment
11proceedings under s. 33.33 (2), 2007 stats., that are filed or initiated before the
12effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], shall comply with the
13applicable procedures and requirements under s. 33.33 (2), 2007 stats.
AB501, s. 24 14Section 24. 33.265 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,8,20 1533.265 Notice, filing and recording requirements. If a district is created
16established or its boundaries altered, the board of commissioners shall record the
17authorizing document, including a legal description of the boundary, with the
18register of deeds in each county where the district is situated, and file the document
19and legal description with the department of natural resources and the department
20of revenue.
AB501, s. 25 21Section 25. 33.33 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,8,22 2233.33 (title) Merger, attachment,; detachment.
AB501, s. 26 23Section 26. 33.33 (2) of the statutes is repealed.
AB501, s. 27 24Section 27. 33.35 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,9,16
133.35 Dissolution of districts. A petition to dissolve an existing district
2created established under this chapter may not be considered at an annual meeting
3of the district unless an elector within the district or a property owner within the
4district notifies the district board of commissioners in writing at least 90 days before
5the annual meeting that the elector or property owner intends to petition for
6dissolution at that annual meeting. The notice of the annual meeting must include
7a statement that a petition to dissolve the district will be considered. The district
8may be dissolved upon a two-thirds vote of the electors and property owners present
9at the annual meeting. The county board shall by order dissolve the district following
10receipt of the petition if the county board finds that one or more of the standards for
11the creation establishment of a district under s. 33.26 (3) are not met. The order for
12dissolution shall be conditioned upon proper petition to the circuit court and
13appointment of a receiver to administer the winding up of the district under the
14supervision of the court and a final order of the court. The attorney general shall
15represent the state and shall be a party to every dissolution proceeding where state
16money is involved.
AB501, s. 28 17Section 28. 33.37 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,9,2018 33.37 (1) Where the If a proposed district is in more than one county, the county
19board of the county within which the largest portion, by valuation, of the proposed
20district lies shall have jurisdiction under ss. 33.24 to 33.28.
AB501, s. 29 21Section 29. 33.37 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB501,9,2422 33.37 (1m) If an existing district is in more than one county, the county board
23of the county within which the largest portion, by valuation, of the existing district
24lies shall have jurisdiction on petitions for attachment under s. 33.25.
AB501, s. 30 25Section 30. 33.37 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB501,10,4
133.37 (2) The If an existing district is in more than one county, the county board
2of the county
within which the largest portion, by valuation, of a district lies shall
3have jurisdiction on motions for attachment under s. 33.33 (2) (b) and on petitions
4for dissolution under s. 33.35.
AB501, s. 31 5Section 31. Initial applicability.
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