AB127: Bill Text

LRB-1177/1

MES:wlj&kg:km

1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE

1999 Assembly BILL 127

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 An Act to amend 60.61 (2) (intro.), 60.62 (1), 60.62 (2), 60.62 (3), 62.23 (7a) (a), 66.021 (2) (intro.), 66.024 (intro.), 66.025, 66.32 and 236.02 (5); and to create 60.10 (1) (g) and 60.225 of the statutes; relating to: the authority of certain towns 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 Section 1. 60.10 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB127,2,3 60.10 (1) (g) Approval of resolutions. Approve a resolution adopted by the town board under s. 60.225 (1).

AB127, s. 2 Section 2. 60.225 of the statutes is created to read:

AB127,3,6 60.225 Urban towns. (1) Process; requirements. Subject to sub. (1m), if a town board is authorized to exercise village powers under s. 60.10 (2) (c), and subject to sub. (2), a town board may adopt a resolution declaring its town to be an urban town that is subject to this section if, on the date of adoption of the resolution, all of the following conditions are satisfied:

AB127,3,7 (a) The population of the town is at least 7,500.

AB127,3,8 (b) The equalized value of the town exceeds all of the following amounts:

AB127,3,9 1. According to the most recent assessment, $360,000,000.

AB127,3,10 2. On a per person basis, $40,000 according to the most recent assessment.

AB127,3,13 (c) The town provides law enforcement services, 24 hours a day, by establishing a town police department, by creating a joint police department with another city, village or town under s. 60.56 or by contracting with another person under s. 60.56.

AB127,3,16 (d) The town provides fire protection services, 24 hours a day, by establishing a town fire department or by creating a joint fire department with another city, village or town under s. 60.55.

AB127,3,18 (e) The town provides emergency medical technician services, 24 hours a day, by an emergency medical technician, as defined in s. 146.50 (1) (e).

AB127,3,21 (f) The town board adopts a comprehensive land use plan as part of a master plan under s. 62.23 (2) and (3) that is administered by a planner who is employed by the town.

AB127,3,23 (g) At least 30% of the town residents receive water supply and sanitary sewage disposal services from one of the following:

AB127,3,24 1. A town sanitary district created by the town under subch. IX.

AB127,3,25 2. A town utility district created under s. 66.072.

AB127,4,2 3. A metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 66.20 to 66.26 or under ss. 66.88 to 66.918.

AB127,4,3 4. A public utility created under s. 196.01 (5).

AB127,4,4 5. A town sanitary district created by another town under subch. IX.

AB127,4,5 6. A city or village.

AB127,4,8 7. A city-owned treatment works or village-owned treatment works in which the town has an interest under an intergovernmental cooperation agreement under s. 66.30.

AB127,4,9 (h) The town board consists of 5 supervisors.

AB127,4,15 (1m) Procedure. (a) Subject to par. (c) and except as provided in par. (b), a town board may proceed under sub. (1) only if the town board adopts a resolution declaring its intent to proceed under this paragraph and only if the town board institutes proceedings under s. 66.02 to consolidate the town with a city or village on or after the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date], and if, between 1988 and 1998, the town board has done one of the following:

AB127,4,16 1. Instituted proceedings to incorporate the town as a city under s. 66.012.

AB127,4,18 2. Instituted proceedings to incorporate the town as a city or village under ss. 66.013 to 66.019.

AB127,4,25 (b) Subject to par. (c), if a town board has not instituted one of the proceedings under par. (a) 1. or 2. between 1988 and 1998, the town board may proceed under sub. (1) only if the town board adopts a resolution declaring its intent to proceed under this paragraph and only if the town board, within a 3-year period beginning on the date of the adoption of the resolution declaring its intent to proceed under this paragraph, institutes proceedings under s. 66.02 to consolidate the town with a city or village and the town board institutes proceedings described under par. (a) 1. or 2.

AB127,5,4 (c) The town board may adopt a resolution under sub. (1) only if the town board institutes the proceedings under par. (a) or under par. (b) and the proceedings do not result in either a consolidation under s. 66.02 or the incorporation of the town as a city under s. 66.012 or as a city or village under ss. 66.013 to 66.019.

AB127,5,14 (2) Ratification. (a) If a town board adopts a resolution under sub. (1), the town board shall call a referendum to approve the resolution adopted under sub. (1). The referendum shall be called for that purpose at the next spring primary or election or September primary or general election, or the town board may call and conduct a special referendum under s. 8.55, to be held not sooner than 45 days after the referendum is called by the town board. The town board shall call for a referendum under this subsection not later than 90 days after the adoption of a resolution under sub. (1). The referendum question shall be: "Do you approve the town board's adoption of the resolution declaring the Town of .... [insert name of town] to be an urban town?"

AB127,5,20 (b) A resolution adopted by a town board under sub. (1) may not take effect until the resolution is approved in a referendum called for by the town board under par. (a). If the referendum is approved by the electors of the town, the town clerk shall certify that fact to the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall issue a certificate of urban town status and shall record that status in a book kept for that purpose.

AB127,5,22 (3) Powers. (a) A town that is subject to this section may exercise any statutory power that a village may exercise, except as follows: