AB298,7,1111 (f) "Municipality" means any city, village, or town.
AB298,7,1412 (g) "Participating political subdivision" means a political subdivision that is a
13member of an authority, either from the time of creation of the authority or by later
14joining the authority.
AB298,7,1515 (h) "Political subdivision" means a municipality or county.
AB298,7,2516 (i) "Transportation system" means all land, shops, structures, equipment,
17property, franchises, and rights of whatever nature required for transportation of
18passengers within the jurisdictional area of the authority and, only to the extent
19specifically authorized under this section, outside the jurisdictional area of the
20authority. "Transportation system" includes elevated railroads, subways,
21underground railroads, motor vehicles, motor buses, and any combination thereof,
22and any other form of mass transportation, but does not include transportation
23excluded from the definition of "common motor carrier" under s. 194.01 (1) or charter
24or contract operations to, from, or between points that are outside the jurisdictional
25area of the authority.
AB298,8,6
1(2) Creation of Transit Authorities. (b) Dane County regional transit
2authority.
1. The Dane County regional transit authority, a public body corporate
3and politic and a separate governmental entity, is created if the governing body of
4Dane County adopts a resolution authorizing the county to become a member of the
5authority. Once created, this authority may transact business and exercise any
6powers granted to it under this section.
AB298,8,97 2. If Dane County adopts a resolution under subd. 1., any municipality located
8in whole or in part within the Madison metropolitan planning area on January 1,
92003, shall be a member of the authority.
AB298,8,1410 3. Any municipality located in whole or in part within Dane County that is not
11located in whole or in part within the Madison metropolitan planning area on
12January 1, 2003, may join the authority created under subd. 1. if the governing body
13of the municipality adopts a resolution to join the authority and the board of directors
14of the authority approves the municipality's joinder.
AB298,8,1715 4. The jurisdictional area of the authority created under this paragraph is the
16geographic area formed by the Madison metropolitan planning area combined with
17the territorial boundaries of all municipalities that join the authority under subd. 3.
AB298,8,2218 5. For purposes of determining a municipality's territorial boundaries and the
19geographic area formed by the Madison metropolitan planning area, annexed
20territory that was subject to an unresolved challenge on January 1, 2003, shall not
21be considered part of the annexing municipality or the Madison metropolitan
22planning area.
AB298,9,423 6. If a municipality joins the authority after the authority is created, the
24authority shall provide the department of revenue with a certified copy of the
25resolution that approves the joining and the joining shall take effect on the first day

1of the calendar quarter that begins at least 120 days after the department receives
2the certified copy of the resolution. The authority shall also provide the department
3with a description of the new boundaries of the authority's jurisdictional area, as
4provided under sub. (4) (s) 2.
AB298,9,10 5(3) Transit authority governance. (a) The powers of an authority shall be
6vested in its board of directors. Directors shall be appointed for 4-year terms. A
7majority of the board of directors' full authorized membership constitutes a quorum
8for the purpose of conducting the authority's business and exercising its powers.
9Action may be taken by the board of directors upon a vote of a majority of the directors
10present and voting, unless the bylaws of the authority require a larger number.
AB298,9,1211 (c) If an authority is created under sub. (2) (b), the board of directors of the
12authority consists of the following members:
AB298,9,1413 1. Two members from the Madison metropolitan planning area, appointed by
14the county executive and approved by the county board.
AB298,9,1615 2. Two members appointed by the mayor of the city of Madison and approved
16by the common council.
AB298,9,1717 3. One member appointed by the governor.
AB298,9,2018 4. One member from each city, other than the city of Madison, with a population
19of more than 15,000 located in Dane County, appointed by the mayor of each such city
20and approved by the common council.
AB298,9,2521 5. One member from a village within the jurisdictional area of the authority,
22or from a city within the jurisdictional area of the authority other than a city from
23which a member is appointed under subd. 2. or 4., appointed by the Dane County
24Cities and Villages Association. A member appointed under this subdivision may not
25serve more than one consecutive term. Board membership under this subdivision

1shall follow a rotating order of succession and every village or city eligible to have a
2member appointed from that village or city shall have such a member appointed
3before any village or city has an opportunity to have another member appointed
4under this subdivision.
AB298,10,105 (fm) If any provision of this subsection provides for the appointment of a
6member of an authority's board of directors by the mayor of a city that has no mayor,
7the appointment shall instead be made by the chairperson of the common council.
8If any provision of this subsection provides for the appointment of a member of an
9authority's board of directors by the county executive of a county that has no county
10executive, the appointment shall be made by the chairperson of the county board.
AB298,10,1311 (g) The bylaws of an authority shall govern its management, operations, and
12administration, consistent with the provisions of this section, and shall include
13provisions specifying all of the following:
AB298,10,1414 1. The functions or services to be provided by the authority.
AB298,10,1515 2. The powers, duties, and limitations of the authority.
AB298,10,1716 3. The maximum rate of the taxes that may be imposed by the authority under
17sub. (4) (s), not to exceed the maximum rate specified in s. 77.708 (1).
AB298,10,20 18(4) Powers. Notwithstanding s. 59.84 (2) and any other provision of this
19chapter or ch. 59 or 85, an authority may do all of the following, to the extent
20authorized in the authority's bylaws:
AB298,10,2221 (a) Establish, maintain, and operate a comprehensive unified local
22transportation system primarily for the transportation of persons.
AB298,10,2523 (b) Acquire a comprehensive unified local transportation system and provide
24funds for the operation and maintenance of the system. Upon the acquisition of a
25comprehensive unified local transportation system, the authority may:
AB298,11,2
11. Operate and maintain it or lease it to an operator or contract for its use by
2an operator.
AB298,11,43 2. Contract for superintendence of the system with an organization that has
4personnel with the requisite experience and skill.
AB298,11,75 3. Delegate responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the system to
6an appropriate administrative officer, board, or commission of a participating
7political subdivision.
AB298,11,98 4. Maintain and improve railroad rights-of-way and improvements on these
9rights-of-way for future use.
AB298,11,1110 (c) Contract with a public or private organization to provide transportation
11services in lieu of directly providing these services.
AB298,11,1312 (d) Purchase and lease transportation facilities to public or private transit
13companies that operate within and outside the jurisdictional area.
AB298,11,1514 (e) Apply for federal aids to purchase transportation facilities considered
15essential for the authority's operation.
AB298,11,2416 (f) Coordinate specialized transportation services, as defined in s. 85.21 (2) (g),
17for residents who reside within the jurisdictional area and who are disabled or aged
1860 or older, including services funded under 42 USC 3001 to 3057n, 42 USC 5001, and
1942 USC 5011 (b), under ss. 49.43 to 49.499 and 85.21, and under other public funds
20administered by the county. An authority may contract with a county that is a
21participating political subdivision for the authority to provide specialized
22transportation services, but an authority is not an eligible applicant under s. 85.21
23(2) (e) and may not receive payments directly from the department of transportation
24under s. 85.21.
AB298,12,3
1(g) Acquire, own, hold, use, lease as lessor or lessee, sell or otherwise dispose
2of, mortgage, pledge, or grant a security interest in any real or personal property or
3service.
AB298,12,54 (h) Acquire property by condemnation using the procedure under s. 32.05 for
5the purposes set forth in this section.
AB298,12,126 (i) Enter upon any state, county, or municipal street, road, or alley, or any public
7highway for the purpose of installing, maintaining, and operating the authority's
8facilities. Whenever the work is to be done in a state, county, or municipal highway,
9street, road, or alley, the public authority having control thereof shall be duly
10notified, and the highway, street, road, or alley shall be restored to as good a condition
11as existed before the commencement of the work with all costs incident to the work
12to be borne by the authority.
AB298,12,1413 (j) Fix, maintain, and revise fees, rates, rents, and charges for functions,
14facilities, and services provided by the authority.
AB298,12,1615 (k) Make, and from time to time amend and repeal, bylaws, rules, and
16regulations to carry into effect the powers and purposes of the authority.
AB298,12,1717 (L) Sue and be sued in its own name.
AB298,12,1818 (m) Have and use a corporate seal.
AB298,12,2119 (n) Employ agents, consultants, and employees, engage professional services,
20and purchase such furniture, stationery, and other supplies and materials as are
21reasonably necessary to perform its duties and exercise its powers.
AB298,12,2322 (o) Incur debts, liabilities, or obligations including the borrowing of money and
23the issuance of bonds under subs. (7) and (10).
AB298,13,224 (p) Invest any funds held in reserve or sinking funds, or any funds not required
25for immediate disbursement, including the proceeds from the sale of any bonds, in

1such obligations, securities, and other investments as the authority deems proper in
2accordance with s. 66.0603 (1m).
AB298,13,43 (q) Do and perform any acts and things authorized by this section under,
4through, or by means of an agent or by contracts with any person.
AB298,13,75 (r) Exercise any other powers that the board of directors considers necessary
6and convenient to effectuate the purposes of the authority, including providing for
7passenger safety.
AB298,13,158 (s) 1. Subject to subd. 3., impose, by the adoption of a resolution by the board
9of directors, the taxes under subch. V of ch. 77 in the authority's jurisdictional area.
10If an authority adopts a resolution to impose the taxes, it shall deliver a certified copy
11of the resolution to the department of revenue at least 120 days before its effective
12date. The authority may, by adoption of a resolution by the board of directors, repeal
13the imposition of taxes under subch. V of ch. 77 and shall deliver a certified copy of
14the repeal resolution to the department of revenue at least 120 days before its
15effective date.
AB298,14,916 2. If an authority adopts a resolution to impose the tax, as provided in subd.
171., an authority shall specify to the department of revenue, as provided in this
18subdivision, the exact boundaries of the authority's jurisdictional area. If the
19boundaries are the same as the county lines on all sides of the authority's
20jurisdictional area, the resolution shall specify the county or counties that comprise
21the authority's entire jurisdictional area. If the boundaries are other than a county
22line on any side of the authority's jurisdictional area, the authority shall provide the
23department with a complete list of all the 9-digit zip codes that are entirely within
24the authority's jurisdictional area and a complete list of all the street addresses that
25are within the authority's jurisdictional area and not included in any 9-digit zip code

1that is entirely within the authority's jurisdictional area. The authority shall
2provide a certified copy of the information required under this subdivision to the
3department, in the manner, format, and layout prescribed by the department, at
4least 120 days prior to the first day of the calendar quarter before the effective date
5of the tax imposed under subd. 1. If the boundaries of the authority's jurisdictional
6area subsequently change, the authority shall submit a certified copy of the
7information required under this subdivision to the department at least 120 days
8prior to the first day of the calendar quarter before the effective date of such change,
9in the manner, format, and layout prescribed by the department.
AB298,14,1810 3. The authority may not impose the taxes specified in subd. 1., and the
11department of revenue may not collect such taxes, unless after the adoption of the
12board of directors' resolution to impose these taxes a referendum is held in the
13authority's jurisdictional area on the question of whether the authority may impose
14these taxes and the referendum is decided in the affirmative. The authority's board
15of directors, in conjunction with the appropriate officials of the counties or
16municipalities in which the referendum will be held, shall be responsible for calling
17the referendum. If a referendum is held under this subdivision, the authority shall
18promptly provide the department of revenue with the results of the referendum.
AB298,14,25 19(5) Limitations on authority powers. (a) Notwithstanding sub. (4) (a), (b), (c),
20(d), (q), and (r), no authority, and no public or private organization with which an
21authority has contracted for service, may provide service outside the jurisdictional
22area of the authority unless the authority receives financial support for the service
23under a contract with a public or other private organization for the service or unless
24it is necessary in order to provide service to connect residents within the authority's
25jurisdictional area to transit systems in adjacent counties.
AB298,15,9
1(b) Whenever the proposed operations of an authority would be competitive
2with the operations of a common carrier in existence prior to the time the authority
3commences operations, the authority shall coordinate proposed operations with the
4common carrier to eliminate adverse financial impact for the carrier. This
5coordination may include route overlapping, transfers, transfer points, schedule
6coordination, joint use of facilities, lease of route service, and acquisition of route and
7corollary equipment. If this coordination does not result in mutual agreement, the
8proposals of the authority and the common carrier shall be submitted to the
9department of transportation for arbitration.
AB298,15,1210 (c) In exercising its powers under sub. (4), an authority shall consider any plan
11of a metropolitan planning organization under 23 USC 134 that covers any portion
12of the authority's jurisdictional area.
AB298,15,17 13(6) Authority obligations to employees of mass transportation systems. (a)
14An authority acquiring a comprehensive unified local transportation system for the
15purpose of the authority's operation of the system shall assume all of the employer's
16obligations under any contract between the employees and management of the
17system to the extent allowed by law.
AB298,16,218 (b) An authority acquiring, constructing, controlling, or operating a
19comprehensive unified local transportation system shall negotiate an agreement
20with the representative of the labor organization that covers the employees affected
21by the acquisition, construction, control, or operation to protect the interests of
22employees affected. This agreement shall include all of the provisions identified in
23s. 59.58 (4) (b) 1. to 8. and may include provisions identified in s. 59.58 (4) (c). An
24affected employee has all the rights and the same status under subch. IV of ch. 111
25that he or she enjoyed immediately before the acquisition, construction, control, or

1operation and may not be required to serve a probationary period if he or she attained
2permanent status before the acquisition, construction, control, or operation.
AB298,16,43 (c) In all negotiations under this subsection, a senior executive officer of the
4authority shall be a member of the authority's negotiating body.
AB298,16,9 5(7) Bonds; generally. (a) An authority may issue bonds, the principal and
6interest on which are payable exclusively from all or a portion of any revenues
7received by the authority. The authority may secure its bonds by a pledge of any
8income or revenues from any operations, rent, aids, grants, subsidies, contributions,
9or other source of moneys whatsoever.
AB298,16,1110 (b) An authority may issue bonds in such principal amounts as the authority
11deems necessary.
AB298,16,1412 (c) 1. Neither the members of the board of directors of an authority nor any
13person executing the bonds is personally liable on the bonds by reason of the issuance
14of the bonds.
AB298,16,1915 2. The bonds of an authority are not a debt of the participating political
16subdivisions. Neither the participating political subdivisions nor the state are liable
17for the payment of the bonds. The bonds of any authority shall be payable only out
18of funds or properties of the authority. The bonds of the authority shall state the
19restrictions contained in this paragraph on the face of the bonds.
AB298,17,5 20(8) Issuance of bonds. (a) Bonds of an authority shall be authorized by
21resolution of the board of directors. The bonds may be issued under such a resolution
22or under a trust indenture or other security instrument. The bonds may be issued
23in one or more series and may be in the form of coupon bonds or registered bonds
24under s. 67.09. The bonds shall bear the dates, mature at the times, bear interest
25at the rates, be in the denominations, have the rank or priority, be executed in the

1manner, be payable in the medium of payment and at the places, and be subject to
2the terms of redemption, with or without premium, as the resolution, trust
3indenture, or other security instrument provides. Bonds of an authority are issued
4for an essential public and governmental purpose and are public instrumentalities
5and, together with interest and income, are exempt from taxes.
AB298,17,76 (b) The authority may sell the bonds at public or private sales at the price or
7prices determined by the authority.
AB298,17,118 (c) If an officer whose signatures appear on any bonds or coupons ceases to be
9an officer of the authority before the delivery of the bonds or coupons, the officer's
10signature shall, nevertheless, be valid for all purposes as if the officer had remained
11in office until delivery of the bonds or coupons.
AB298,17,13 12(9) Covenants. An authority may do all of the following in connection with the
13issuance of bonds:
AB298,17,1414 (a) Covenant as to the use of any or all of its property, real or personal.
AB298,17,1615 (b) Redeem the bonds, or covenant for the redemption of the bonds, and provide
16the terms and conditions of the redemption.
AB298,17,2317 (c) Covenant as to charge fees, rates, rents, and charges sufficient to meet
18operating and maintenance expenses, renewals, and replacements of any
19transportation system, principal and debt service on bonds creation and
20maintenance of any reserves required by a bond resolution, trust indenture, or other
21security instrument and to provide for any margins or coverages over and above debt
22service on the bonds that the board of directors considers desirable for the
23marketability of the bonds.
AB298,18,324 (d) Covenant as to the events of default on the bonds and the terms and
25conditions upon which the bonds shall become or may be declared due before

1maturity, as to the terms and conditions upon which this declaration and its
2consequences may be waived, and as to the consequences of default and the remedies
3of bondholders.
AB298,18,64 (e) Covenant as to the mortgage or pledge of, or the grant of a security interest
5in, any real or personal property and all or any part of the revenues of the authority
6to secure the payment of bonds, subject to any agreements with the bondholders.
AB298,18,97 (f) Covenant as to the custody, collection, securing, investment, and payment
8of any revenues, assets, moneys, funds, or property with respect to which the
9authority may have any rights or interest.
AB298,18,1210 (g) Covenant as to the purposes to which the proceeds from the sale of any bonds
11may be applied, and as to the pledge of such proceeds to secure the payment of the
12bonds.
AB298,18,1513 (h) Covenant as to limitations on the issuance of any additional bonds, the
14terms upon which additional bonds may be issued and secured, and the refunding
15of outstanding bonds.
AB298,18,1716 (i) Covenant as to the rank or priority of any bonds with respect to any lien or
17security.
AB298,18,2118 (j) Covenant as to the procedure by which the terms of any contract with or for
19the benefit of the holders of bonds may be amended or abrogated, the amount of
20bonds, the holders of which must consent thereto, and the manner in which such
21consent may be given.
AB298,18,2422 (k) Covenant as to the custody and safekeeping of any of its properties or
23investments, the insurance to be carried on the property or investments, and the use
24and disposition of insurance proceeds.
AB298,19,3
1(L) Covenant as to the vesting in one or more trustees, within or outside the
2state, of those properties, rights, powers, and duties in trust as the authority
3determines.
AB298,19,64 (m) Covenant as to the appointing of, and providing for the duties and
5obligations of, one or more paying agent or other fiduciaries within or outside the
6state.
AB298,19,97 (n) Make all other covenants and do any act that may be necessary or
8convenient or desirable in order to secure its bonds or, in the absolute discretion of
9the authority, tend to make the bonds more marketable.
AB298,19,1310 (o) Execute all instruments necessary or convenient in the exercise of the
11powers granted under this section or in the performance of covenants or duties,
12which may contain such covenants and provisions as a purchaser of the bonds of the
13authority may reasonably require.
AB298,19,25 14(10) Refunding bonds. An authority may issue refunding bonds for the
15purpose of paying any of its bonds at or prior to maturity or upon acceleration or
16redemption. An authority may issue refunding bonds at such time prior to the
17maturity or redemption of the refunded bonds as the authority deems to be in the
18public interest. The refunding bonds may be issued in sufficient amounts to pay or
19provide the principal of the bonds being refunded, together with any redemption
20premium on the bonds, any interest accrued or to accrue to the date of payment of
21the bonds, the expenses of issue of the refunding bonds, the expenses of redeeming
22the bonds being refunded, and such reserves for debt service or other capital or
23current expenses from the proceeds of such refunding bonds as may be required by
24the resolution, trust indenture, or other security instruments. To the extent
25applicable, refunding bonds are subject to subs. (8) and (9).
AB298,20,2
1(11) Bonds eligible for investment. (a) Any of the following may invest funds,
2including capital in their control or belonging to them, in bonds of the authority:
AB298,20,33 1. Public officers and agencies of the state.
AB298,20,44 2. Local governmental units, as defined in s. 19.42 (7u).
AB298,20,55 3. Insurance companies.
AB298,20,66 4. Trust companies.
AB298,20,77 5. Banks.
AB298,20,88 6. Savings banks.
AB298,20,99 7. Savings and loan associations.
AB298,20,1010 8. Investment companies.
AB298,20,1111 9. Personal representatives.
AB298,20,1212 10. Trustees.
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