59.52(11)(a)
(a) Liability and property damage. Provide public liability and property damage insurance, either in commercial companies or by self-insurance created by setting up an annual fund for such purpose or by a combination thereof, covering without limitation because of enumeration motor vehicles, malfeasance of professional employees, maintenance and operation of county highways, parks, parkways and airports and any other county activities involving the possibility of damage to the general public.
59.52(11)(b)
(b) Fire and casualty. Provide for fire and casualty insurance for all county property.
59.52(11)(c)
(c) Employee insurance. Provide for individual or group hospital, surgical and life insurance for county officers and employees and for payment of premiums for such officers and employees. In addition, a county with at least 100 employees may elect to provide health care benefits on a self-insured basis to its officers and employees, and any 2 or more counties which together have at least 100 employees may jointly provide health care benefits on a self-insured basis to officers and employees of the counties. Counties which elect to provide health care benefits on a self-insured basis to their officers and employees shall be subject to the requirements set forth under
s. 120.13 (2) (c) to
(e) and
(g).
59.52(11)(d)
(d)
Bonds of officers and employees. Provide for the protection of the county and public against loss or damage resulting from the act, neglect or default of county officers, department heads and employees and may contract for and procure bonds or contracts of insurance to accomplish that purpose either from commercial companies or by self-insurance created by setting up an annual fund for such purpose or by a combination thereof. Any number of officers, department heads or employees not otherwise required by statute to furnish an official bond may be combined in a schedule or blanket bond or contract of insurance. So far as applicable
ss. 19.01 (2),
(2m),
(3),
(4) (d) and
(dm) and
(4m) and
19.07 shall apply to the bonds or contracts of insurance. The bond shall be for a definite period. Each renewal of the bond shall constitute a new bond for the principal amount covering the renewal period.
59.52(12)
(12) Accounts and claims; settlement. The board may:
59.52(12)(a)
(a) Examine and settle all accounts of the county and all claims, demands or causes of action against the county and issue county orders therefor. In counties with a population of less than 50,000, the board may delegate its power in regard to current accounts, claims, demands or causes of action against the county to a standing committee where the amount does not exceed $5,000. In counties with a population of 50,000 or more, the board may delegate its power in regard to current accounts, claims, demands or causes of action against the county to a standing committee if the amount does not exceed $10,000. Instead of delegating its power under this paragraph to a standing committee, the board may, by resolution adopted by majority vote, delegate such power to the chairperson of a standing committee. Such a resolution remains in effect for one year after its effective date or until rescinded, whichever occurs first.
59.52(12)(b)
(b) Delegate its power in regard to any claim, demand or cause of action not exceeding $500 to the corporation counsel. If the corporation counsel finds that payment of the claim to a claimant is justified, the corporation counsel may order the claim paid. The claim shall be paid upon certification of the corporation counsel and shall be annually reported to the board.
59.52(13)
(13) Injured county workers. The board may, in addition to any payments made under
ch. 102, make further payment in such amounts as the board determines to any county employee injured at any time before January 1, 1937, while performing services for the county, in cases in which such further payments were made over a period of time following the injury and were based on a moral obligation to such employee.
59.52(14)
(14) Optical disk and electronic storage. 59.52(14)(a)(a) Upon request of any office, department, commission, board or agency of the county, the board may authorize any county record that is in the custody of the office, department, commission, board or agency to be transferred to, or maintained in, optical disk or electronic storage in accordance with rules of the department of administration under
s. 16.612. The board may thereafter authorize destruction of the original record, if appropriate, in accordance with
sub. (4) and
ss. 16.61 (3) (e) and
19.21 (5) unless preservation is required by law.
59.52(14)(b)
(b) Any copy of a county record generated from optical imaging or electronic formatting of an original record is considered an original record if all of the following conditions are met:
59.52(14)(b)1.
1. The devices used to transform the record to optical disk or electronic format and to generate a copy of the record from optical disk or electronic format are ones which accurately reproduce the content of the original.
59.52(14)(b)2.
2. The optical disk or electronic copy and the copy generated from optical disk or electronic format comply with the minimum standards of quality for such copies, as established by the rule of the department of administration under
s. 16.612.
59.52(14)(b)3.
3. The record is arranged, identified and indexed so that any individual document or component of the record can be located with the use of proper equipment.
59.52(14)(b)4.
4. The legal custodian of the record executes a statement of intent and purpose describing the record to be transferred to optical disk or electronic format and the disposition of the original record, and executes a certificate verifying that the record was received or created and transferred to optical disk or electronic format in the normal course of business and that the statement of intent and purpose is properly recorded in his or her office.
59.52(14)(c)
(c) The statement of intent and purpose executed under
par. (b) 4. is presumptive evidence of compliance with all conditions and standards prescribed under
par. (b).
59.52(14)(d)
(d) A copy of a record generated from an original record stored on an optical disk or in electronic format which conforms with the standards prescribed under
par. (b) shall be taken as and stand in lieu of and have all of the effect of the original record and shall be admissible in evidence in all courts and all other tribunals or agencies, administrative or otherwise, in all cases where the original document is admissible. A transcript, exemplification or certified copy of such a record so generated, for the purposes specified in this paragraph, is deemed to be a transcript, exemplification or certified copy of the original. An enlarged copy of any record so generated, made in accordance with the standards prescribed under
par. (b) and certified by the custodian as provided in
s. 889.18 (2), has the same effect as an actual-size copy.
59.52(15)
(15) Printing in local tax rolls, etc. The board may provide for the printing in assessment rolls and tax rolls and on data cards for local municipal officials, the descriptions of properties and the names of the owners thereof, but no municipality shall be subject to any tax levied to effect these functions where the municipality provides its own printing for the functions.
59.52(16)
(16) Payments in lieu of tax. The board may:
59.52(16)(a)
(a) Institutions, state farms, airports. Appropriate each year to any municipality and school district in which a county farm, hospital, charitable or penal institution or state hospital, charitable or penal institution or state-owned lands used for agricultural purposes or county or municipally owned airport is located, an amount of money equal to the amount which would have been paid in municipal and school tax upon the lands without buildings, if those lands were privately owned. The valuation of the lands, without buildings, and computation of the tax shall be made by the board. In making the computation under this paragraph, lands on which a courthouse or jail are located and unimproved county lands shall not be included.
59.52(16)(b)1.1. If a county has acquired land and erected on that land housing facilities for rent by honorably discharged U.S. veterans of any war and the land and housing facilities are exempt from general taxation, appropriate money and pay to any school district or joint school district wherein the land and housing facilities are located a sum of money which shall be computed by obtaining the product of the following factors:
59.52(16)(b)1.a.
a. The tax rate for school district purposes of the school years for which the payment is made.
59.52(16)(b)1.b.
b. The ratio of the assessed valuation to the equalized valuation of the municipality in which the school district lies, multiplied by the actual cost incurred by the county for the acquisition of the land and improvements on the land used for such purposes.
59.52(16)(b)2.
2. In case of a joint school district, computation shall be made on the basis of the valuation of the several municipalities in which the school district lies. If school buildings are inadequate to accommodate the additional school population resulting from the county veterans' housing program, and the school district cannot legally finance the necessary increased facilities, the board may appropriate money and grant assistance to the school district but the assistance shall be used solely to finance the purchase of land and the erection and equipment of the necessary additional facilities.
59.52(17)
(17) Return of rents to municipalities. The board may return to municipalities all or any part of rent moneys received by the county under leases of county-owned lands.
59.52(18)
(18) Return of forest income to towns. The board may return and distribute to the several towns in the county all or any part of any money received by the county from the sale of any product from county-owned lands which are not entered under the county forest law under
s. 28.11.
59.52(19)
(19) Donations, gifts and grants. The board may accept donations, gifts or grants for any public governmental purpose within the powers of the county.
59.52(20)
(20) Sheriff's family pension. The board may appropriate money to the family of any sheriff or sheriff's deputies killed while in the discharge of official duties.
59.52(21)
(21) County commissions. Except in counties having a population of 500,000 or more, the board may fix and pay the compensation of members of the county park commission and the county planning and zoning commission for attendance at meetings at a rate not to exceed the compensation permitted supervisors.
59.52(22)
(22) County Boards' Association. By a two-thirds vote, the board may purchase membership in an association of county boards for the protection of county interests and the furtherance of better county government.
59.52(23)
(23) Purchase of publications. The board may purchase publications dealing with governmental problems and furnish copies thereof to supervisors, officers and employees.
59.52(24)
(24) Parking areas. The board may enact ordinances establishing areas for parking of vehicles on lands owned or leased by the county; for regulating or prohibiting parking of vehicles on such areas or parts of such areas, including, but not limited to, provision for parking in such areas or parts thereof for only certain purposes or by only certain personnel; for forfeitures for violations thereof, but not to exceed $50 for each offense; and for the enforcement of such ordinances.
59.52(25)
(25) Advisory and contingent referenda. The board may conduct a countywide referendum for advisory purposes or for the purpose of ratifying or validating a resolution adopted or ordinance enacted by the board contingent upon approval in the referendum.
59.52(26)
(26) Transcripts. The board may procure transcripts or abstracts of the records of any other county affecting the title to real estate in such county, and such transcripts or abstracts shall be prima facie evidence of title.
59.52(27)
(27) Bail bonds. The authority of the board to remit forfeited bond moneys to the bondsmen or their heirs or legal representatives, where such forfeiture arises as a result of failure of a defendant to appear and where such failure to appear is occasioned by a justifiable cause, is hereby confirmed.
59.52(28)
(28) Collection of court imposed penalties. The board may adopt a resolution authorizing the clerk of circuit court, under
s. 59.40 (4), to contract with a collection agency for the collection of unpaid fines and forfeitures.
59.52(29)
(29) Public work, how done; public emergencies. 59.52(29)(a)(a) All public work, including any contract for the construction, repair, remodeling or improvement of any public work, building, or furnishing of supplies or material of any kind where the estimated cost of such work will exceed $25,000 shall be let by contract to the lowest responsible bidder. Any public work, the estimated cost of which does not exceed $25,000, shall be let as the board may direct. If the estimated cost of any public work is between $5,000 and $25,000, the board shall give a class 1 notice under
ch. 985 before it contracts for the work or shall contract with a person qualified as a bidder under
s. 66.0901 (2). A contract, the estimated cost of which exceeds $25,000, shall be let and entered into under
s. 66.0901, except that the board may by a three-fourths vote of all the members entitled to a seat provide that any class of public work or any part thereof may be done directly by the county without submitting the same for bids. This subsection does not apply to public construction if the materials for such a project are donated or if the labor for such a project is provided by volunteers. This subsection does not apply to highway contracts which the county highway committee or the county highway commissioner is authorized by law to let or make.
59.52(29)(b)
(b) The provisions of
par. (a) are not mandatory for the repair or reconstruction of public facilities when damage or threatened damage thereto creates an emergency, as determined by resolution of the board, in which the public health or welfare of the county is endangered. Whenever the board by majority vote at a regular or special meeting determines that an emergency no longer exists, this paragraph no longer applies.
59.52 History
History: 1995 a. 201 ss.
104,
111 to
115,
117 to
122,
124,
127,
134,
139,
140,
157,
174,
181,
185,
186,
190,
238,
242,
252 to
256,
354,
356 to
360,
414 to
419,
432;
1995 a. 225 s.
135;
1997 a. 35,
237;
1999 a. 9,
83;
1999 a. 150 s.
672.
59.52 Annotation
Cross-references: As to payment of insurance premiums for employees, see also s. 66.185.
59.52 Annotation
See s. 66.99 concerning appointment of a county weed commissioner.
59.52 Annotation
A county can contract with employees for special reserved parking privileges in a county ramp. Dane Co. v. McManus,
55 Wis. 2d 413,
198 N.W.2d 667.
59.52 Annotation
Section 59.08 [now s. 59.52 (29)] does not compel the purchase of equipment from the lowest bidder. Joyce v. Dunn County,
192 Wis. 2d 699,
531 N.W.2d 628 (Ct. App. 1995).
59.52 Annotation
Sub. (8) (c) does not provide the exclusive appeal remedy for discipline and termination of deputy sheriffs. A collective bargaining agreement providing for arbitration of such disputes is enforceable. An employee may not pursue both a statutory appeal and and arbitration however. Eau Claire County v. General Teamsters Union Local No. 662, 2000 WI 57,
235 Wis. 2d 385,
611 N.W.2d 744.
59.52 Annotation
Limitations on the power of a county to sell property without calling for public bids is discussed. 60 Atty. Gen. 425.
59.52 Annotation
Counties are without power to furnish equipment or supplies or to contract to do repair work on private roads and driveways. 61 Atty. Gen. 304.
59.52 Annotation
A county board is without authority to establish an alternative retirement system. 61 Atty. Gen. 371.
59.52 Annotation
A county civil service ordinance enacted under s. 59.07 (20) [now 59.52 (8)], or a collective bargaining agreement under s. 111.70 establishing a procedure to be followed prior to the discharge of a classified employee, supersedes and modifies s. 59.38 (1) [now s. 59.40 (1) (a)]. 63 Atty. Gen. 147.
59.52 Annotation
Section 59.07 (1) [now s. 59.52 (6)] is not sufficiently broad to permit a county to furnish housing for elderly and low-income persons when specific statutes provide for furnishing such housing. 63 Atty. Gen. 297.
59.52 Annotation
Under s. 59.07 (1) (d) 1. [now s. 59.52 (6) (d) 1.], counties have authority to establish a hospital outpatient health facility to be used to train general practitioners of medicine as part of a program with the Medical College of Wisconsin. 65 Atty. Gen. 172.
59.52 Annotation
Under s. 59.07 (1) (c) [now s. 59.52 (6) (c)], counties may make gifts of land or interests in lands only to enumerated public entities. 67 Atty. Gen. 236.
59.52 Annotation
Under s. 59.07 (3) [now s. 59.52 (12)], a county board may require that all bills and claims be examined by it. 68 Atty. Gen. 38.
59.52 Annotation
Section 59.08 (1) [now s. 59.52 (29) (a)] does not apply to architectural services.
76 Atty. Gen. 182.
59.52 Annotation
A county has no statutory authority to award contracts only to unionized contractors. Federal preemption rules probably foreclose the exercise of such authority in any event. Federal preemption rules foreclose denying contracts to employers engaged in labor disputes.
79 Atty. Gen. 86.
59.52 Annotation
A county may not acquire land specifically for the purpose of leasing it to a private entity to operate a racetrack; it may lease land initially acquired for a public purpose to such private entity, unless the land has become surplus.
80 Atty. Gen. 80.
59.52 Annotation
A county board may not give land to a private corporation; the adequacy of a promise to build a factory on the land as consideration for the conveyance of land involves the application of the public purpose doctrine to the specific facts of the conveyance.
80 Atty. Gen. 341.
59.53
59.53
Health and human services. 59.53(1)
(1)
Surplus commodity plans. The board may adopt and participate in any surplus commodity absorption plan in connection with furnishing relief to needy persons within any municipality in the county and appropriate money to carry out such plan.
59.53(2)
(2) Emergency energy relief. Regardless of whether a county operates a relief program under
sub. (21), the board may appropriate money for making payments to individuals or providing grants to community action agencies and municipalities to assist persons and families in the purchase of emergency energy supplies.
59.53(3)
(3) Community action agencies. The board may appropriate funds for promoting and assisting any community action agency under
s. 46.30.
59.53(4)
(4) Comprehensive health planning. A county or combination of counties may engage in comprehensive health planning, and boards may appropriate county funds to an areawide agency for such planning, whether the organization to be utilized is a public agency or a private, nonprofit corporation.
59.53(5)
(5) Child and spousal support; paternity program; medical support liability program. 59.53(5)(a)(a) The board shall contract with the department of workforce development to implement and administer the child and spousal support and establishment of paternity and the medical support liability programs provided for by Title IV of the federal social security act. The board may designate by board resolution any office, officer, board, department or agency, except the clerk of circuit court, as the county child support agency. The board or county child support agency shall implement and administer the programs in accordance with the contract with the department of workforce development. The attorneys responsible for support enforcement under
sub. (6) (a), family court commissioner and all other county officials shall cooperate with the county and the department of workforce development as necessary to provide the services required under the programs. The county shall charge the fee established by the department of workforce development under
s. 49.22 for services provided under this paragraph to persons not receiving benefits under
s. 49.148 or
49.155 or assistance under
s. 46.261,
49.19 or
49.47.
59.53(5)(b)
(b) The county child support agency under
par. (a) shall electronically enter into the statewide data system related to child and spousal support payments that is operated by the department of workforce development the terms of any order made or judgment granted in the circuit court of the county requiring payments under
s. 948.22 (7) or
ch. 767 or
769 that are directed under
s. 767.29 (1) to be paid to the department of workforce development or its designee. The county child support agency shall enter the terms of any such order or judgment within the time required by federal law and shall enter revisions ordered by the court to any order or judgment the terms of which are maintained on the data system.
59.53(6)
(6) Attorneys; support enforcement responsibility. 59.53(6)(a)1.1. Except as provided in
subd. 2., each board shall employ or contract with attorneys to provide support enforcement.
Section 59.42 (1),
(2) (a) and
(3) does not preclude a board from assigning these support enforcement duties to any attorney employed by the county.
59.53(6)(a)2.
2. If on June 1, 1989, a county has 1.0 or more full-time equivalent attorney positions that have primary responsibility for handling cases described in
par. (b), as determined by the district attorney of the prosecutorial unit, the county shall establish and maintain a support enforcement office consisting of support enforcement attorneys and office personnel. In counties having a population of less than 500,000, a county budget under
s. 65.90 shall list the proposed appropriation under
s. 65.90 (2) for the support enforcement office separate from any other office, department or activity. In counties having a population of 500,000 or more, a county budget shall treat a support enforcement office as a department, as defined in
s. 59.60 (2) (a), separate from all other departments. If a county ceases to employ 1.0 or more full-time equivalent attorney positions in the office, the county may provide support enforcement under
subd. 1.
59.53(6)(b)
(b) Attorneys responsible for support enforcement under
par. (a) shall institute, commence, appear in or perform other prescribed duties in actions or proceedings under
sub. (5) and
ss. 49.22 (7),
767.075,
767.08 and
767.45 and
ch. 769.
59.53(6)(c)
(c) If the place of trial is changed to another county in any action or proceeding under
par. (b), an attorney responsible for support enforcement under
par. (a) shall continue to prosecute or defend the action or proceeding in the other county.
59.53(7)
(7) Integrated service program for children with severe disabilities. The board may establish a program of integrated services for children with severe disabilities under
s. 46.56.
59.53(8)
(8) Rehabilitation facilities. The board may establish and maintain rehabilitation facilities in any part of the county under the jurisdiction of the sheriff as an extension of the jail, or separate from the jail under jurisdiction of a superintendent, to provide any person sentenced to the county jail with a program of rehabilitation for such part of the person's sentence or commitment as the court determines will be of rehabilitative value to the prisoner. Rehabilitation facilities may be located outside of the county under a cooperative agreement under
s. 302.44.
59.53(9)
(9) Group homes. The board may own or operate group homes, as defined in
s. 48.02 (7).
59.53(11)
(11) Senior citizen programs; appropriation; commission on aging. The board may:
59.53(11)(a)
(a) Appropriate funds to promote and assist county commissions on aging and senior citizens clubs and organizations within the county in their organization and activities. A county may cooperate with any private agency or group in such work.
59.53(11)(c)
(c) Appropriate money to defray the expenses incurred by private organizations that provide homemaking services to elderly and handicapped persons within the county if the services will enable the persons to remain self-sufficient and to live independently or with relatives.
59.53(12)
(12) Guardian of or conservator for county hospital patients. In any county having a population of 100,000 or more, the board may authorize the county as a body corporate to act as guardian or conservator of the respective estates of patients in its county hospital or mental hospital, and also as guardians or conservators of the respective estates of residents of its county home or infirmary.
59.53(13)
(13) Payments for abortions and abortion-related activity restricted. 59.53(13)(a)(a) No county, or agency or subdivision of the county, may authorize funds for or pay to a physician or surgeon or a hospital, clinic or other medical facility for the performance of an abortion except those permitted under and which are performed in accordance with
s. 20.927.
59.53(13)(b)
(b) No county or agency or subdivision of a county may authorize payment of funds for a grant, subsidy or other funding involving a pregnancy program, project or service if
s. 20.9275 (2) applies to the pregnancy program, project or service.
59.53(14)
(14) Victims and witnesses of crimes. The board may appropriate money for the implementation and operation of a program under
s. 950.06.
59.53(15)
(15) Nursing associations. The board may appropriate money toward the support of organized and bona fide nursing associations in the county, such associations to have at least one qualified nurse.
59.53(16)(a)(a) In counties having a population of 30,000 or more the board may erect, establish and maintain isolation hospitals or places for the care and treatment of all persons afflicted with infectious, contagious and communicable diseases, requiring isolation and quarantine under the laws of the state, who are inmates of the charitable, penal, correctional and other institutions of said county or who are required to be cared for and treated at the expense of said county. The board may also provide for the care and treatment therein of all persons so afflicted, who are required to be cared for by the various municipalities in said counties, under such terms, conditions, rules and regulations, as to apportionment of cost of erection of such buildings and places and the expense of care and treatment of such persons afflicted, as may be agreed upon between the county board and the common council of such cities and the boards of such villages and towns, and each such council or board is hereby vested with power and authority to enter into such contracts and to appropriate such funds as may be necessary to carry into execution all contracts so made.
59.53(16)(b)
(b) All isolation hospitals and other places, when erected or established in counties having a county board of administration, shall be conducted under the control and management of the board of administration in the same manner and to the same extent as other institutions under the control of the board of administration, and in other counties the isolation hospitals and other places shall be conducted under the control and management of the county board. Any resident of this state who is not indigent may be received into, treated and cared for in an isolation hospital or other place upon the terms and conditions and at the rate or pay established and fixed by the board having charge of the isolation hospital or other place; provided, however, that indigent and destitute sick persons shall be cared for and have preference of admission to such hospitals and places.
