88.72(2)
(2) Upon receiving a petition under
sub. (1), the drainage board shall fix a time and place of a hearing on the petition and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given under
s. 88.05 (2) (b) to the persons specified in
s. 88.05 (4) (a), to the owner of any dam sought to be removed and to all riparian owners affected by the removal.
88.72(3)
(3) At the hearing on the petition, any interested person may appear and contest its sufficiency and the necessity for the work. If the drainage board finds that the petition has the proper number of signers and that to afford an adequate outlet it is necessary to remove dams or other obstructions from waters and streams which may be navigable, or to straighten, clean out, deepen or widen any waters or streams either within or beyond the limits of the district, the board shall obtain any permit that is required under this chapter or
ch. 30 or
31.
88.72(4)
(4) Within 30 days after the department of natural resources has issued all of the permits as required under this chapter and
chs. 30 and
31, the board shall proceed to estimate the cost of the work, including the expenses of the proceeding together with the damages that will result from the work, and shall, within a reasonable time, award damages to all lands damaged by the work and assess the cost of the work against the lands in the district in proportion to the assessment of benefits then in force.
88.72(5)
(5) The drainage board may grant the petition and order the additional work done only if the drainage board is satisfied that:
88.72(5)(a)
(a) The intended result can be effectively achieved by additional work at a reasonable cost;
88.72(5)(b)
(b) The public welfare will be promoted by such additional work;
88.72(5)(c)
(c) The cost of such additional work, when added to all expenses previously incurred by the district will not exceed the total benefits theretofore assessed; and
88.72(5)(d)
(d) A petition, which is the same in substance or effect as the current petition, has not previously been denied by the drainage board.
88.73
88.73
Providing drainage for lands assessed but not adequately drained. 88.73(1)(1) Any person owning lands that have been assessed for costs of construction but which are in need of drainage because of being shut off from access to any district drain or because the slope of the land is such that it is impractical to drain the land into a district drain without crossing the lands of others may file with the drainage board a verified petition stating such facts, including a description of the lands sought to be drained and asking that a drain be laid out from the petitioner's lands to the district drain.
88.73(2)
(2) The petitioner and all persons whose lands will be directly affected by the proposed drain may, in writing, waive any or all notices of hearings and may consent to an immediate hearing on the petition, upon which the drainage board may enter an order to construct the drain. The board's order shall include all of the provisions of
s. 88.35 (1). If no written waiver or consent is filed by all persons immediately interested, the procedure on a petition under this section shall be substantially as outlined in
ss. 88.35 and
88.36.
88.73 History
History: 1991 a. 316;
1993 a. 456.
ENLARGEMENT, CONSOLIDATION, DIVISION
AND DISSOLUTION OF DRAINAGE DISTRICT
88.77
88.77
Annexation of lands upon petition of owners. 88.77(1)(1) If owners of lands adjacent to any drainage district want the lands to be annexed to the district, they may file with the drainage board a petition for annexation. The petition must be signed either by more than one-half of all of the owners of lands in the proposed annex, who shall represent more than one-third of the lands in the proposed annex, or by the owners of more than one-half of the lands in the proposed annex. The petition shall describe the lands sought to be annexed and shall set forth the names of the owners of all of those lands so far as the owners are known. The petition shall be accompanied by a plat showing the original district and the proposed annex.
88.77(2)
(2) If the undrained portion of the area proposed to be annexed to the district exceeds 200 acres, the drainage board shall request the report described under
s. 88.11 (3) from the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection on the annexation. Within 60 days after the request, the department shall prepare and return a copy of the report and its approval or disapproval, as provided under
s. 88.35 (7).
88.77(3)
(3) When the drainage board receives the reports required by
s. 88.11, the board shall fix a time and place of a hearing on the petition under
sub. (1) and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given under
s. 88.05 (2) (b) to the persons specified in
s. 88.05 (4) (c).
88.77(4)
(4) The drainage board shall issue an order annexing the territory to the drainage district if at the hearing the board finds all of the following facts:
88.77(4)(a)
(a) That the petition has sufficient signers.
88.77(4)(b)
(b) That the lands described in the petition, together with any additional lands recommended by the board for drainage, will be improved by the proposed annexation.
88.77(4)(c)
(c) That the public health or public welfare will be promoted by the annexation.
88.77(4)(d)
(d) That the cost of construction will not exceed 75% of the benefits to be derived from the proposed work.
88.77(4)(e)
(e) That the proposed work will not materially injure or impair fish or wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, the conservation of natural resources or other public rights or interests.
88.77(5)
(5) If the board finds the facts stated in
sub. (4) (a) to
(c) and
(e) but finds that the cost of construction will exceed 75% of the benefits to be derived from the proposed work, the board nevertheless shall annex the territory to the drainage district if, within 10 days of the order being issued under
sub. (4), the petitioners file with the board a bond with sufficient sureties to be approved by the board and conditioned for the payment of the excess or the petitioners deposit and leave with the board a sum of money that the board determines will cover the excess.
88.77(6)
(6) Upon issuance of the order annexing the territory to the drainage district, the drainage board shall proceed as provided under
ss. 88.35 and
88.36.
88.77 History
History: 1993 a. 456;
2007 a. 121.
88.77 Note
NOTE: 1993 Wis. Act 456, which substantially affects this section, contains extensive explanatory notes.
88.78
88.78
Annexation of benefited lands. 88.78(1)
(1) Whenever any lands outside a drainage district are in fact receiving the benefits of any drain of such district but such fact was not evident or was inadvertently overlooked at the time of organization of the district, such benefited lands may be annexed under the procedure prescribed in this section.
88.78(2)
(2) Any owner of land within the district may file with the board a petition to have the benefited lands annexed to the district and assessed benefits and assessed for costs as other lands in the district. The petition shall describe the benefited lands and how they are benefited. Upon the filing of the petition, the drainage district shall issue an order directing that the owners of the benefited lands be notified of the filing and the contents of the petition and requiring the owners to show cause at a fixed time and place, not less than 20 days after the petition is filed, why their lands should not be brought into the district and assessed.
88.78(3)
(3) Any owner of lands sought to be annexed may object to the petition at the hearing thereon. If the drainage board is satisfied that any or all of the lands are receiving benefits from any district drain, the drainage board shall so find in writing and shall issue an order requiring that the benefited lands be made a part of the district.
88.78(4)
(4) The board shall assess benefits and assess for costs and award damages to each tract of the annexed lands.
88.78 History
History: 1993 a. 456.
88.79
88.79
Consolidation of drainage districts in process of organization. 88.79(1)(1) Two or more drainage districts petitioned for or in the process of organization may, upon order of the court, be consolidated to form a single drainage district. The order of consolidation may be issued only after a public hearing as specified in this section.
88.79(2)
(2) The consolidation process may be initiated either by the court on its own motion, by recommendation of the board made to the court, or by petition signed by the owners of at least 10% of the lands in each of the districts sought to be consolidated. If such districts are under the jurisdiction of different courts, the proceeding shall be conducted by the court having jurisdiction of the larger area.
88.79(3)
(3) The court shall fix a time and place of a hearing on the proposed consolidation and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given under
s. 88.05 (1) (b) to the persons specified in
s. 88.05 (4) (b). If the court after the hearing is of the opinion that the drainage districts would be benefited by the proposed consolidation, it shall so order, giving a name to the consolidated district.
88.79 History
History: 1993 a. 456.
88.791
88.791
Consolidation of existing drainage districts. 88.791(1)(1) Two or more existing drainage districts may, upon an order issued by the drainage board, be consolidated to form a single drainage district. An order of consolidation may be issued only after a public hearing as specified in this section.
88.791(2)
(2) The consolidation process may be initiated by a petition that is signed by the owners of at least 10% of the lands in each of the districts sought to be consolidated.
88.791(3)
(3) The drainage board shall fix a time and place of a hearing on the proposed consolidation and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given under
s. 88.05 (2) (b) to the persons specified in
s. 88.05 (4) (b). If after the hearing the drainage board is of the opinion that the drainage districts would be benefited by the proposed consolidation, it shall so order, giving a name to the consolidated district.
88.791(4)
(4) Upon entry of the order of consolidation, the records of the districts so consolidated shall be the records of the consolidated district.
88.791(5)
(5) Assessments made against lands in the several districts so consolidated shall remain in full force and the lien thereof is not affected by such consolidation.
88.791(6)
(6) After such consolidation, the benefits of the consolidated district may be reassessed to render them just and equitable as a basis for future assessments for costs, subject to
s. 88.02.
88.791 History
History: 1993 a. 456 ss.
100,
101.
88.791 Note
NOTE: 1993 Wis. Act 456, which creates this section, contains extensive explanatory notes.
88.80
88.80
Withdrawal of lands from drainage district. 88.80(1)(1) Any person owning lands within a drainage district may, under an order issued by the drainage board, withdraw the lands from the district if:
88.80(1)(a)
(a) All benefits assessed against such lands have been paid; and
88.80(1)(b)
(b) The lands to be withdrawn will receive no benefit from the drainage district; and
88.80(1)(c)
(c) The drainage district will not be materially injured by the withdrawal of such lands.
88.80(2)
(2) The petition for the withdrawal shall be filed with the board. The board shall determine whether all benefits assessed against the land have been paid.
88.80(3)
(3) When the petition has been filed, the drainage board shall fix the time and place of a hearing on the petition and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given under
s. 88.05 (2) (b) to the persons specified in
s. 88.05 (4) (b). If the drainage board finds that the conditions of
sub. (1) have been met, it shall issue an order detaching the lands from the district. The drainage board may require the petitioner to pay the expenses connected with the hearing.
88.80 History
History: 1993 a. 456.
88.81
88.81
Proceedings to suspend operations of drainage district. 88.81(1)(a)(a) The owners of land representing 90% or more of the confirmed benefits in a drainage district, excluding benefits received by land owned by this state, may file with the drainage board a petition requesting that the board conduct no further proceedings and incur on behalf of the district no further expense if the petition is filed within 2 years after the order organizing the district is issued under
s. 88.34.
88.81(1)(b)
(b) The owners of land representing 67% or more of the confirmed benefits in a drainage district, excluding benefits received by land owned by this state, may file with the drainage board a petition requesting that the board conduct no further proceedings and incur on behalf of the district no further expense if the petition is filed at least 2 years after the order organizing the district is issued under
s. 88.34.
88.81(1)(bm)
(bm) Except as provided in
par. (bs), the owner of any land in a drainage district may file with the drainage board a petition requesting that the board conduct no further proceedings and incur on behalf of the district no further expense if the petition is filed at least 20 years after the latest assessment for costs against land in the drainage district.
88.81(1)(bs)
(bs) A state agency, as defined in
s. 16.61 (2) (d), may not petition for the suspension of operations of a drainage district.
88.81(1)(c)
(c) Upon receipt of a petition, the drainage board shall fix a time and place of a hearing on the petition and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given under
s. 88.05 (2) (b) to the persons specified in
s. 88.05 (4) (b).
88.81(2)
(2) If after the hearing the drainage board finds that the petition is signed by the required number of owners, that notice of the hearing was properly given, and that the conditions of
sub. (3) have been met, it shall issue an order directing that no more work be done in or expense incurred on behalf of the district. The order does not dissolve the district or in any way affect existing contracts. The district remains liable for all its debts existing at the time of issuance of the drainage board order suspending operations, and the board shall continue to levy such additional assessments for costs as are necessary to meet existing obligations.
88.81(3)
(3) As a condition of issuing the order under
sub. (2), the drainage board shall require the petitioners under this section to pay the expenses of the hearing under this section and all expenses, if any, incurred in connection with specific current projects whose completion would be affected by the drainage board order.
88.81(4)
(4) An order suspending operations of a drainage district remains in effect until a like application upon like notice requesting that work be continued is heard and determined in favor of petitioners.
88.82
88.82
Dissolution of drainage districts. 88.82(1)(a)(a) The owners of land representing 90% or more of the confirmed benefits in a drainage district, excluding benefits received by land owned by this state, may file with a court having jurisdiction on this matter a petition for the dissolution of the district if the petition is signed by those owners and if the petition is filed within 2 years after the order organizing the district is issued under
s. 88.34.
88.82(1)(b)
(b) The owners of land representing 67% or more of the confirmed benefits in a drainage district, excluding benefits received by land owned by this state, may file with a court having jurisdiction on this matter a petition for the dissolution of the district if the petition is signed by those owners and if the petition is filed at least 2 years after the order organizing the district is issued under
s. 88.34.
88.82(1)(bm)
(bm) Except as provided in
par. (bs), the owner of any land in a drainage district may file with the court a petition for the dissolution of the district if the petition is filed at least 20 years after the latest assessment for costs against land in the drainage district.
88.82(1)(bs)
(bs) A state agency, as defined in
s. 16.61 (2) (d), may not petition for the dissolution of a drainage district.
88.82(1)(c)
(c) In any county in which all land has been incorporated in cities or villages, the county board of supervisors is authorized to file the petition.
88.82(1)(d)
(d) Upon the filing of a petition for dissolution under this section, the court shall fix the time and place of a hearing on the petition and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given under
s. 88.05 (1) (b) to the persons specified under
s. 88.05 (4) (b).
88.82(2)
(2) No district shall be dissolved until all its debts have been paid unless:
88.82(2)(a)
(a) Funds to pay such debts, including any interest thereon, have been deposited with the county treasurer; or
88.82(2)(b)
(b) The lands of the district have been assessed to the full amount of the confirmed assessed benefits and such assessments either have been paid in full or tax certificates have been issued for the lands under
s. 74.57.
88.82(3)
(3) If the court is satisfied upon the hearing that the conditions stated in
sub. (2) have been met, that the petition is signed by the required number of owners, and that the public welfare will be promoted by dissolution of the district, it shall enter an order dissolving the drainage district. If the court enters an order dissolving the drainage district, it shall order dissolution of the entire drainage district and may not order dissolution of part of the district.
88.82(4)
(4) If the county treasurer has on hand any funds belonging to such dissolved district, the treasurer shall forthwith make distribution thereof among the several landowners in the district in proportion to the last confirmed assessment of benefits in the district. If there is any doubt as to the ownership of such lands, the owners claiming the right to participate in such funds shall make satisfactory proof of ownership to the court.
88.82(5)
(5) If the county treasurer has funds on hand belonging to a drainage district which has been inactive for 6 or more years, he or she shall publish in the county, as a class 3 notice, under
ch. 985, a notice of intent to file with the court having jurisdiction thereof a petition for dissolution of the drainage district, except that such notice is not required if funds on hand are less than $100. Ninety days after the last publication provided for in this subsection, the county treasurer shall file such petition together with objections, if any, and if dissolution is ordered, such funds held by the county treasurer shall revert and pass to the county for the benefit of the county. If the funds on hand are less than $100, such funds shall automatically revert and pass to the county general fund.
88.82(6)
(6) Any drains which have been constructed by a drainage district dissolved under this section or under prior law shall remain common waterways for the use of all landowners in the dissolved district. Any such landowner may make repairs thereto at the landowner's own expense. Any person who in any manner obstructs or injures any such drain is liable for all damages caused to any person thereby and in addition may be fined not more than $100.
88.82(7)
(7) In the alternative in any county in which all land has been incorporated in cities or villages if a drainage board is abolished or if a drainage district passes out of existence, any funds being held by the county treasurer shall revert and pass to the county for the benefit of the county.
88.82 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
NR 301, Wis. adm. code.
88.83
88.83
Transfer of district to city or village jurisdiction. 88.83(1)(1) The owners of a majority of the land in any drainage district located entirely within the corporate limits of a city or village may petition the drainage board having jurisdiction of the district to transfer jurisdiction thereof to the city or village.
88.83(1m)
(1m) The owners of a majority of the land lying within the corporate limits of a city or village in any drainage district located partially within the corporate limits of a city or village may petition the drainage board having jurisdiction of the district to transfer jurisdiction of that part of the district located within the city or village to the city or village if the district and the city or village are in agreement regarding the terms of transfer.
