27.019(7)(b) (b) Report to the county, town or village boards upon the architectural design of any public building or bridge, the geographical location of community centers, the location or design of any statue or memorial, works of art and mural decorations in public buildings when such are proposed, to the end that such matters may be made in the highest degree effective, permanent, dignified and fitting through proper design, form and situation.

27.019(7)(c) (c) Advise regarding the planting and protection of trees, shrubs and flowers along all highways within the county to the end that they shall be so located as not to interfere with the maintenance of said highway, and that only trees, shrubs and flowers native to Wisconsin be used for this purpose.

27.019(7)(d) (d) Consider and provide for the establishment of community parks and woodlands, proportioned and situated so as to provide ample and equal facilities for the establishment of community parks and residents of the county.

27.019(7)(e) (e) Propose to the county board the setting aside of places of historic interest and the protection and preservation of unique and picturesque scenery along rivers, lakes and streams, or other scenery or features remarkable, to the end that they may be continued and preserved.

27.019(7)(f) (f) It may under the direction of the county board, operate a county park or parks for tourist camping and general public amusement, and may establish fees, concession privileges and grants and employ such help as is needed to operate the park or parks for the best county interests. The county board shall establish rules and regulations governing the conduct and behavior of patrons in and on any such park and shall provide for penalties for infractions of these rules and regulations. When such parks have bathing beaches in connection with them, the county board shall make rules and regulations governing the operation of motor boats in or near such beaches, and provide penalties for infraction of such rules and regulations. The board shall also establish rules, regulations and penalties for infractions thereof, for all roads in county parks and all such roads shall be part of the county highway system.

27.019(8) (8) Reports to county board. The county board may call upon such committee to report with recommendations upon any matter relating to rural planning, and such committee shall make its report within 30 days after such request is made unless a longer or shorter period is specified. But such committee may at any time, on its own motion, make recommendations on any phase of rural planning to the county board.

27.019(9) (9) Committee secretary; planning experts. Such committee with the consent of the county board may appoint as secretary a person of skill and experience in rural development and may with the consent of such board employ consulting rural planning experts for the making of plans or maps of the county or any portion thereof showing location, design or treatment of proposed projects referred to in this section, as occasion may require.

27.019(10) (10) Acquisition of land. Any county in which there does not exist a county park commission acting through its rural planning committee may acquire by gift, grant, devise, donation, purchase, condemnation or otherwise, with the consent of the county board, a sufficient tract or tracts of land for the reservation for public use of river fronts, lake shores, picnic groves, outlook points from hilltops, places of special historic interest, memorial grounds, parks, playgrounds, sites for public buildings, and reservations in and about and along and leading to any or all of the same, and to develop and maintain the same for public use. The power of condemnation may not be used for the purpose of establishing or extending a recreational trail; a bicycle way, as defined in s. 340.01 (5s); a bicycle lane, as defined in s. 340.01 (5e); or a pedestrian way, as defined in s. 346.02 (8) (a).

27.019(11) (11) Enforce highway littering law. Such committee shall work out plans to enforce the provisions of s. 287.81 (2) (a) and (2m) prohibiting the depositing of solid waste on or along highways.

27.019(12) (12) Cooperation of state departments. The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, the department of administration, the department of natural resources and the agricultural extension division of the University of Wisconsin shall cooperate with the several county rural planning committees in carrying out this section.

27.019(13) (13) County rural planning committee, when unnecessary. Any county wherein there exists a county park board and any county which shall create a park commission under s. 27.02 shall not create a county rural planning committee but in such county the county park board or commission shall exercise and be possessed of all the powers and duties imposed upon the county rural planning committee by this section.

27.019 History History: 1977 c. 29 s. 1650m (4); 1979 c. 32, 110; 1983 a. 192; 1989 a. 335; 1995 a. 27 s. 1510b; Stats. 1995 s. 27.019; 1995 a. 227; 2009 a. 368; 2017 a. 59.

27.019 Annotation The mill annual tax levy limitations set forth in s. 27.06 apply when county parks are operated by a county park commission, pursuant to s. 27.02 or a county board committee to which the functions and duties of a park commission have been transferred but not when county parks are operated under the express provisions of s. 27.015 [now this section]. 60 Atty. Gen. 124.

27.02 27.02 County park commission, appointment, term, oath.

27.02(1) (1) Except as provided under sub. (2), in every county with a population of at least 150,000, but less than 750,000, and in any other county with a population of less than 150,000 wherein the county board has by resolution provided for a county park commission subject to ss. 27.02 to 27.06, the chairperson of the county board shall appoint a county park commission consisting of 7 members, any number of which may be members of the county board. The appointments shall be made in writing and filed in the office of the county clerk. The term of each member, except county board members, is 7 years following July 1 of the year in which the appointment is made and until the appointment and qualification of a successor, except that the first 7 members shall be appointed respectively for such terms that on July 1 in each of the 7 years following the year in which they are appointed the term of one member will expire. After the original appointments one commissioner shall be appointed annually in the month of June to succeed the member whose term will expire on July 1 following, except that in counties with a population of at least 150,000 but less than 750,000 the members shall be elected by the county board of supervisors. The term of any park commissioner appointed to the commission while serving as a county board member shall end when the commissioner’s membership on the county board terminates, unless thereafter reappointed to the commission.

27.02(2) (2) In any county with a county executive or county administrator except a county with a population of less than 150,000 which has not by resolution provided for a county park commission subject to ss. 27.02 to 27.06 or except any county exercising power under s. 27.075, the county park commission shall consist of 7 members appointed by the county executive or county administrator, subject to confirmation by the county board. The term of office for such members shall be as provided by sub. (1). A member of the commission appointed under this subsection may be removed at pleasure by the county executive or county administrator.

27.02(3) (3) Each of said commissioners shall take and file the official oath.

27.02 History History: 1971 c. 209; 1983 a. 192; 1985 a. 29; 2017 a. 150; 2017 a. 207 s. 5.

27.02 Annotation The mill annual tax levy limitations set forth in s. 27.06 apply when county parks are operated by a county park commission, pursuant to this section or a county board committee to which the functions and duties of a park commission have been transferred but not when county parks are operated under the express provisions of s. 27.015 [now s. 27.019]. 60 Atty. Gen. 124.

27.02 Annotation A city may not delegate its powers under ss. 27.08 and 27.09 to a county park commission created under this section. 61 Atty. Gen. 229.

27.03 27.03 Organization.

27.03(1) (1) Within 30 days after their appointment and qualification the said commissioners shall convene at the courthouse and perfect an organization; and thereupon such park commission shall have the usual powers of such bodies in addition to those hereinafter enumerated, shall use a common seal, make bylaws and choose annually from its members all necessary officers.

27.03(2) (2) In any county with a county executive or a county administrator, the county executive or county administrator shall appoint and supervise a general manager of the park system. The appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the county board unless the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation or unless the appointment is made under a civil service system competitive examination procedure established under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63. In any county with a population of 750,000 or more, the general manager of the park system shall be in the unclassified civil service and is subject to confirmation by the county board unless the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation.

27.03(3) (3) The county board shall provide suitable offices where the maps, plans, documents, and records of the commission shall be kept, subject to public inspection at all reasonable hours and under such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe.

27.03 History History: 1973 c. 262; 1981 c. 217; 1985 a. 29; 1995 a. 201; 2017 a. 207 s. 5.

27.04 27.04 Preliminary survey.

27.04(1) (1) Except as provided under sub. (1m), the commission shall make a thorough study of the county with reference to making reservations and acquisitions of lands therein for public uses, the improvement of such lands for parks, playgrounds, forest reservations, parkways and boulevards; make surveys, lay out maps, other plans and maps of a comprehensive county park system, and a county system of streets and parkways, including contiguous land of whatever shape or area designed to be ultimately used, in whole or in part, for highways, or, in whole or in part, for parkways; gather such further information in relation thereto as it deems useful and report the same to the county board. It shall make such other or further reports as may be requested by the county board. In making such studies, surveys and obtaining such information, and in making such reports, the commission shall give consideration, among other matters, to the health, comfort, enjoyment and general welfare of the people of the county, to the protection of streams, lakes and pools from pollution, to the use by the public of lakes, pools and the banks thereof, to the reforestation for public use and enjoyment of tracts of land, to the conservation of flooded areas, and to the preservation of places of natural beauty and of historic or scientific interest.

27.04(1m) (1m) Any general manager appointed under s. 27.03 (2) shall have the administrative powers and duties prescribed for the commission under sub. (1).

27.04(2) (2) The county board thereafter may by ordinance adopt the plans proposed by the commission or general manager for such comprehensive county park system, or for such a county system of streets and parkways, in whole or in part, and with such changes or modifications as it deems necessary, and may subsequently alter, change, enlarge, extend or modify the same in any respect deemed necessary.