66.0307(4)(f)(f) Submittal of final plan to department. If no advisory referendum is held under par. (e), the plan participants may submit the final version of the cooperative plan to the department for approval under sub. (5) at least 60 days but not more than 180 days after the public hearing under par. (b). If an advisory referendum is held under par. (e), each participating municipality shall determine, by resolution, whether to submit the final version of the cooperative plan to the department for approval under sub. (5). The resolution shall be adopted within 60 days after the last advisory referendum is held. If any of the plan participants fails or refuses to approve submittal of the cooperative plan to the department, the plan may not be submitted. Any written comment received by a participating municipality on any version of the cooperative plan shall be submitted to the department at the time that the cooperative plan is submitted. If the cooperative plan is not submitted to and approved by the department, it may not be implemented under this section by any of the participating municipalities.

66.0307(4m)(a)2.a.a. The city or village adopts an authorizing resolution under sub. (4) (a) (intro.) and requests in writing an adjacent town to adopt an authorizing resolution under sub. (4) (a) (intro.) and the town fails to adopt the resolution within 60 days after the request is received by the town.

66.0307(4m)(a)3.a.a. The town adopts an authorizing resolution under sub. (4) (a) (intro.) and requests in writing an adjacent city or village to adopt an authorizing resolution under sub. (4) (a) (intro.) and the city or village fails to adopt the resolution within 60 days after the request is received by the city or village.

66.0307(4m)(b)(b) A municipality that is authorized under par. (a) to petition the department for mediation and elects to do so shall submit the petition within 90 days after the municipality has adopted the authorizing resolution described in par. (a) 2. a. or 3. a. Upon receipt of a petition for mediation, the department shall notify the nonpetitioning adjacent municipality identified in the petition that the petition has been submitted. Within 45 days after receipt of notice from the department that a petition has been submitted, the nonpetitioning municipality shall notify the department whether it agrees to engage in mediation to develop a cooperative plan under this section. Failure of the nonpetitioning municipality to timely notify the department is considered notice that the municipality does not agree to engage in mediation. The department shall send written notice of the nonpetitioning municipality’s decision, on whether it will participate, to the petitioning municipality. If the nonpetitioning municipality refuses to engage in mediation, the petitioning municipality may not submit a petition under this paragraph involving the same nonpetitioning municipality for a period of 3 years after the department sends notice of the refusal.

66.0307(4m)(c)2.2. If a nonpetitioning city or village refuses under par. (b) to engage in mediation, an annexation of territory of the petitioning town to the nonpetitioning city or village that is commenced during the shorter of the following periods shall be reviewed by the department in the manner described under s. 66.0217 (6), regardless of the population of the county in which the annexation proceeding is commenced, and, notwithstanding s. 66.0217 (11) (c), may be contested by the town if the department determines that the annexation is not in the public interest:

66.0307(4m)(d)1.1. If both the petitioning municipality and nonpetitioning municipality agree to engage in mediation to develop a cooperative plan under this section, the municipalities shall select a mediator. The department may assist the municipalities in selecting a mediator. If the municipalities are unable to agree on the selection of a mediator, the department shall furnish a list of 5 mediators to the municipalities. The municipalities shall alternatively strike a name from the list until one name remains, who shall be the mediator.

66.0307(4m)(d)2.2. The mediator shall assist the parties through recognized mediation techniques to develop and reach agreement on a cooperative plan under this section. Unless the participating municipalities agree to extend the mediation period, the mediation period expires after 270 days. Unless they agree otherwise, the participating municipalities are equally responsible for the costs of the mediation.

66.0307(4m)(e)(e) Before the participating municipalities engage in mediation under this subsection, each shall adopt a resolution under sub. (4) (a) (intro.) and provide the required notice of the resolution. Notwithstanding sub. (4) (b), if the participating municipalities agree on a cooperative plan under this subsection, a public hearing on the plan shall be held under sub. (4) (b) no sooner than 45 days after agreement is reached and at least 45 days before submitting the plan to the department for review and approval under sub. (5).

66.0307(4m)(f)(f) If any litigation contesting annexation of territory of the petitioning or nonpetitioning town to the city or village is commenced during the 3-year period after the department receives the petition for mediation under par. (b), the judge shall under s. 802.12 (2), unless the nonpetitioning municipality objects, order the parties to select a settlement alternative under s. 802.12 (1) (i) as a means to attempt settlement.

66.0307(5)(a)(a) Generally. The department shall make a written determination of whether to approve a cooperative plan within 90 days after receiving the plan unless the department and the parties to the plan agree to a longer determination period. The department shall consider written comments on the plan received by a municipality under sub. (4) (c) that is submitted to the department under sub. (4) (f) or from any other source. The department may request information relating to the cooperative plan, including any comprehensive plan or land use plan currently being utilized by any participating municipality, from that municipality, and from any county or regional planning commission. The department may seek and consider comments from any state agency on whether the cooperative plan is consistent with state laws and administrative rules under the agency’s jurisdiction. Any state agency requested to comment on a cooperative plan shall comply with the request. The department shall issue its determination of whether to approve the cooperative plan in writing, supported by specific findings based on the criteria under par. (c). The approval or disapproval of a cooperative plan by the department under this section is not a contested case, as defined in s. 227.01 (3), for purposes of ch. 227.

66.0307(5)(b)(b) Hearing. Any person may request a public hearing before the department on a cooperative plan submitted to the department for approval. A request for a public hearing shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the department within 10 days after the cooperative plan is received by the department. If requested, the department shall, and on its own motion the department may, hold a public hearing on the cooperative plan. If requested to hold a public hearing, the department is required to hold only one hearing, regardless of the number of requests for a hearing. Any public hearing under this paragraph shall be held in a municipality that is a party to the cooperative plan.