Chapter 200

200.11(6) (6) Acquisition of existing facilities. The commission may order that the district shall assume ownership of such existing utility works and facilities within the district as are needed to carry out the purposes of the commission. Appropriate instruments of conveyance for all such property shall be executed and delivered to the district by the proper officers of each municipality concerned. All persons regularly employed by a municipality to operate and maintain any works so transferred, on the date on which the transfer becomes effective, shall be employees of the district, in the same manner and with the same options and rights as were reserved to them in their former employment. The commission, upon assuming ownership of any works, shall become obligated to pay to the municipality amounts sufficient to pay when due all remaining principal of and interest on bonds issued by the municipality for the acquisition or improvement of the works taken over. Such amounts may be offset against any amounts due to be paid by the municipality to the district. The value of any works and facilities taken over by a commission may be agreed upon by the commission and the municipality owning the same. Should the commission and the governing body of the municipality be unable to agree upon a value, the value shall be determined by and fixed by the public service commission after a hearing to be held upon application of either party, and upon reasonable notice to the other party, to be fixed and served in such manner as the public service commission shall prescribe.

200.11(7) (7) Storm water drainage. The commission may plan, project, construct and maintain storm sewers, works and facilities for the collection, transmission, treatment, disposal or recycling of storm water effluent to the extent such is permitted for sewage.

200.11(8) (8) Solid waste management. The district may engage in solid waste management and shall for such purposes have all powers granted to county boards under s. 59.70 (2), except acquisition of land by eminent domain, if each county board having jurisdiction over areas to be served by the district has adopted a resolution requesting or approving the involvement of the district in solid waste management. County board approval shall not be required for the management by the district of such solid wastes as are contained within the sewage or storm water transmitted or treated by the district or as are produced as a by-product of sewerage treatment activities.

200.11(9) (9) Extraterritorial service by contract. A district may provide service to territory outside the district, including territory in a county not in that district, under s. 66.0301, subject to ss. 200.01 to 200.15 and 200.45, except that s. 200.09 (1) does not require the appointment of a commissioner from that territory.

200.11 History History: 1971 c. 276; Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 774 (1975); 1975 c. 425; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (8) (c); 1977 c. 379 s. 33; 1981 c. 282 s. 47; 1987 a. 399; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 1995 a. 201; 1999 a. 150 s. 320; Stats. 1999 s. 200.11; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a).

200.11 Annotation Sub. (5) (c) does not exempt a sewerage district from the requirements of s. 30.12. Cassidy v. DNR, 132 Wis. 2d 153, 390 N.W.2d 81 (Ct. App. 1986).

200.13 200.13 Financing.

200.13(1) (1) Special assessment.

200.13(1)(a) (a) The commission may make a special assessment against property which is served by an intercepting or main sewer or any other appropriate facility at any time after the commission votes, by resolution recorded in the minutes of its meeting, to construct the intercepting or main sewer or any other appropriate facility, either before or after the work of constructing the sewer or other appropriate facility is done.

200.13(1)(b) (b) The commission shall view the premises and determine the amount properly assessable against each parcel of land and shall make and file, in their office, a report and schedule of the assessment so made, and file a duplicate copy of the report and schedule in the office of the clerk of the town, village or city wherein the land is situated.

200.13(1)(c) (c) The commission shall give notice that the report and schedule are on file in its office and in the office of the clerk of the town, village or city in which the land is situated, and that the notice will remain in those offices for a period of 10 days after the date on which the notice is issued; that on the date named in the notice, which shall not be more than 3 days after the expiration of the 10 days, the commission will be in session at its office, the location of which shall be specified in the notice, to hear all objections to the report.

200.13(1)(d) (d) The notice shall be published as a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, and a copy of the notice shall be mailed at least 10 days before the hearing or proceeding to every interested person whose post-office address is known, or can be ascertained with reasonable diligence.

200.13(1)(e) (e) No irregularity in the form of the report, nor of such notice, shall affect its validity if it fairly contains the information required to be conveyed thereby.

200.13(1)(f) (f) At the time specified for hearing objections to the report, the commission shall hear all parties interested who may appear for that purpose.

200.13(1)(g) (g) The commission may at the meeting, or at an adjourned meeting, confirm or correct the report, and when the report is so confirmed or corrected, it shall constitute and be the final report and assessment against such lands.

200.13(1)(h) (h) When the final determination has been reached by the commission it shall publish a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, that a final determination has been made as to the amounts assessed against each parcel of real estate.

200.13(1)(i) (i) The owner of any parcel of real estate affected by the determination and assessments may, within 20 days after the date of such determination, appeal to the circuit court of the county in which the land is situated, and s. 66.0703 (12) shall apply to and govern such appeal, however the notice therein required to be served upon the city clerk shall be served upon the district, and the bond therein provided for shall be approved by the commission and the duties therein devolving upon the city clerk shall be performed by the president of the commission.

200.13(1)(j) (j) The commission may provide that the special assessment may be paid in annual installments not more than 10 in number, and may, for the purpose of anticipating collection of the special assessments, and after said installments have been determined, issue special improvement bonds payable only out of the special assessment, and s. 66.0713 shall apply to and govern the installment payments and the issuance of said bonds, except that the assessment notice shall be substantially in the following form:

INSTALLMENT ASSESSMENT NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that a contract has been (or is about to be) let for (describe the improvements) and that the amount of the special assessment therefor has been determined as to each parcel of real estate affected thereby, and a statement of the same is on file with the commission; that it is proposed to collect the same in .... installments, as provided by s. 66.0713, with interest thereon at ....% per year; that all assessments will be collected in installments, as above provided, except such assessments as the owners of the property shall, within 30 days from the date of this notice, file with the commission a statement in writing that they elect to pay in one installment, in which case the amount of the installment shall be placed upon the next ensuing tax roll.

200.13(1)(k) (k) The installment assessment notice shall be published as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985.

200.13(1)(L) (L) The commission shall, on or before October 1 in each year, certify in writing to the clerks of the several cities, towns or villages, the amount of the special assessment against lands located in their respective city, town or village for the ensuing year. Upon receipt of such certificate the clerk of each such city, town or village shall forthwith place the same on the tax roll to be collected as other taxes and assessments are collected. Such moneys when collected shall be paid to the treasurer of the district. The provisions of law applicable to the collection of delinquent taxes upon real estate, including sale of lands for nonpayment of taxes, shall apply to and govern the collection of the special assessments and the collection of general taxes levied by the commission.

200.13(1)(m) (m) Section 66.0703 (14) shall be applicable to assessments made under this section.

200.13(1)(n) (n) The commission may provide for a deferred due date on the levy of the special assessment as to real estate which is in agricultural use or which is otherwise not immediately to receive actual service from the sewer or other facility for which the assessment is made. Such assessments shall be payable as soon as such lands receive actual service from the sewer or other facility. Any such special assessments shall be a lien against the property from the date of the levy. For the purpose of anticipating collection of special assessments for which the due date has been deferred, the commission may issue special improvement bonds payable only out of the special assessments. Section 66.0713 shall apply to and govern the issuance of bonds, except that the assessment notice shall be substantially in the following form:

DEFERRED ASSESSMENT NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that a contract has been (or is about to be) let for (describe the improvements) and that the amount of the special assessment therefor has been determined as to each parcel of real estate affected thereby, and a statement of the same is on file with the commission. It is proposed to collect the same on a deferred basis consistent with actual use of the improvements. All assessments will be collected in installments, as above provided, except such assessments for which the owners of the property, within 30 days from the date of this notice, file with the commission a statement in writing that they elect not to have the due date deferred, in which case the amount of the levy shall be placed upon the next ensuing tax roll.

200.13(2) (2) Tax levy. The commission may levy a tax upon the taxable property in the district as equalized by the department of revenue for state purposes for the purpose of carrying out and performing duties under this subchapter but the amount of any such tax in excess of that required for maintenance and operation and for principal and interest on bonds or promissory notes shall not exceed, in any one year, one mill for each dollar of the district’s equalized valuation, as determined under s. 70.57. The tax levy may be spread upon the respective real estate and personal property tax rolls of the city, village and town areas included in the district taxes, and shall not be included within any limitation on county or municipality taxes. Such moneys when collected shall be paid to the treasurer of such district.

200.13(3) (3) Service charges.

200.13(3)(a) (a) The commission may establish service charges in such amount as to meet all or part of the requirements for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, extension, operation, maintenance, repair and depreciation of functions authorized by this subchapter, and for the payment of all or part of the principal and interest of any indebtedness incurred thereof.

200.13(3)(b) (b) The district may charge to the state, county or municipality the cost of service rendered to any state institution, county or municipality.

200.13(4) (4) Borrowing. A district under this subchapter may borrow money and issue municipal obligations under ss. 66.0621 and 66.0713 and ch. 67.

200.13(5) (5) Borrowing; tax collection. After the issue of any municipal obligation under ch. 67, the commission shall, on or before October 1 in each year, certify in writing to the clerks of the several cities, villages or towns having territory in the district, the total amount of the tax to be raised by each such municipality, and upon receipt of such certificate the clerk of each such municipality shall place the same on the tax roll to be collected as other taxes are collected, and such moneys, when collected, shall be paid to the treasurer of the district.

200.13(12) (12) Exemption from levies. Lands designated as permanent open space, agricultural protection areas or other undeveloped areas not to be served by public sanitary sewer service in plans adopted by a regional planning commission or other area-wide planning agency organized under s. 66.0309 and approved by the board of supervisors of the county in which the lands are located shall not have property taxes, assessments or service charges levied against them by the district.

200.13(13) (13) Application of other laws. Section 66.0821 shall apply to all districts now or hereafter organized and operating under this subchapter.

200.13 History History: 1971 c. 276; 1973 c. 172; 1977 c. 26; 1979 c. 110 s. 60 (13); 1981 c. 314; 1983 a. 24, 27, 207, 294, 538; 1987 a. 197, 403; 1993 a. 246; 1999 a. 150 s. 321; Stats. 1999 s. 200.13; 2017 a. 365 s. 111.

200.13 Annotation A metropolitan sewerage district cannot collect a service charge against a vocational school district. Green Bay Metropolitan School District v. VTAE District 13, 58 Wis. 2d 628, 207 N.W.2d 623 (1973).

200.15 200.15 Addition of territory. Territory not originally within a district may be added thereto in the following ways:

200.15(1) (1) 

200.15(1)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), upon receipt by the commission, and the regional planning commission of the region within which the district or the greatest portion of the district is located, of official notice from the city, village, or town sanitary district for any of the following territories:

200.15(1)(a)1. 1. Territory that is annexed to a city or village that is located entirely within the original district prior to the annexation.

200.15(1)(a)2. 2. Territory that is added to a town sanitary district under s. 60.785 (1) that is located entirely within the original district prior to the addition.

200.15(1)(a)3. 3. Territory that is annexed or attached to a city or village or added to a town sanitary district under s. 60.785 (1) if a portion of the city, village, or town sanitary district is located within a district that contains a 2nd class city with a population of 200,000 or more.

200.15(1)(b) (b) If, within 30 days after receipt of a notice under par. (a), the regional planning commission files with the commission a written objection to any part of the annexation or addition or the commission issues a written determination disapproving the addition of the territory, the territory proposed to be added or annexed under this subsection may be added or annexed only under sub. (2).

200.15(1)(c) (c) Failure of the commission to disapprove the addition of the territory under this subsection is subject to review under ch. 227.

200.15(2) (2) Proceedings leading to the addition of other territory to a district may be initiated by petition from a municipal governing body or upon motion of the commission. Upon receipt of the petition or upon adoption of the motion, the commission shall hold a public hearing preceded by a class 2 notice under ch. 985. The commission may approve the annexation upon a determination that the standards of ss. 200.05 (4) (b) and (c) and 200.15 (3) are met. Approval actions by the commission under this section shall be subject to review under ch. 227.

200.15(3) (3) Annexations under subs. (1) and (2) may be subject to reasonable requirements as to participation by newly annexed areas toward the cost of existing or proposed district facilities.

200.15(4) (4) Section 200.09 (1) does not require the appointment of a commissioner from territory annexed under this section if that territory, on the day before the annexation, has a population of less than 8.5 percent of the total population served by the district.

200.15 History History: 1971 c. 276; 1987 a. 399; 1991 a. 39; 1999 a. 150 s. 322; Stats. 1999 s. 200.15; 2015 a. 55.

subch. II of ch. 200 SUBCHAPTER II

DISTRICTS INCLUDING 1ST CLASS CITIES

200.21 200.21 Definitions. In this subchapter:

200.21(1) (1) “Capital costs” means the cost of acquiring, purchasing, adding to, leasing, planning, designing, constructing, extending and improving all or any part of a sewerage system and of paying principal, interest or premiums on any indebtedness incurred for these purposes.

200.21(2) (2) “Combined sewer overflow abatement” means decreasing discharges of a combination of storm and sanitary wastewater or storm and industrial wastewater directly or indirectly to the waters of the state that occur when the volume of wastewater flow exceeds the transport capacity of a combined storm and sanitary sewer system.

200.21(3) (3) “Commission” means the metropolitan sewerage commission created under s. 200.23.

200.21(4) (4) “District” means the metropolitan sewerage district created under s. 200.23.

200.21(5) (5) “Interceptor sewer” means a sewer that:

200.21(5)(a) (a) Is constructed, maintained and operated by the district;

200.21(5)(b) (b) Is either a force main sanitary sewer with a diameter greater than 12 inches or a gravity flow sanitary sewer with a diameter greater than 24 inches; and

200.21(5)(c) (c) Performs any of the following functions:

200.21(5)(c)1. 1. Receives and conveys sanitary sewage from a sanitary sewage collection system directly or indirectly to a sewage treatment facility.

200.21(5)(c)2. 2. Temporarily collects and stores excessive sewage flow until existing treatment plant capacity is available.

200.21(6) (6) “Local sewer” means any sewer constructed, operated or maintained by any municipality. “Local sewer” does not include any sewer that has been incorporated into the sewerage system under s. 200.37 (2). If the classification of any sewer is unclear, the presumption shall be that the sewer is local.

200.21(7) (7) “Municipality” means any city, town, village, sanitary district organized under subch. IX of ch. 60 or metropolitan sewerage district organized under ss. 200.01 to 200.15 that is located wholly or partially within the district or that contracts for services under s. 200.39.

200.21(8) (8) “Operating costs” means the costs of controlling, operating, managing or maintaining the sewerage system. “Operating costs” also includes replacement costs.

200.21(9) (9) “Replacement costs” means the costs of obtaining and installing equipment, accessories or appurtenances that are necessary during the service life of the district’s sewerage system to maintain the capacity and performance for which the sewerage system was designed and constructed.

200.21(10) (10) “Sewerage service area” means the area of the district and the area for which service is provided by contract under s. 200.39.

200.21(11) (11) “Sewerage system” means all facilities of the district for collection, transportation, storage, pumping, treatment and final disposition of sewage. “Sewerage system” does not include any private on-site wastewater treatment system, as defined in s. 145.01 (12), or any local sewer.

200.21(12) (12) “User” means any owner or occupant of any building or lot that is located within the sewerage service area and is furnished with sewerage service.

200.21 History History: 1981 c. 282; 1983 a. 189 ss. 70, 329 (8); 1983 a. 532 s. 36; 1999 a. 150 s. 576; Stats. 1999 s. 200.21; 2011 a. 146.

200.21 Note NOTE: See ss. 62.175, 62.18 and 62.185 for other provisions relating to city sewers.

200.23 200.23 Establishing a district and a commission.

200.23(1) (1) Establishment by resolution or reorganization.

200.23(1)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a commission is established under this subchapter if the common council of any 1st class city passes a resolution of necessity by a majority vote of the members-elect.

200.23(1)(b) (b)

200.23(1)(b)1. 1. On April 27, 1982, each metropolitan sewerage district organized under s. 59.96, 1979 stats., is reorganized as a district under this subchapter and a commission is created under this subchapter.

200.23(1)(b)2. 2. Commencing in 1983, the district reorganized under this paragraph shall, on or before November 1, annually pay or provide for the payment to any county obligated on account of bonds or bond anticipation notes issued on behalf of a district under s. 59.96 (7), 1979 stats., an amount sufficient to pay the interest and principal falling due in the succeeding year on the bonds and notes pursuant to the original terms of the bonds and notes. The county shall deposit amounts paid to it under this subdivision in the debt service funds for the bonds and notes established under s. 67.11. The county shall pay to the district any surplus in a debt service fund remaining after the bonds or notes for which the debt service fund was created are paid.

200.23(2) (2) Composition of the commission. The commission is composed of 11 members, who are appointed as follows:

200.23(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in s. 200.25 (7), the mayor of the 1st class city shall appoint 7 individuals as members of the commission, each of whom shall have his or her principal residence in the 1st class city. Three of the commissioners appointed under this paragraph shall be elected officials. Each commissioner appointed under this paragraph may take his or her seat immediately upon appointment, pending confirmation or rejection by a majority of the members-elect of the common council. An appointee whose confirmation is pending may act within the scope of authority of a commissioner until the mayor withdraws the appointment or the common council rejects the appointment, whichever is earlier. The mayor shall withdraw any appointment that the common council rejects and may only resubmit the appointment for confirmation after at least one subsequent appointment is rejected. For the purposes of this paragraph, “elected official” means:

200.23(2)(a)1. 1. The mayor of the 1st class city.

200.23(2)(a)2. 2. Members of the common council of the 1st class city.

200.23(2)(a)3. 3. Members of the county board of supervisors of the county in which the 1st class city is located who reside in the city.

200.23(2)(a)4. 4. State legislators who reside in the 1st class city.

200.23(2)(a)5. 5. The city attorney, comptroller or treasurer of the 1st class city.

200.23(2)(a)6. 6. Members of the board of school directors in charge of the public schools of the 1st class city.

200.23(2)(b) (b) Except as provided in s. 200.25 (7), an executive council composed of the elected executive officer of each city, village and town that is wholly or partly within the boundaries of the district under s. 200.29 (1), except a 1st class city, shall appoint 4 members of the commission by a majority vote of the members of the executive council. Each of these members shall have his or her principal residence within the district but outside the 1st class city. Three of these members shall be elected officials. Each commissioner appointed under this paragraph may take his or her seat immediately upon appointment.

200.23(2)(c) (c) The mayor and the executive council shall appoint the members of a commission that governs a district created under sub. (1) within 90 days after the passage of the resolution under sub. (1) (a) or within 90 days after the reorganization under sub. (1) (b).

200.23 History History: 1981 c. 282; 1983 a. 27; 1983 a. 207 s. 93 (8); 1999 a. 150 s. 577; Stats. 1999 s. 200.23.

200.25 200.25 Commissioners.

200.25(1) (1) Term.