Chapter 229

229.27 History History: 1977 c. 134; 1999 a. 112.

subch. II of ch. 229 SUBCHAPTER II

LOCAL EXPOSITION DISTRICTS

229.40 229.40 Legislative declaration.

229.40(1) (1) The legislature finds and determines that the provision of assistance by state agencies, in conjunction with local units of government, to a district under this subchapter and any expenditure of funds to assist a district under this subchapter serve a statewide public purpose by assisting the development and construction of sports and entertainment arena facilities in the state for providing recreation, by encouraging economic development and tourism, by reducing unemployment, by preserving business activities within the state, and by bringing needed capital into the state for the benefit and welfare of people throughout the state.

229.40(2) (2) The legislature finds and determines that a district serves a public purpose in the district’s jurisdiction to the local units of government in which it is located by providing recreation, by encouraging economic development and tourism, by reducing unemployment, by preserving business activities within the district’s jurisdiction, and by bringing needed capital into the district’s jurisdiction for the benefit and welfare of people in the district’s jurisdiction.

229.40 History History: 2015 a. 60.

229.41 229.41 Definitions. In this subchapter:

229.41(2) (2) “Board of directors” means the board of directors of a district.

229.41(3) (3) “Bond” means any bond, note or other obligation of a district issued under this subchapter.

229.41(3m) (3m) “Bond resolution” means a resolution of the board of directors authorizing the issuance of, or providing terms and conditions related to, bonds and includes, where appropriate, any trust agreement, trust indenture, indenture of mortgage or deed of trust providing terms and conditions for bonds.

229.41(4) (4) “Chief executive officer” means, as to a sponsoring municipality, the mayor or city manager of a city, the village president of a village or the county executive of a county or, if the county does not have a county executive, the chairperson of the county board of supervisors.

229.41(4m) (4m) “District” means a special purpose district created under this subchapter.

229.41(5) (5) “Enabling resolution” means a resolution, or an amendment of a resolution, adopted by the governing body of a sponsoring municipality and signed by the chief executive officer to create a district.

229.41(6) (6) “Exposition center” means one or more related structures, including fixtures and equipment, owned, operated or leased by a district and used primarily for conventions, expositions, trade shows, musical or dramatic events or other events involving educational, cultural or commercial activities, and not primarily for recreational or sporting activities.

229.41(7) (7) “Exposition center facilities” means land or structures, including fixtures and equipment, owned, operated or leased by a district that are used primarily to support the activities of an exposition center, and are functionally related to the exposition center, such as offices, parking lots and garages, storage or loading facilities, access ways, transportation facilities, restaurants and stores.

229.41(8) (8) “Exposition center site” means land owned, operated or leased by a district upon which an exposition center or exposition center facilities exist or may be constructed.

229.41(9) (9) “Private sector entity” means an entity that is not a public sector entity.

229.41(9e) (9e) “Professional basketball team” means a team that is a member of a league of professional basketball teams that have home arenas approved by the league in at least 10 states and a collective average attendance for all league members of at least 10,000 persons per game over the 5 years immediately preceding the year in which a district is created.

229.41(10) (10) “Public sector entity” means this state, a city, village, town or county or a quasi-governmental entity.

229.41(11) (11) “Sponsoring municipality” means any city, village, town or county that creates a district either separately or in combination with another city, village, town or county.

229.41(11e) (11e) “Sports and entertainment arena” means the arena structure and the land necessary for its location that is used as the home arena of a professional basketball team and for other sports, recreation, and entertainment activities.

229.41(11g) (11g) “Sports and entertainment arena facilities” means the sports and entertainment arena and structures, including all fixtures, equipment, and tangible personal property that are used primarily to support the operation of the sports and entertainment arena or are functionally related to the sports and entertainment arena, located on land not to exceed 9 contiguous acres in area. Such sports and entertainment arena facilities shall include such land and may include offices of the professional basketball team or its affiliate, parking spaces and garages, storage or loading facilities, access ways, sidewalks, a skywalk, plazas, transportation facilities, and sports team stores located on such land. In addition, “sports and entertainment arena facilities” also includes a parking structure to be constructed by a professional basketball team or its affiliate in conjunction with the construction of the sports and entertainment arena and to be owned by the sponsoring municipality.

229.41(12) (12) “Transfer agreement” means the contract between a district and a sponsoring municipality under s. 229.47 (1), or a contract between a district and the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation under s. 229.47 (2), that provides the terms and conditions upon which the ownership and operation of an exposition center and exposition center facilities or ownership of the Bradley Center or any part of the center, including real property, is transferred from a sponsoring municipality or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation to the district.

229.41 History History: 1993 a. 263; 2015 a. 60.

229.42 229.42 Creation and organization.

229.42(1) (1) A sponsoring municipality may create a special purpose district that is a unit of government, that is a body corporate and politic, that is separate and distinct from, and independent of, the state and the sponsoring municipality, and that has the powers under s. 229.44, if the sponsoring municipality does all of the following:

229.42(1)(a) (a) Adopts an enabling resolution, subject to sub. (2), that does all of the following:

229.42(1)(a)1. 1. Declares the need for establishing the district.

229.42(1)(a)2. 2. Contains findings of public purpose.

229.42(1)(a)3. 3. Names the district.

229.42(1)(a)4. 4. Contains a description of the exposition center to be developed, owned, leased or operated by the district.

229.42(1)(a)5. 5. If the sole sponsoring municipality is a 1st class city, states that the municipality agrees to stop imposing and collecting its room tax under s. 66.0615 (1m) (a).

229.42(1)(b) (b) Files copies of the enabling resolution with the secretary of administration, the secretary of revenue and the county executive, if the sponsoring municipality is not a county.

229.42(2) (2) A district may have more than one sponsoring municipality if each sponsoring municipality is identified in a substantially similar enabling resolution that is adopted by the governing body of each sponsoring municipality within a 90-day period commencing with the date of adoption of the first enabling resolution.

229.42(3) (3) The district shall be governed by its board of directors and, except for the 3rd member described under sub. (4) (d) who is either a chief executive officer of a municipality or a resident of the district, may not act until all of the persons appointed to its board are certified under s. 229.435. The board of directors shall adopt bylaws to govern the district’s activities, subject to this subchapter.

229.42(4) (4) Subject to sub. (4e), if the sole sponsoring municipality is a 1st class city, the board of directors shall consist of 17 members, who shall be qualified and appointed, subject to sub. (7) (b), as follows:

229.42(4)(a) (a) Two members, who shall be residents of the sponsoring municipality and primarily employees or officers of a private sector entity, shall be appointed by the chief executive officer of the sponsoring municipality.

229.42(4)(b) (b) Three members, each of whom shall be a resident of the sponsoring municipality and primarily an employee or officer of a public sector entity, shall be appointed by the president of the governing body of the sponsoring municipality and the president may appoint himself or herself.

229.42(4)(c) (c) One member shall be the comptroller of the sponsoring municipality, except that if the sponsoring municipality does not have a comptroller one member shall be the chief financial officer of the sponsoring municipality.

229.42(4)(d) (d) Three members, 2 of whom shall be primarily employees or officers of a private sector entity, shall be appointed by the county executive of the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located and the 2 private sector entity members shall reside in the county but may not reside in the sponsoring municipality. The 3rd member shall be the chief executive officer of a municipality that contributes a minimum of five-fourteenths of its room tax to an entity which promotes tourism and conventions within the jurisdiction of the district, as that term is used in s. 229.43, except that if no municipality makes this minimum contribution the 3rd member shall be a resident of the district. The room tax contribution shall be at least $150,000 each year. The chief executive officer appointed under this paragraph shall serve a term that expires 2 years after his or her appointment, or shall serve until the expiration of his or her term of elective office, whichever occurs first. This paragraph does not apply, and no appointments may be made under this paragraph, after the secretary of administration issues the certification described in sub. (4e) (d).

229.42(4)(e) (e) Four members, one of whom shall be the secretary of administration and 3 of whom shall be primarily employees or officers of a private sector entity, who shall be appointed by the governor. Of the 3 members who are officers or employees of a private sector entity, at least one of the appointees shall own, operate or manage an enterprise that is located within the district’s jurisdiction and that has significant involvement with the food and beverage industry and at least one of the appointees shall own, operate or manage an enterprise that is located within the district’s jurisdiction and that has significant involvement with the lodging industry. At least 2 of the appointees under this paragraph shall reside in the district’s jurisdiction but may not reside in the sponsoring municipality. Upon the secretary of administration issuing the certification described in sub. (4e) (d), the secretary may continue to serve on the board of directors or may select a designee to serve in his or her place, and the 3 members previously appointed by the governor under this paragraph shall be appointed by the county executive of the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located, subject to the other provisions of this paragraph.

229.42(4)(f) (f)

229.42(4)(f)1. 1. Two members, one of whom shall be the speaker of the assembly, or his or her designee, and one of whom shall be the senate majority leader, or his or her designee, if the designee is a member of the same house of the legislature as the speaker or majority leader who makes the designation.

229.42(4)(f)2. 2. Two members, one of whom shall be the minority leader of the assembly, or his or her designee, and one of whom shall be the senate minority leader, or his or her designee, if the designee is a member of the same house of the legislature as the minority leader who makes the designation.

229.42(4)(g) (g) Upon the secretary of administration issuing the certification described in sub. (4e) (d):

229.42(4)(g)1. 1. One member who shall be appointed by the county executive of the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located and who shall be either primarily an employee or officer of a private sector entity. The appointee shall own, operate, or manage an enterprise that is located within the district’s jurisdiction and that has either significant involvement with the food and beverage industry or significant involvement with the lodging industry. The appointee under this subdivision shall reside in the district’s jurisdiction but may not reside in the sponsoring municipality.

229.42(4)(g)2. 2. One member who shall be appointed by the county executive of the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located and who is the chief executive officer, or his or her designee, of a municipality that contributes a minimum of five-fourteenths of its room tax to an entity that promotes tourism and conventions within the jurisdiction of the district, as that term is used in s. 229.43. If no municipality makes this minimum contribution, the county executive shall appoint an additional member who shall be a resident of the district. The room tax contribution shall be at least $150,000 each year. The chief executive officer described under this subdivision shall serve a term that is concurrent with his or her term of elective office.

229.42(4)(h) (h) Upon the secretary of administration issuing the certification described in sub. (4e) (d), one member shall be the comptroller of the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located, except that if that county does not have a comptroller, one member shall be the chief financial officer of the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located.

229.42(4e) (4e) 

229.42(4e)(a) (a) With regard to a district that exists on August 14, 2015, notwithstanding the provisions of subs. (4) (a) to (f) and (7) (b), the terms of office of all members of the board of directors shall expire on August 14, 2015, except that the secretary of administration shall continue as a board member and he or she shall become chairperson of the board of directors, notwithstanding sub. (8).

229.42(4e)(b) (b) Not later than 30 days after August 14, 2015, each appointing authority under sub. (4) (a) to (e) shall appoint and certify new members of the board of directors as provided in sub. (4) and s. 229.435, except that the secretary of administration who continues in office as provided in par. (a) need not be reappointed under sub. (4) (e). The members described in sub. (4) (c) and (f) shall become members of the board of directors on August 14, 2015.

229.42(4e)(c) (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub. (3), the secretary of administration may act before all board members appointed as provided in par. (b) are certified.

229.42(4e)(d) (d) The secretary of administration shall serve as chairperson of the board of directors until the secretary certifies that a sports and entertainment arena, the construction of which commences on or after August 14, 2015, is completed. The secretary of administration shall make the certification described under this paragraph as soon as he or she determines that the sports and entertainment arena is completed, but not later than the first game played in the sports and entertainment arena by the professional basketball team that uses the arena as its home arena.

229.42(4e)(e) (e) The terms of board members appointed under par. (b) shall expire or terminate upon the earliest occurrence of one of the following:

229.42(4e)(e)1. 1. Two years after the member is certified under s. 229.435.

229.42(4e)(e)2. 2. The secretary of administration makes the certification described in par. (d).

229.42(4e)(e)3. 3. One of the provisions described in sub. (7) (b) 2. or 3. occurs.

229.42(4e)(f) (f) Upon the secretary of administration issuing the certification described in par. (d), which shall cause the expiration or termination of the terms of all board members as provided in this subsection, each appointing authority under sub. (4) shall appoint and certify new members of the board of directors, as provided in sub. (4) and s. 229.435, not later than 30 days after the secretary issues the certification. The secretary of administration or the secretary’s designee, and the persons described in sub. (4) (c), (f), and (h), are considered to be certified upon the secretary issuing the certification described in par. (d). A board of directors consisting of members whose appointments are described under this paragraph may not take any action until a majority of board members so appointed are certified. No individual appointive board member may act until he or she is appointed and certified.

229.42(5) (5) 

229.42(5)(a) (a) If a district has 2 or more sponsoring municipalities, one of which is a 1st class city, the board of directors shall consist of 8 members appointed by the chief executive officers of the sponsoring municipalities. The allocation of appointments by the chief executive officers and the expiration dates of the terms of office shall be specified in the enabling resolutions. The directors shall be subject to sub. (7) (a).

229.42(5)(b) (b) If a district has 2 or more sponsoring municipalities, none of which is a 1st class city, the board of directors shall consist of 6 members appointed by the chief executive officer of each sponsoring municipality. The allocation of appointments by the chief executive officers and the expiration dates of the terms of office shall be specified in the enabling resolutions. The directors shall be subject to sub. (7) (a).

229.42(6) (6) If the sole sponsoring municipality is not a 1st class city, the board of directors shall consist of 6 members, all of whom shall reside in the area of the district’s jurisdiction and shall be appointed by the sponsoring municipality’s chief executive officer, subject to sub. (7) (a). The expiration dates of the members’ terms of office shall be specified in the enabling resolution. Three of the directors shall be elected or appointed public officials of the sponsoring municipality, one shall own, operate or manage an enterprise that is located within the district’s jurisdiction and that has a significant involvement with the hotel, motel and lodging industry, one shall own, operate or manage an enterprise that is located within the district’s jurisdiction and that has a significant involvement with the food and beverage industry and one shall be an at-large appointment who is an employee or officer of a private sector entity.

229.42(7) (7) 

229.42(7)(a) (a) Appointments by the chief executive officer under subs. (5) and (6) shall be subject to confirmation by the governing body of the sponsoring municipality. The terms of office of the public sector members of the board of directors shall be 3 years and shall expire upon the earlier of a date specified in the enabling resolution or the expiration of their respective terms of public office. The terms of office of the members who are officers or employees of a private sector entity shall be 3 years, except that for the initial appointments for a newly created district one-third of the appointments of such members shall be for one year, one-third shall be for 2 years and one-third shall be for 3 years. If the number of members who are officers or employees of a private sector entity is not divisible by 3, for the initial appointments of such members for a newly created district, approximately one-third of the appointments shall be for one year, approximately one-third shall be for 2 years and approximately one-third shall be for 3 years. No members who are officers or employees of a private sector entity may serve more than 2 consecutive full terms. Members may be removed from the board of directors prior to the expiration of their terms only by the chief executive officer and only for malfeasance or nonfeasance in office.

229.42(7)(b) (b)

229.42(7)(b)1. 1. Subject to subds. 2. and 3., the terms of office of the members of the board shall be 3 years, except that for the initial appointments for a newly created district, as specified in the enabling resolution, 4 of the appointments shall be for one year, 4 appointments, including the 3 members appointed under sub. (4) (d), shall be for 2 years and 4 appointments shall be for 3 years. The cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance or their designees shall serve on the board for a term that is concurrent with their terms in office and the comptroller’s appointment shall be for the comptroller’s tenure in his or her position.

229.42(7)(b)1m. 1m. Subject to subds. 2. and 3. and sub. (4) (g), the terms of office of the members of the board of directors shall be 3 years, except that for the initial appointments that occur following the secretary of administration issuing the certification described in sub. (4e) (d), 3 of the appointments shall be for one year, 3 appointments shall be for 2 years, and 3 appointments shall be for 3 years. The comptroller’s appointments shall be for the comptroller’s tenure in his or her position. The term of the secretary of administration or his or her designee shall be concurrent with the secretary’s term in office, and the terms of the persons described in sub. (4) (f) shall be their terms in office or the term of the person who designated the board members under sub. (4) (f). The length of the initial terms shall be determined jointly by the secretary of administration and the county executive of the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located. With regard to appointed board members to whom this subdivision applies, no individual may serve on the board of directors for more than 9 years.

229.42(7)(b)2. 2. The term of a public sector member shall expire or terminate upon the earliest occurrence of one of the following:

229.42(7)(b)2.a. a. The term for which he or she was appointed expires.

229.42(7)(b)2.b. b. The member’s term in public office expires.

229.42(7)(b)2.c. c. The member is removed by his or her appointing authority for malfeasance or nonfeasance in office.

229.42(7)(b)3. 3. The term of a member who is an officer or employee of a private sector entity shall expire or terminate upon the earliest occurrence of one of the following:

229.42(7)(b)3.a. a. The term for which he or she was appointed expires.

229.42(7)(b)3.b. b. A member that is subject to a residency requirement establishes a nonqualifying residence.

229.42(7)(b)3.c. c. A member that is appointed as a member from the food and beverage industry or the lodging industry no longer qualifies as an industry representative as described in sub. (4) (e).

229.42(7)(b)3.d. d. The member is removed by his or her appointing authority for malfeasance or nonfeasance in office.

229.42(8) (8) The board of directors shall elect from its membership a chairperson, a vice chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. A majority of the current membership of the board of directors constitutes a quorum to do business. Except as provided in ss. 66.0615 (1m) (b) and 77.981, the district may take action based on the affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum.

229.42(9) (9) The members of the board of directors shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

229.42 History History: 1993 a. 263; 1995 a. 134; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2015 a. 60; 2023 a. 146.

229.43 229.43 Jurisdiction. A district’s jurisdiction is the sponsoring municipality’s geographical area, except that, if the sponsoring municipality is a 1st class city, the district’s jurisdiction is that city and each city and village that is wholly or partly contained within the most populous county in which that city is located and except that no territory may be included within the jurisdiction of more than one district.

229.43 History History: 1993 a. 263.

229.435 229.435 Certification of board members. Within 30 days following the expiration of terms as described in s. 229.42 (4e) (a), and upon the secretary of administration issuing the certification described in s. 229.42 (4e) (d), each person who may appoint members to a board of directors under s. 229.42 (4), (5) or (6) shall certify to the department of administration the names of the persons appointed to the board of directors under s. 229.42 (5) or (6) or, if the sole sponsoring municipality is a 1st class city, the names of the persons appointed to the board of directors under s. 229.42 (4).

229.435 History History: 1993 a. 263; 2015 a. 60.

229.44 229.44 Powers of a district. A district has all of the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this subchapter. In addition to all other powers granted by this subchapter, a district may do any of the following:

229.44(1) (1) Adopt and alter an official seal.

229.44(2) (2) Sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded.

229.44(3) (3) Maintain an office.

229.44(4) (4) Do any of the following in connection with an exposition center and exposition center facilities and sports and entertainment arena and sports and entertainment arena facilities: