Chapter 33

33.27(1) (1) The county board shall, at the time of making the order establishing a district, appoint 3 owners of property within the district, at least one of whom is a resident of the district, to serve as commissioners until the first annual meeting of the district, and shall also make the appointment required under s. 33.28 (2).

33.27(1m) (1m) If no resident is willing to serve as required under sub. (1), the residency requirement shall be waived for the initial district board of commissioners.

33.27(2) (2) Within 30 days following the county board’s order establishing the district, the governing body of the town, city or village having the largest portion by valuation within the district shall appoint one of its members to the district board under s. 33.28 (2).

33.27(3) (3) At any time following the making of the order establishing a district, but no later than 60 days following the expiration of time for appeal to the circuit court, or, if appealed, no later than 60 days following the final judgment in any appeal, the district board shall hold an organizational meeting, shall select officers to serve until the first annual meeting, and may commence conducting the affairs of the district.

33.27(4) (4) The board may make an initial assessment of all taxable property within the district to raise funds to pay organizational costs and operate the district until the receipt of the tax voted by the first annual meeting. The manner of making the assessment shall be within the discretion of the board.

33.27 History History: 1973 c. 301; 1975 c. 197; 1979 c. 299; 1993 a. 167.

33.28 33.28 District board of commissioners.

33.28(1) (1) Management of the affairs of the district shall be delegated to a board of commissioners.

33.28(2) (2) Except as provided in sub. (2m) (c), the board of commissioners shall consist of all of the following:

33.28(2)(a) (a) One person appointed by the county board who is a member of the county land conservation committee or who is nominated by the county land conservation committee and appointed by the county board.

33.28(2)(b) (b) One person who is appointed by the governing body of the town, village, or city within which the largest portion by valuation of the district lies. The person appointed under this paragraph shall be a resident of the district who owns property within the district if possible or shall be a member of the governing body of the town, village, or city within which the largest portion of the valuation of the district lies.

33.28(2)(c) (c) Three electors or owners of property within the district elected by secret ballot by the qualified electors and property owners within the district, for staggered 3-year terms. At least one of the elected commissioners shall be a resident of the district.

33.28(2)(d) (d) If the district includes a lake that is controlled by a dam, if the dam is not located in the town, village, or city within which the largest portion by valuation of the district lies, and if the governing body of the town, village, or city within which the largest portion by valuation of the district lies elects not to make an appointment under par. (b), as provided in sub. (2m) (c), one person who is appointed by the governing body of the town, village, or city within which the dam is located. The person appointed under this paragraph shall be a resident of the district who owns property within the district if possible or shall be a member of the governing body of the town, village, or city within which the dam is located.

33.28(2m) (2m) 

33.28(2m)(a) (a) An annual meeting may permanently increase the number of members of the board of commissioners to be elected under sub. (2) (c) from 3 to 5.

33.28(2m)(b) (b) If no resident is willing to be elected as required under sub. (2) (c) for a given term, the residency requirement shall be waived until the end of that term.

33.28(2m)(c) (c) If the district includes a lake that is controlled by a dam and if the dam is not located in the town, village, or city within which the largest portion by valuation of the district lies, the governing body of the town, village, or city within which the largest portion by valuation of the district lies may elect not to make an appointment under sub. (2) (b).

33.28(3) (3) Three commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

33.28(4) (4) The board shall select a chairperson, secretary and treasurer from among its members.

33.28(5) (5) Commissioners shall be paid actual and necessary expenses incurred while conducting business of the district, plus such compensation as may be established by the annual meeting.

33.28(6) (6) The board shall meet at least quarterly, and at other times on the call of the chairperson or the petition of 3 of the members.

33.28(7) (7) If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board under sub. (2) (a) or (d), the appointing authority shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy. If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board under sub. (2) (b) that is not a result of the appointing body electing not to make an appointment under sub. (2m) (c), the appointing authority shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy. If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board under sub. (2) (c), the chairperson of the board shall appoint a person to fill the remainder of the unexpired term, subject to approval by a majority vote of the board.

33.28 History History: 1973 c. 301; 1975 c. 197; 1977 c. 391; 1979 c. 299; 1981 c. 18, 346; 1989 a. 159, 359; 1991 a. 32; 1993 a. 167; 2015 a. 25, 140.

33.28 Annotation Sub. (2) (a) provides that the county representative upon a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation board is to be a person appointed by the county board. By operation of s. 59.17 (2) (c), the power of appointing the county representative to a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district is therefore transferred from the county board to the county executive once the office of county executive is created, subject to confirmation by the board. OAG 2-09.

33.285 33.285 Property owning requirements. Any requirement under s. 33.27 (1) or 33.28 that a person own property within the district to be eligible for membership on the board of commissioners is satisfied if a person is an official representative, officer or employee of any trust, foundation, corporation, association or organization which is an owner of property within the district.

33.285 History History: 1975 c. 197; 1979 c. 299.

33.29 33.29 Board of commissioners; officers; powers and duties.

33.29(1) (1) The board shall be responsible for:

33.29(1)(a) (a) Initiating and coordinating research and surveys for the purpose of gathering data on the lake, related shorelands and the drainage basin;

33.29(1)(b) (b) Planning lake protection and rehabilitation projects;

33.29(1)(c) (c) Contacting and attempting to secure the cooperation of officials of units of general purpose government in the area for the purpose of enacting ordinances deemed necessary by the board as furthering the objectives of the district;

33.29(1)(d) (d) Adopting and carrying out lake protection and rehabilitation plans and obtaining any necessary permits therefor;

33.29(1)(e) (e) Maintaining liaison with those officials of state government involved in lake protection and rehabilitation, and providing the department with the names and addresses of the current commissioners;

33.29(1)(f) (f) Scheduling the annual meeting of the district; and

33.29(1)(g) (g) Preparing the proposed annual budget for presentation at the annual meeting of the district. The proposed annual budget shall include all of the following:

33.29(1)(g)1. 1. A list of all existing indebtedness and all anticipated revenue from all sources during the ensuing year.

33.29(1)(g)2. 2. A list of all proposed appropriations for each department, activity, and reserve account during the ensuing year.

33.29(1)(g)3. 3. The actual revenues and expenditures for the preceding year.

33.29(1)(g)4. 4. The actual revenues and expenditures for not less than the first 6 months of the current year.

33.29(1)(g)5. 5. The estimated revenues and expenditures for the balance of the current year.

33.29(1)(g)6. 6. For informational purposes by fund, all anticipated unexpended or unappropriated balances and surpluses.

33.29(2) (2) The board shall have control over the fiscal matters of the district, subject to the powers and directives of the annual or a special meeting. The board shall annually at the close of the fiscal year cause an audit to be made of the financial transactions of the district, which shall be submitted to the annual meeting.

33.29(3) (3) The board, immediately after each annual meeting, shall elect a chairperson, secretary and treasurer, whose duties shall be as follows:

33.29(3)(a) (a) The chairperson shall preside at the annual meeting, at all special meetings and meetings of the board and at all public hearings held by the board.

33.29(3)(b) (b) The secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the board and hearings held by it. The secretary shall prepare and send the notices required for the annual meeting, any special meeting, and any meeting of the board.

33.29(3)(c) (c) The treasurer shall receive and take charge of all moneys of the district, and pay out the same only on order of the board.

33.29 History History: 1973 c. 301; 1989 a. 159, 359; 2003 a. 275; 2015 a. 197 s. 51.

33.30 33.30 Annual meeting of district.

33.30(1) (1) Every district shall have an annual meeting. Each annual meeting shall be scheduled during the time period between May 22 and September 8 unless scheduled outside those dates by majority vote of the previous annual meeting.

33.30(2) (2) 

33.30(2)(a) (a) The annual meeting shall be preceded by written notice mailed or emailed at least 14 days in advance of the meeting to all electors within the district whose address or email address is known or can be ascertained with reasonable diligence, to all owners of property within the district at the owner’s email address or address as listed in the tax roll, and to the department. The district board of commissioners may substitute a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, in lieu of sending written notice to electors residing within the district. The notice required under this paragraph may be provided by email only to electors and owners of property who have agreed to receive notice via email.

33.30(2)(b) (b) No absentee ballots or proxies are permitted at the annual meeting.

33.30(2m) (2m) The notice of the annual meeting under sub. (2) shall include all of the following:

33.30(2m)(a) (a) The proposed annual budget required under s. 33.29 (1) (g).

33.30(2m)(b) (b) A list of each item proposed for consideration at the annual meeting in addition to the proposed annual budget.

33.30(2m)(c) (c) A list of any items proposed for consideration at the annual meeting by persons eligible to vote at the annual meeting if all of the following conditions are met:

33.30(2m)(c)1. 1. The item relates to an issue that is within the district’s authority.

33.30(2m)(c)2. 2. Each item is submitted by a petition to the board at least 30 days before the annual meeting.

33.30(2m)(c)3. 3. The petition is signed by persons who are eligible to vote at the annual meeting.

33.30(2m)(c)4. 4. The number of persons signing the petition equals or exceeds 20 percent of the number of parcels located in the district that are subject to the property tax.

33.30(3) (3) At the annual meeting, electors and property owners who attend the meeting shall do all of the following:

33.30(3)(a) (a) Elect by secret ballot one or more commissioners to fill vacancies occurring in the elected membership of the district board.

33.30(3)(b) (b) Approve a budget for the coming year. The electors and property owners may consider and vote on amendments to the budget before approving that budget. The budget shall separately identify the capital costs and the costs of operation of the district, shall conform with the applicable requirements under s. 33.29 (1) (g) and shall specify any item that has a cost to the district in excess of $10,000.

33.30(4) (4) At the annual meeting, electors and property owners may do any of the following:

33.30(4)(a) (a) Vote by majority a tax upon all taxable property within the district. That portion of the tax that is for the costs of operation for the coming year may not exceed a rate of 2.5 mills of equalized valuation as determined by the department of revenue and reported to the district board. The tax shall be apportioned among the municipalities having property within the district on the basis of equalized full value, and a report shall be delivered by the treasurer, by November 1, by certified statement to the clerk of each municipality having property within the district for collection.

33.30(4)(b) (b) Take up and consider such other business as comes before it.

33.30(4)(c) (c) Establish compensation to be paid the district board commissioners.

33.30(4)(d) (d) Create a nonlapsible fund to finance specifically identified capital costs and for maintenance of capital equipment.

33.30(5) (5) All of the following apply to an election under sub. (3) (a):

33.30(5)(a) (a) Ballots shall be distributed only to qualified electors and property owners in attendance at the meeting. No ballots may be distributed after collection of the ballots commences.

33.30(5)(b) (b) Ballots shall be counted immediately following the election and results read to those attending the meeting, including the total number of ballots cast and the number of votes each candidate received. Any candidate for the district board or his or her designee may be present to observe the counting of ballots.

33.30(5)(c) (c) After the procedure under par. (b) is complete, any elector or candidate may request a recount. If a recount is requested, the secretary shall note the request in the meeting minutes. A recount requested under this paragraph shall be conducted following the same procedure as under par. (b). The recount results are final when one of the following applies:

33.30(5)(c)1. 1. If the total number of votes cast is fewer than 100, when 2 successive recounts yield identical results.

33.30(5)(c)2. 2. If the total number of votes cast is 100 or more, after one recount, unless a recount is requested under par. (d).

33.30(5)(d) (d) If par. (c) 2. applies, the runner-up candidate may request another recount. If a recount is requested under this paragraph, the secretary shall note the request in the meeting minutes and the following process applies:

33.30(5)(d)1. 1. The ballots shall be enclosed in a container sealed with a tamper-evident seal.

33.30(5)(d)2. 2. The container of ballots shall be delivered, unopened, to the clerk of the most populous municipality in the district within 2 business days after the election.

33.30(5)(d)3. 3. The clerk under subd. 2. shall conduct a recount of the ballots within 2 weeks of receiving the ballots and shall immediately transmit the results of the recount to the secretary of the board. The clerk shall inform all candidates of the time and location of the recount at least 48 hours in advance. Any candidate for the district board or his or her designee may be present to observe the recount.

33.30(5)(d)4. 4. The clerk under subd. 2. may charge the actual cost of conducting the recount under subd. 3. to the district.

33.30(5)(e) (e) No recount under this subsection may be requested after the meeting at which the election is held has been adjourned.

33.30 History History: 1973 c. 301; 1975 c. 197; 1977 c. 142, 391, 447; 1979 c. 299; 1981 c. 18, 20; 1989 a. 159; 1993 a. 167; 1995 a. 349; 2003 a. 275, 327; 2019 a. 99; 2023 a. 62.

33.305 33.305 Special meetings of district.

33.305(1) (1) The board of commissioners of a district may schedule a special meeting of the district at any time. The board of commissioners shall schedule a special meeting upon receipt of a petition signed by at least 10 percent of the electors and property owners in the district.

33.305(2) (2) Written notice of a special meeting shall be given to the same persons and in the same manner required under s. 33.30 (2) (a).

33.305(3) (3) At a special meeting, electors and property owners may take any action that is required or allowed to be taken at an annual meeting, except they may not do any of the following:

33.305(3)(a) (a) Approve an annual budget but they may consider and vote on amendments to the annual budget.

33.305(3)(c) (c) Consider the dissolution of the district or dissolve the district.

33.305(3)(d) (d) Consider a matter that was resolved during another special meeting that was held since the previous annual meeting.

33.305(4) (4) No absentee ballots or proxies are permitted at a special meeting.