Chapter 33

33.53(6m) (6m) “River county” means Kenosha County, Racine County or Waukesha County or any county in the Illinois Fox River basin that is designated by the commission under s. 33.57 (5).

33.53(7) (7) “River municipality” means any of the following municipalities that is located in a river county:

33.53(7)(a) (a) The city of Waukesha.

33.53(7)(b) (b) The town of Waukesha.

33.53(7)(c) (c) The village of Waterford.

33.53(7)(d) (d) The town of Waterford.

33.53(7)(e) (e) The village of Big Bend.

33.53(7)(f) (f) The town of Vernon.

33.53(7)(g) (g) The town of Mukwonago.

33.53(7)(h) (h) The village of Mukwonago.

33.53(7)(i) (i) The village of Rochester.

33.53(7)(j) (j) The town of Burlington.

33.53(7)(k) (k) The city of Burlington.

33.53(7)(L) (L) The town of Wheatland.

33.53(7)(m) (m) The town of Salem.

33.53(7)(n) (n) The village of Silver Lake.

33.53(7)(o) (o) Any city, village, or town in a river county that is designated by the commission under s. 33.57 (5).

33.53(8) (8) “Surface waters” include surface water in drainage ditches.

33.53 History History: 1997 a. 27; 2015 a. 226.

33.54 33.54 Creation, funding. There is created a Southeastern Wisconsin Fox River Commission for the Illinois Fox River basin. For the purposes of this subchapter, the Illinois Fox River basin extends from the northern boundary of the city of Waukesha downstream to the Wisconsin-Illinois border, except that the commission may extend this area by an affirmative vote of the majority of voting commissioners. The board of commissioners shall govern the commission. A county or river municipality may appropriate money to the commission. The commission, a river county or a river municipality may solicit gifts, grants, and other aid for the commission to enable the commission to perform the functions in this subchapter.

33.54 History History: 1997 a. 27; 2015 a. 226.

33.55 33.55 Board of commissioners; composition.

33.55(1) (1) The board of commissioners shall consist of the following persons, all of whom shall be residents of the river county:

33.55(1)(a) (a) The county executive of Racine County or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(b) (b) The county executive of Waukesha County or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(bg) (bg) The county executive of Kenosha County or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(br) (br) The county executive of any county admitted to the commission under s. 33.53 (7) (o) or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(c) (c) The mayor of the city of Waukesha or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(d) (d) The town board chairperson of the town of Waukesha or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(e) (e) The village president of the village of Waterford or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(f) (f) The town board chairperson of the town of Waterford or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(g) (g) The village president of the village of Big Bend or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(h) (h) The town board chairperson of the town of Vernon or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(i) (i) The town board chairperson of the town of Mukwonago or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(j) (j) The village president of the village of Mukwonago or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(p) (p) The village president of the village of Rochester or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(q) (q) The town board chairperson of the town of Burlington or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(r) (r) The mayor of the city of Burlington or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(s) (s) The town board chairperson of the town of Wheatland or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(t) (t) The town board chairperson of the town of Salem or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(u) (u) The village president of the village of Silver Lake or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(v) (v) The mayor, village president, or town board chairperson of any city, village, or town, respectively, designated as a river municipality by the commission under s. 33.53 (7) (o) or his or her designee.

33.55(1)(w) (w) One nonvoting representative from the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, who shall be appointed by the chairperson of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

33.55(1)(x) (x) One nonvoting representative from the department of natural resources, who shall be appointed by the secretary of natural resources.

33.55(1m) (1m) If an elected official who is a member of the commission or his or her designee, if designated, is unable to attend a meeting of the commission, the elected official may authorize another resident of the river county to attend the meeting and exercise the duties of the member.

33.55(2) (2) 

33.55(2)(a) (a) If a commissioner listed under sub. (1) (a) to (j) is an elected official, his or her term on the commission runs concurrently with his or her term in office. If the elected official resigns from the commission during his or her term in office, the elected official shall appoint a designee to take his or her place on the commission within 90 days of his or her resignation.

33.55(2)(b) (b) If a commissioner listed under sub. (1) (a) to (v) is appointed to the commission by an elected official, as the designee of an elected official, his or her term on the commission begins and ends on dates determined by the appointing river county or river municipality. Vacancies occurring during the term of the designee of an elected official shall be filled within 90 days of the vacancy by another designee who is appointed by the elected official, or the elected official may become the commissioner. The river county or river municipality shall inform the board of commissioners in writing that a new designee is appointed no more than 90 days after the appointment.

33.55(2)(d) (d) The term of a commissioner appointed under sub. (1) (w) or (x) begins and ends on dates determined by the appointing authority. Vacancies occurring during the term of the appointee shall be filled by the appointing authority within 90 days of the vacancy. The appointing authority shall inform the board of commissioners in writing that a new commissioner is appointed no more than 90 days after the appointment.

33.55(3) (3) A number equal to a majority of voting commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If an elected official under sub. (1) (a) to (v) notifies the board of commissioners in writing that he or she will not participate in the commission and will not appoint a designee or authorize an alternate under sub. (1m), that person may not be included in the number of voting commissioners for purposes of determining the number that constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.

33.55(4) (4) The board of commissioners shall meet at least quarterly, and at other times on the call of the chairperson or on the petition of 5 commissioners.

33.55(5) (5) Any action by the board of commissioners requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting.

33.55(6) (6) Annually, the board of commissioners shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary from its members, and these officers shall have the following duties:

33.55(6)(a) (a) The chairperson shall preside at all meetings and all public hearings held by the board of commissioners.

33.55(6)(b) (b) The vice chairperson shall preside at any meeting or any public hearing held by the board of commissioners at which the chairperson is unable to preside.

33.55(6)(c) (c) The secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the board of commissioners and hearings held by it.

33.55 History History: 1997 a. 27, 252; 2015 a. 226; 2017 a. 365.

33.56 33.56 Board of commissioners; duties. The board of commissioners shall do all of the following:

33.56(1) (1) Initiate and coordinate surveys and research projects for the purpose of gathering data relating to the surface waters and groundwaters of the Illinois Fox River basin that are located in a river municipality.

33.56(2) (2) Maintain a liaison with agencies of the federal, state and local governments and other organizations that are involved in programs or projects designed to protect, rehabilitate and manage water resources.

33.56(3) (3) Develop a public information and education program on issues related to the surface waters and groundwaters of the Illinois Fox River basin that are located in a river municipality.

33.56 History History: 1997 a. 27; 2003 a. 33.

33.57 33.57 Board of commissioners; powers. The board of commissioners may do all of the following:

33.57(1) (1) Develop and implement plans, projects or programs to do any of the following:

33.57(1)(a) (a) Improve the water quality and the scenic, economic and environmental value of the surface waters and the groundwaters of the Illinois Fox River basin that are located in a river municipality.

33.57(1)(b) (b) Protect or enhance the recreational use of the navigable waters of the Illinois Fox River basin that are located in a river municipality.

33.57(1)(c) (c) Coordinate and integrate, for efficient and effective cost management, any county programs or projects for the waters of the river county that relate to any of the following:

33.57(1)(c)1. 1. Surface water and groundwater quality of the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality.

33.57(1)(c)2. 2. The recreational use of and public access to navigable waters of the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality.

33.57(1)(c)3. 3. Water safety and boating regulations for the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality.

33.57(2) (2) Develop and propose to the county board programs or projects to make improvements to the navigable waters in the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality, including constructing and maintaining public boat launching facilities, maintaining park or other open natural areas adjacent to the navigable waters, implementing shoreline maintenance requests, maintaining and improving locks and dredging waterways.

33.57(3) (3) Create advisory committees as it considers necessary to apprise the board of commissioners of the information necessary to implement its duties and powers. The advisory committees may include representatives of the following: fishing groups; farmers; businesses; riparian and other real property owners; industry groups; public bodies; sailing clubs; boating clubs; environmentalists; scientists; conservationists; hunters; and water skiing, diving and other sports clubs.

33.57(4) (4) Adopt any rules necessary to implement the duties and powers granted to the board of commissioners.

33.57(5) (5) Designate as a river municipality or river county, by an affirmative vote of the majority of voting commissioners, a town, village, city, or county that requests through a resolution adopted by its governing body to be designated as being under the commission’s jurisdiction.

33.57 History History: 1997 a. 27; 2015 a. 226.

33.58 33.58 Regulation proposed by board of commissioners.

33.58(1) (1) Ordinances and local regulations. The board of commissioners may propose to the governing body of a river municipality the adoption, modification or rescission of any ordinance or local regulation relating to boating, recreation or safety upon the navigable waters of the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality.

33.58(2) (2) Minimum standards. The board of commissioners may propose to the governing body of a river municipality minimum standards for local regulations and ordinances for municipalities to protect and rehabilitate the water quality of the surface waters and groundwaters of the Illinois Fox River basin that are located in a river municipality.

33.58 History History: 1997 a. 27.

33.59 33.59 Implementation plan.

33.59(1) (1) The board of commissioners shall develop an implementation plan by April 1, 1998, and shall submit the plan to the department of natural resources, the county planning agency, the chairperson of the county board and the county executive of the river county by April 1, 1998.

33.59(2) (2) With regard to the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality, the implementation plan shall include all of the following:

33.59(2)(a) (a) A plan for, including the method of payment for, an engineering study to determine areas for selective dredging, including the dredging of selective shallow areas of the impoundment area in Waterford.

33.59(2)(b) (b) A plan for clearing channels of fallen trees and other debris.

33.59(2)(c) (c) A water use plan.

33.59(2)(d) (d) A plan for operating the Waterford Dam with a winter drawdown level.

33.59(2)(e) (e) A plan for streambank erosion protection.

33.59(2)(f) (f) A plan for automating the Waterford Dam with upstream sensors.

33.59(2)(g) (g) A plan for maintenance, protection and improvement of shorelines, banks and beds of navigable waters.