Chapter 59

59.70(8) (8) Inland lake protection and rehabilitation. The board may establish an inland lake protection and rehabilitation program and may create, develop and implement inland lake protection and rehabilitation projects similar to projects which an inland lake protection and rehabilitation district is authorized to create, develop and implement under ch. 33. In this subsection, “lake rehabilitation”, “program”, “project” and “lake” have the meanings specified under s. 33.01 (4), (6), (7) and (8), respectively.

59.70(8m) (8m) Harbor improvement. The board may establish, own, operate, lease, equip, and improve harbor facilities on land owned by the county that is located in this state or in another state, subject to the laws of the state in which the land is located, and may appropriate money for the activities specified in this subsection, except that in a county with a population of 750,000 or more, the county executive shall be in charge of the operation of the harbor facilities.

59.70(9) (9) Improvement of artificial lakes. The board may appropriate money for the purpose of maintaining, dredging and improving any artificial lake existing on July 1, 1955, all or a portion of which is adjacent to or within a county park, and for the acquisition of land required in connection therewith.

59.70(10) (10) Drainage district bonds. The board may purchase drainage district bonds at market value or at a discount to salvage the equity of the county in the lands affected and to secure resumption of tax payments thereon and so permit the dissolution of the district.

59.70(11) (11) Acquisition of recycling or resource recovery facilities without bids. The board may contract for the acquisition of any element of a recycling or resource recovery facility without submitting the contract for bids as required under s. 59.52 (29) if the board invites developers to submit proposals to provide a completed project and evaluates proposals according to site, cost, design and the developers’ experience in other similar projects.

59.70(12) (12) Mosquito control districts.

59.70(12)(a) (a) A county or 2 or more contiguous counties may establish a district to control mosquitoes, upon a majority vote of each board, except that the board of a county with a population of 750,000 or more may not take any action under this subsection or sub. (13).

59.70(12)(b) (b)

59.70(12)(b)1. 1. If a county establishes a district, the board shall elect 3 county supervisors to a commission. If 2 or more contiguous counties establish a district, each board in the district shall elect 2 county supervisors to a commission. The elected county supervisors shall serve as members of the commission until the expiration of their terms as county supervisors, as provided in s. 59.10 (1) (b), (2) (b), (3) (d) or (5). Each board in the district shall elect supervisors as replacements when vacancies occur in the commission. The commission shall operate the mosquito control district.

59.70(12)(b)2. 2. The commission shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary at its first meeting each year as provided under subd. 3. The chairperson, or vice chairperson, in the chairperson’s absence, shall preside at meetings and shall sign contracts and other written instruments of the commission. The secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of each meeting that is available for public inspection at all reasonable times, and shall mail notices to all members of the time and place of meetings.

59.70(12)(b)3. 3. The commission shall meet on the first Thursday after the first Monday in January to select officers of the commission and to conduct other organizational business. The commission shall also meet if the chairperson calls a meeting, or within 48 hours if a majority of the members of the commission request a meeting in writing, specifying the time and place for the meeting. The commission shall give adequate public notice of the time, place and purpose of each meeting. All business of the commission shall be open to the public.

59.70(12)(b)4. 4. The board of each county in the district shall reimburse commissioners representing that county in the manner provided in s. 59.13 for board committee members.

59.70(13) (13) Commission; powers and duties.

59.70(13)(a) (a) The commission may:

59.70(13)(a)1. 1. Adopt bylaws to regulate its proceedings.

59.70(13)(a)2. 2. Employ the persons and contract for services to carry out the mosquito control program. The commission may not employ any person who is related to a commissioner.

59.70(13)(a)3. 3. Reimburse employees for expenses that are incurred or paid in the performance of their duties, and provide a reasonable daily reimbursement.

59.70(13)(a)4. 4. Purchase the materials, supplies and equipment to carry out the mosquito control program.

59.70(13)(a)5. 5. Take measures to control mosquitoes in accordance with expert and technical plans.

59.70(13)(a)6. 6. Accept gifts of property to control mosquitoes.

59.70(13)(a)7. 7. Dispose of property of the commission or mosquito control district, if it is no longer needed to control mosquitoes, by selling the property on competitive bids after 2 weeks’ published notice.

59.70(13)(a)8. 8. Obtain public liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance.

59.70(13)(a)9. 9. Enter into agreements with other political subdivisions of the state outside the mosquito control district to conduct mosquito control activities within these political subdivisions, to promote mosquito control in the district.

59.70(13)(a)10. 10. Enter into agreements with contiguous states or political subdivisions in contiguous states, as provided in s. 66.0303, to conduct mosquito control activities within those states or political subdivisions, to promote mosquito control in the mosquito control district.

59.70(13)(a)11. 11. Collect money from all counties in the district for operation of the district.

59.70(13)(a)12. 12. Require the employees of the commission who handle commission funds to furnish surety bonds, in amounts the commission may determine.

59.70(13)(a)13. 13. Perform other acts that are reasonable and necessary to carry out the functions of the commission.

59.70(13)(b) (b) Members or employees of the commission may request admission onto any property within the district at reasonable times to determine if mosquito breeding is present. If the owner or occupant refuses admission, the commission member or employee shall seek a warrant to inspect the property as a potential mosquito breeding ground. Commission members or employees may enter upon property to clean up stagnant pools of water or shores of lakes or streams, and may spray mosquito breeding areas with insecticides subject to the approval of the district director and the department of natural resources. The commission shall notify the property owner of any pending action under this paragraph and shall provide the property owner with a hearing prior to acting under this paragraph if the owner objects to the commission’s actions.

59.70(13)(c) (c) The commission shall:

59.70(13)(c)1. 1. Submit to the board of each county that is participating in the mosquito control district, at the end of each year, a complete audit of the financial transactions concluded and a progress report indicating the actions taken to control mosquitoes.

59.70(13)(c)2. 2. Publish a notice for general circulation in each of the counties in the district for bids at least 10 days prior to purchasing materials or services costing more than $2,500. The notice shall state the nature of the work or purchase, the terms and conditions upon which the contract will be awarded, and the time and place where bids will be received, opened and read publicly. The commission may reject all bids after the reading or shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. The commission may award the contract to any unit of government without the intervention of bidding, under s. 66.0131 (2). The district business administrator shall execute all contracts in writing, and may require the contracting party to provide a bond to ensure performance of the contract. The commission may direct the business administrator to purchase materials or services costing $5,000 or less on the open market at the lowest price available, without securing competitive bids, if the commission declares that an emergency exists by an affirmative vote of five-sixths of the commission. In this subdivision, an “emergency” is an unforeseen circumstance that jeopardizes life or property.

59.70(13)(c)3. 3. Employ and fix the duties and compensation of a full-time or part-time entomologist to act as director of the mosquito control program, who shall develop and supervise the program.

59.70(13)(c)4. 4. Employ and fix the duties and compensation of a full-time or part-time business administrator, who shall administer the business affairs of the commission and who shall keep an account of all receipts and disbursements by date, source and amount.

59.70(14) (14) Adverse interest of commissioners. No commissioner may have any personal or financial interest in any contract made by the commission. Any violation of this subsection resulting in a conviction shall void the contract, and shall disqualify the commissioner convicted of the violation from membership on the commission.

59.70(15) (15) Financing. On or before October 1 of each year, the commission shall require each county within the mosquito control district to contribute an amount per resident of the county to carry out the purposes of subs. (12) to (16). The commission shall determine the amount to charge per resident. The commission shall certify in writing to the clerk of each county participating in the mosquito control district, the total amount of the county’s contribution to the mosquito control district.

59.70(16) (16) Dissolution of the district.

59.70(16)(a) (a)

59.70(16)(a)1. 1. A county may terminate its participation in the district upon a majority vote of the board and 12 months’ notice to the chairperson of the commission. If a county terminates its participation in the district, a board of appraisers as established in subd. 2. shall appraise the property of the commission.

59.70(16)(a)2. 2. The board of appraisers shall consist of 3 members, one who is appointed by the terminating county, one by the commission and one by the other 2 members of the appraisal board. If the 2 appraisers cannot agree on the appointment of the 3rd appraiser within 30 days, the commission may appoint the 3rd appraiser. The commission shall pay to the treasurer of the terminating county an amount equal to that county’s share in the net assets of the commission, proportionate to the county’s financial contribution to the mosquito control district. The terminating county shall remain liable for its allocated share of the contractual obligations of the mosquito control district.

59.70(16)(b) (b) If the district dissolves, the commission shall sell all of its property. The proceeds of the sale remaining after payment of all debts, obligations and liabilities of the district, plus any balance in the fund, shall be divided and paid to the treasurers of the member counties in proportion to each county’s financial contribution to the district. Member counties shall remain liable for unpaid debts after the dissolution of the district.

59.70(17) (17) Worms, insects, weeds, animal diseases, appropriation.

59.70(17)(a) (a) The board may appropriate money for the control of insect and worm pests, weeds, or plant or animal diseases within the county, and select from its members a committee which, upon advice from the county agent that an emergency exists because of the destruction which is being or may be wrought to farmlands, livestock or crops in the county by any such pests, may take steps necessary to suppress and control such pests. The clerk shall within 10 days notify the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection of such appropriation and of the members of such committee. The state entomologist and said department shall cooperate with such committee in the execution of measures necessary for the suppression and control of such pests.

59.70(17)(b) (b) When such an emergency exists the committee may draw on the contingent fund, if available, an amount not to exceed $5,000 which shall be disbursed upon certification of the committee for the purposes specified in par. (a) as they relate to worm or insect pests; the treasurer shall pay the amounts so certified. No disbursement shall be made by the committee unless the owner of the premises affected has requested the committee to take steps to suppress or control the pests or when steps have been undertaken by another authority.

59.70(18) (18) Land clearing and weed control. The board may purchase or accept by gift or grant tractors, bulldozers and other equipment for clearing and draining land and controlling weeds on same, and for such purposes to operate or lease the same for work on private lands. The board may charge fees for such service and for rental of such equipment on a cost basis.

59.70(19) (19) Land conservation committee. Each board shall create a land conservation committee.

59.70(20) (20) Land conservation.

59.70(20)(a) (a) Soil and water conservation. Each board is responsible for developing and implementing a soil and water conservation program, that is specified under ch. 92, through its land conservation committee.

59.70(20)(b) (b) Committee powers and duties. The land conservation committee created by the board has the powers and duties that are specified for that committee under ch. 92.

59.70(20)(c) (c) Appropriation of funds. The board may appropriate funds for soil and water conservation and for other purposes that relate to land conservation.

59.70(20)(d) (d) Land use and land management. The board may enact ordinances under s. 92.11 that regulate land use and land management practices to promote soil and water conservation.

59.70(21) (21) Conservation congress. The board may appropriate money to defray the expenses of county delegates to the annual convention and other activities of the Wisconsin conservation congress.

59.70(22) (22) Billboard regulation. The board may regulate, by ordinance, the maintenance and construction of billboards and other similar structures on premises abutting on highways maintained by the county so as to promote the safety of public travel thereon. Such ordinances shall not apply within cities, villages and towns which have enacted ordinances regulating the same subject matter.

59.70(23) (23) County natural beauty councils. The board may create a county natural beauty council as a committee of the board, composed of such board members, public members and governmental personnel as the board designates. The council shall advise governmental bodies and citizens in the county on matters affecting the preservation and enhancement of the county’s natural beauty, and aid and facilitate the aims and objectives of the natural beauty council described in s. 144.76 (3) (intro.), 1973 stats.

59.70(24) (24) Lime to farmers. The board may manufacture agricultural lime and sell and distribute it at cost to farmers and may acquire lands for such purposes.

59.70(25) (25) Interstate hazardous liquid pipelines. A county may not require an operator of an interstate hazardous liquid pipeline to obtain insurance if the pipeline operating company carries comprehensive general liability insurance coverage that includes coverage for sudden and accidental pollution liability.

59.70 History History: 1995 a. 201 ss. 108, 109, 133, 150, 161, 163, 172, 214 to 216, 218 to 221, 437 to 442, 438, 449 to 451, 455, 456; 1995 a. 227; 1997 a. 35; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2005 a. 149; 2011 a. 146, 150; 2013 a. 14, 165; 2015 a. 55; 2015 a. 197 s. 51; 2017 a. 207 s. 5.

59.70 Annotation Sub. (25) preempts county-imposed insurance requirements for pipeline operators that carry comprehensive general liability insurance policies including pollution liability coverage. When the pipeline operator’s insurance policy included coverage broader than the statutorily-described insurance, sub. (25) precluded a county from requiring the pipeline operator to obtain additional insurance. Enbridge Energy Co. v. Dane County, 2019 WI 78, 387 Wis. 2d 687, 929 N.W.2d 572, 16-2503.

59.70 Annotation The insured’s “time element” pollution insurance was congruent with the “sudden and accidental” coverage referenced in sub. (25). That subsection does not require coverage for all unexpected and unintended pollution regardless of when the pollution event is discovered or reported to the insurer. Enbridge Energy Co. v. Dane County, 2019 WI 78, 387 Wis. 2d 687, 929 N.W.2d 572, 16-2503.

59.70 Annotation Discussing the authority of a county to enact and enforce a minimum standards housing code. 59 Atty. Gen. 248.

59.70 Annotation Section 59.07 (49) [now sub. (22)] authorizes billboard regulations relating solely to highway safety. 61 Atty. Gen. 191.

59.70 Annotation The county board may delegate relatively broad powers to the land conservation committee in connection with the lease or purchase of real property for the purposes of soil and water conservation, but such property transactions are subject to the approval of the county board. 74 Atty. Gen. 227.

59.70 Annotation A board established under s. 59.07 (135) [now sub. (2)] is restricted to performing advisory, policy-making, or legislative functions. 77 Atty. Gen. 98.

59.70 Annotation Section 59.07 (135) (L) [now sub. (2) (L)] authorizes counties that are responsible units of government to levy taxes for capital and operating expenses incurred in the operation of the county’s recycling program only upon local governments that are not responsible units of government. Counties may levy taxes for both operating and capital expenses incurred in connection with any other form of solid waste management activity only on local governments participating in that activity. 80 Atty. Gen. 312.

59.70 Annotation Section 59.18 (2) (b) transfers the authority to supervise the administration of county departments from boards and commissions to department heads appointed by the county administrator. Section 59.18 (2) therefore entirely negates sub. (2) insofar as it provides that the board may “employ” a system manager. In a county with a county administrator, the solid waste management board is purely an advisory body to the county administrator and to the county board and a policy-making body for the solid waste management department as a whole. OAG 1-12.

59.71 59.71 Special counties; record keeping.

59.71(1) (1) In this section, “eminent domain proceedings” means the laying out, widening, extending or vacating of any street, alley, water channel, park, highway or other public place by any court, legislature, county board, common council, village board or town board.

59.71(2) (2) When the county board of a county with a population of 250,000 or more, according to the last state or United States census, prepares and compiles in book form an eminent domain record containing an abstract of facts relating to eminent domain proceedings and makes an order that the record, with an index thereto, be thereafter maintained and kept up, and provides a suitable book for that purpose, the register of deeds shall thereafter maintain and keep up the record and index.

59.71(3) (3) The register of deeds shall enter an abstract of all eminent domain proceedings in the record maintained under sub. (2). The abstract shall substantially contain the facts as to the filing of a notice of lis pendens, the date of filing, the description, the court in which or the body before whom the proceeding is pending, the result of the proceedings, the action taken, and the date of the action and shall briefly state all of the essential facts of the proceeding. The index to the record shall be a practical index, with reference to the document numbers assigned and, if volume and page numbers are assigned, the volume and page where the abstracts are filed or recorded.

59.71(4) (4) The abstracts and records to be kept by the register of deeds shall be certified by the register to be true and correct and when so certified shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein recited and shall be received in all courts and places with the same effect as the original proceedings; and the record so prepared and compiled by the county board shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein recited and shall also be received in all courts and places with the same effect as the original proceedings.

59.71 History History: 1991 a. 316; 1995 a. 201 s. 371; Stats. 1995 s. 59.71; 1995 a. 225 s. 161; 1997 a. 35; 2017 a. 102.

59.72 59.72 Land information.

59.72(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

59.72(1)(a) (a) “Land information” means any physical, legal, economic or environmental information or characteristics concerning land, water, groundwater, subsurface resources or air in this state. “Land information” includes information relating to topography, soil, soil erosion, geology, minerals, vegetation, land cover, wildlife, associated natural resources, land ownership, land use, land use controls and restriction, jurisdictional boundaries, tax assessment, land value, land survey records and references, geodetic control networks, aerial photographs, maps, planimetric data, remote sensing data, historic and prehistoric sites and economic projections.

59.72(1)(b) (b) “Land records” means maps, documents, computer files and any other storage medium in which land information is recorded.

59.72(1)(c) (c) “Local governmental unit” means a municipality, regional planning commission, special purpose district or local governmental association, authority, board, commission, department, independent agency, institution or office.

59.72(2) (2) Duties.

59.72(2)(a) (a) No later than June 30, 2017, the board shall post on the Internet, in a searchable format determined by the department of administration, the following information related to individual land parcels:

59.72(2)(a)1. 1. Property tax assessment data as provided to the county by municipalities, including the assessed value of land, the assessed value of improvements, the total assessed value, the class of property, as specified in s. 70.32 (2) (a), the estimated fair market value, and the total property tax.

59.72(2)(a)2. 2. Any zoning information maintained by the county.

59.72(2)(a)3. 3. Any property address information maintained by the county.

59.72(2)(a)4. 4. Any acreage information maintained by the county.

59.72(2)(b) (b) No later than June 30 following the end of any year in which a county that accepts a grant under s. 16.967 (7) or retains any fees under sub. (5) (b), the county land information office shall submit to the department of administration a report describing the expenditures made with the moneys derived from those grants or retained fees.

59.72(3) (3) Land information office. The board may establish a county land information office or may direct that the functions and duties of the office be performed by an existing department, board, commission, agency, institution, authority, or office. If the board establishes a county land information office, the office shall:

59.72(3)(a) (a) Coordinate land information projects within the county, between the county and local governmental units, between the state and local governmental units and among local governmental units, the federal government and the private sector.

59.72(3)(b) (b) Within 2 years after the land information office is established, develop and receive approval for a countywide plan for land records modernization. For any county in which land records are not accessible on the Internet, the plan shall include a goal of providing access to public land records on the Internet. The plan shall be submitted for approval to the department of administration under s. 16.967 (3) (e). No later than January 1, 2014, and by January 1 every 3 years thereafter, the land information office shall update the plan and receive approval from the department of administration of the updated plan. A plan under this paragraph shall comply with the standards developed by the department of administration under s. 16.967 (3) (cm).

59.72(3)(c) (c) Review and recommend projects from local governmental units for grants from the department of administration under s. 16.967 (7).

59.72(3m) (3m) Land information council.

59.72(3m)(a) (a) If the board has established a land information office under sub. (3), the board shall have a land information council consisting of not less than 8 members. The council shall consist of the register of deeds, the treasurer, and, if one has been appointed, the real property lister or their designees and the following members appointed by the board for terms prescribed by the board:

59.72(3m)(a)1. 1. A member of the board.