66.0316(7)(a) (a) On or before June 30, 2002, each council shall submit a report to the department describing the council’s activities.

66.0316(7)(b) (b) On or before June 30, 2003, each council shall submit a final report to the department describing the council’s activities and recommendations and the extent to which its recommendations have been adopted by the political subdivision with which the council is affiliated. A report submitted under this paragraph shall provide a detailed explanation of all analyses conducted under subs. (4) and (5).

66.0316(7)(c) (c) On or before July 31, 2003, the department shall submit a report concerning the activities and recommendations described in the reports submitted under pars. (a) and (b) to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) and to the governor. The department’s report shall describe ways to implement such recommendations statewide.

66.0316 History History: 2001 a. 16.

66.0317 66.0317 Cooperation region.

66.0317(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

66.0317(1)(a) (a) “Cooperation region” means a federal standard metropolitan statistical area. For purposes of this section, if only a part of a county is located in a federal standard metropolitan statistical area the entire county is considered to be located in the federal standard metropolitan statistical area.

66.0317(1)(b) (b) “Governmental service” has the meaning given in s. 66.0316 (1) (e).

66.0317(1)(d) (d) “Municipality” means any city, village, or town.

66.0317(2) (2) Area cooperation compacts.

66.0317(2)(a) (a)

66.0317(2)(a)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 3., beginning in 2003, a municipality shall enter into an area cooperation compact with at least 2 municipalities or counties located in the same cooperation region as the municipality, or with any combination of at least 2 such entities, to perform at least 2 governmental services.

66.0317(2)(a)3. 3. A municipality that is not adjacent to at least 2 other municipalities located in the same cooperation region as the municipality may enter into a cooperation compact with any adjacent municipality or with the county in which the municipality is located to perform the number of governmental services as specified under subd. 1.

66.0317(2)(b) (b) An area cooperation compact shall provide a plan for any municipalities or counties that enter into the compact to collaborate to provide governmental services. The compact shall provide benchmarks to measure the plan’s progress and provide outcome-based performance measures to evaluate the plan’s success. Municipalities and counties that enter into the compact shall structure the compact in a way that results in significant tax savings to taxpayers within those municipalities and counties.

66.0317 History History: 2001 a. 16, 106; 2005 a. 164; 2021 a. 238.

subch. IV of ch. 66 SUBCHAPTER IV

REGULATION

66.0401 66.0401 Regulation relating to solar and wind energy systems.

66.0401(1e) (1e) Definitions. In this section:

66.0401(1e)(a) (a) “Application for approval” means an application for approval of a wind energy system under rules promulgated by the commission under s. 196.378 (4g) (c) 1.

66.0401(1e)(b) (b) “Commission” means the public service commission.

66.0401(1e)(c) (c) “Political subdivision” means a city, village, town, or county.

66.0401(1e)(d) (d) “Wind energy system” has the meaning given in s. 66.0403 (1) (m).

66.0401(1m) (1m) Authority to restrict systems limited. No political subdivision may place any restriction, either directly or in effect, on the installation or use of a wind energy system that is more restrictive than the rules promulgated by the commission under s. 196.378 (4g) (b). No political subdivision may place any restriction, either directly or in effect, on the installation or use of a solar energy system, as defined in s. 13.48 (2) (h) 1. g., or a wind energy system, unless the restriction satisfies one of the following conditions:

66.0401(1m)(a) (a) Serves to preserve or protect the public health or safety.

66.0401(1m)(b) (b) Does not significantly increase the cost of the system or significantly decrease its efficiency.

66.0401(1m)(c) (c) Allows for an alternative system of comparable cost and efficiency.

66.0401(2) (2) Authority to require trimming of blocking vegetation. Subject to sub. (6) (a), a political subdivision may enact an ordinance relating to the trimming of vegetation that blocks solar energy, as defined in s. 66.0403 (1) (k), from a collector surface, as defined under s. 700.41 (2) (b), or that blocks wind from a wind energy system. The ordinance may include a designation of responsibility for the costs of the trimming. The ordinance may not require the trimming of vegetation that was planted by the owner or occupant of the property on which the vegetation is located before the installation of the solar or wind energy system.

66.0401(3) (3) Testing activities. A political subdivision may not prohibit or restrict any person from conducting testing activities to determine the suitability of a site for the placement of a wind energy system. A political subdivision objecting to such testing may petition the commission to impose reasonable restrictions on the testing activity.