62.18 History History: 1985 a. 29; 1993 a. 490; 1995 a. 225.

62.185 62.185 Sewer district bonds. Whenever a city is divided into sewer districts, bonds may be issued against any such district for the purpose of paying the district’s portion of any sewer. Said bonds shall be issued in the manner authorized and provided by ch. 67. Such bonds shall not be a general city obligation but shall be payable both as to principal and interest, solely out of the special sewer district tax provided by s. 62.18 (16). Any bonds heretofore authorized to be issued in accordance with this section shall be legal, valid and binding, to the same extent as if such district, at the time of authorizing such bonds, had the power to issue the same.

62.19 62.19 Water and heat pipe extensions. The expense of laying water and heat mains which are extensions to mains of a private utility under written contract with a city to lay or extend mains on order of the council, shall be defrayed by the city at large, or by the abutting property as the council determines.

62.22 62.22 Acquiring property; opening or changing streets.

62.22(1) (1) Purposes.

62.22(1)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the governing body of any city may by gift, purchase or condemnation acquire property, real or personal, within or outside the city, for parks, recreation, water systems, sewage or waste disposal, airports or approaches thereto, cemeteries, vehicle parking areas, and for any other public purpose; may acquire real property within or contiguous to the city, by means other than condemnation, for industrial sites; may improve and beautify the same; may construct, own, lease and maintain buildings on such property for public purposes; and may sell and convey such property. The power of condemnation for any such purpose shall be as provided by ch. 32.

62.22(1)(b) (b) The governing body of any city may not use the power of condemnation to acquire property for the purpose of establishing or extending a recreational trail; a bicycle way, as defined in s. 340.01 (5s); a bicycle lane, as defined in s. 340.01 (5e); or a pedestrian way, as defined in s. 346.02 (8) (a).

62.22(1e) (1e) Certain industrial sites. The governing body of a 2nd class city which is adjacent to Lake Michigan and which is located in a county with a population of less than 110,000, according to the most recent estimate by the department of administration, may acquire real property by gift outside the city boundaries for industrial sites; may improve and beautify the same; may construct, own, lease and maintain buildings on such property for public purposes; and may sell and convey such property.

62.22(1m) (1m) Acquisition of easements and limited property interests. Confirming all powers granted to it and in furtherance thereof, the governing body of any city is expressly authorized to acquire by gift, purchase or condemnation under ch. 32 any and all property rights in lands or waters, including rights of access and use, negative or positive easements, restrictive covenants, covenants running with the land, scenic easements and any rights for use of property of any nature whatsoever, however denominated, which may be lawfully acquired for the benefit of the public or for any public purpose, including the exercise of powers granted under s. 62.23; and may sell and convey such easements or property rights when no longer needed for public use or protection.

62.22(2) (2) Donation of property to nonprofit private corporations. The governing body of any city may donate, convey, sell or lease property owned by such city to any nonprofit private corporation for public purposes and may acquire property for the purpose of donating, conveying, selling or leasing the same to nonprofit private corporations for public purposes.

62.22(3) (3) Riparian rights. The city may by gift, purchase or condemnation take, injure or destroy any riparian rights or privileges appurtenant to land abutting upon Lake Michigan whenever it shall become necessary for the proper construction and use of any highway, street, boulevard, park or other public improvement without taking the lands or any portion thereof to which said riparian rights are appurtenant.

62.22(4) (4) Procedure.

62.22(4)(a) (a) Petition to open streets. As to streets it shall be competent for any 10 resident freeholders in any aldermanic district to petition the council for the opening, widening, extension or change of any street in such aldermanic district, and if the land proposed to be taken for that purpose shall lie in 2 or more aldermanic districts, then 10 resident freeholders of each of the aldermanic districts shall be required to join in the petition. Such petition shall be addressed to the council and shall designate in general terms the location, extent of the proposed laying out, widening, extension or change, but need not contain a particular description of the land proposed to be taken. For the purposes of such petition a person in possession of land under a contract of purchase and sale or a bond for a deed shall be deemed a freeholder.

62.22(4)(b) (b) Petition as to alleys. As to alleys, a petition for the opening, widening, extension or change of an alley may be made to the council by the owner or owners of one-third or more of the land in the block in which the alley or proposed alley is situated, whether such owner or owners shall be residents of the city or not. Land held under a land contract or bond for a deed shall, for the purpose of such petition, be deemed to be owned by the person so holding it; infants and others under guardianship may petition by their guardians.

62.22(4)(c) (c) Action on. When the petition shall be presented to the council it shall be referred to the board of public works, and said board shall make a report to the council stating whether or not such petition is sufficiently signed, and if so, giving a particular description of each lot, parcel or subdivision of land proposed to be taken, and a plat of the proposed alley or street, widening, extension or change. Upon the coming in of such report the council may, if the petition be reported sufficiently signed, by a vote of a majority of its members adopt a resolution declaring that it is necessary to condemn the land designated in such petition and report, referring to them, for the purpose named in the petition, and direct the city attorney to commence and prosecute condemnation proceedings. Such petition shall, before any resolution upon it shall be adopted, be referred to the board of public works, who shall thereupon make a report to the council stating whether or not it is sufficiently signed, and if so, giving a particular description of each lot, parcel or subdivision of land proposed to be taken, and a plat of the proposed alley as the same will be when laid out, widened, extended or changed. Upon the coming in of such report, if it shall appear thereby that the petition is signed by the owner or owners of one-third or more of the land in the block, the council may adopt a resolution by a vote of a majority of its members, the same as in the case of a petition for the opening, widening, extension or change of a street, and like proceedings shall be had thereon. If it shall afterwards appear that the petition was not sufficiently signed, that fact shall not, in the absence of fraud, vitiate the petition or the subsequent proceedings thereon.

62.22(4)(d) (d) Proceedings without petition. The council may, without a petition, by resolution declare it necessary to condemn land, describing it, for any authorized purpose, and direct the city attorney to prosecute condemnation proceedings therefor. If the purpose is the opening, widening, extension, or change of a street or alley, the resolution must be adopted by a vote of four-fifths of all the members. Before adopting the resolution it shall be referred to the board of public works, who shall make a particular description of each lot, parcel or subdivision of land proposed to be taken, and a plat of the proposed street or alley, drain or water pipe, or land to be used for other authorized purposes, and report the same to the council.

62.22(4)(e) (e) Abandoned portion vacated. When a street or alley shall be changed by proceedings under this section so much of the original street or alley as shall be left out of it as changed shall be deemed vacated without any other proceeding, and the fact of such vacation shall be taken into account in assessing benefits and damages by reason of the condemnation proceedings.

62.22 History History: 1971 c. 304 s. 29 (1); 1987 a. 324, 399; 1995 a. 378; 2017 a. 59; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.

62.22 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See s. 840.11, requiring an applicant for a change in streets or alleys to file a notice of pendency of the application.

62.22 Annotation The public purpose doctrine does not require in every case in which public property is conveyed to the private sector that public use be reserved for perpetuity. The rehabilitation of deteriorating public facilities is a legitimate public purpose. The consideration for transfers of public property to private entities may consist of benefits other than, or in addition to, money, such as the public benefit from the transfer and the obligations the private actor assumes. Bishop v. City of Burlington, 2001 WI App 154, 246 Wis. 2d 879, 631 N.W.2d 656, 00-2346.

62.225 62.225 Recycling or resource recovery facilities. A city may establish and require use of facilities for the recycling of solid waste or for the recovery of resources from solid waste as provided under s. 287.13.

62.225 History History: 1983 a. 27; 1989 a. 335 s. 89; 1995 a. 227.

62.23 62.23 City planning.

62.23(1) (1) Commission.

62.23(1)(a) (a) The council of any city may by ordinance create a “City Plan Commission,” to consist of 7 members. The commission shall also include, as a nonvoting member, a representative from a military base or installation, with at least 200 assigned military personnel or that contains at least 2,000 acres, that is located in the city, if the base’s or installation’s commanding officer appoints such a representative. All members of the commission, other than the representative appointed by the commanding officer of a military base or installation, shall be appointed by the mayor, who shall also choose the presiding officer. The mayor may appoint himself or herself to the commission and may appoint other city elected or appointed officials, except that the commission shall always have at least 3 citizen members who are not city officials. Citizen members shall be persons of recognized experience and qualifications. The council may by ordinance provide that the membership of the commission shall be as provided thereunder.

62.23(1)(d) (d) The members of the commission shall be appointed to hold office for a period of 3 years. Appointments shall be made by the mayor during the month of April for terms that expire in April or at any other time if a vacancy occurs during the middle of a term.

62.23(1)(e) (e) The city plan commission shall have power and authority to employ experts and a staff, and to pay for their services and such other expenses as may be necessary and proper, not exceeding, in all, the appropriation that may be made for such commission by the legislative body, or placed at its disposal through gift, and subject to any ordinance or resolution enacted by the governing body.

62.23(1)(f) (f) Any city may by ordinance increase the number of members of the city plan commission so as to provide that the building commissioner or building inspector shall serve as a member thereof.

62.23(2) (2) Functions. Except as provided under sub. (7a) (am), it shall be the function and duty of the commission to make and adopt a master plan for the physical development of the city, including any areas outside of its boundaries that in the commission’s judgment bear relation to the development of the city provided, however, that in any county where a regional planning department has been established, areas outside the boundaries of a city may not be included in the master plan without the consent of the county board of supervisors. The master plan, with the accompanying maps, plats, charts, and descriptive and explanatory matter, shall show the commission’s recommendations for such physical development, and shall, as described in sub. (3) (b), contain at least the elements described in s. 66.1001 (2). The commission may from time to time amend, extend, or add to the master plan or carry any part or subject matter into greater detail. The commission may adopt rules for the transaction of business and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions, findings, and determinations, which record shall be a public record.