Plan Commission - Ordinance 7.01
Town of Cloverland
 

Section 1.  Title 

Section 2.  Purpose 

Section 3.  Authority; Establishment 

Section 4.  Membership 

Section 5.  Appointments 

Section 6.  Terms of Office 

Section 7.  Vacancies 

Section 8.  Compensation; Expenses 

Section 9.  Experts & Staff 

Section 10. Rules; Records 

Section 11. Chairperson & Officers 

Section 12. Commission Members as Local Public Officials 

Section 13.  General & Miscellaneous Powers 

Section 14. Town Comprehensive Planning; General Authority & Requirements 

Section 15. Procedure for Plan Commission Adoption & Recommendation of a Town Comprehensive Plan or Amendment 

Section 16. Plan Implementation & Administration 

Section 17. Referrals to the Plan Commission 

Section 18. Effective Date 

TOWN OF CLOVERLAND PLAN COMMISSION ORDINANCE & NOTES 

The Town Board of the Town of Cloverland, Vilas County, Wisconsin, does ordain as follows: 

Section 1. Title

This ordinance is entitled the “Town of Cloverland Plan Commission Ordinance.” 

Section  2. Purpose

The purpose of this ordinance is to establish a Town of Cloverland Plan Commission and set forth its organization, powers and duties, to further the health, safety, welfare and wise use of resources for the benefit of current and future residents of the Town and affected neighboring jurisdictions, through the adoption and implementation of comprehensive planning with significant citizen involvement.

 Section 3. Authority; Establishment

The Town Board of the Town of Cloverland has been authorized by the Town meeting under sec. 60.11(2)(c), Wis. Stats., to exercise village powers and the Town has a population of less than 2,500,l according to the most recent regular or special federal census, sec. 990.01 (29), Wis. Stats.  The Town Board hereby exercises village powers under sec. 60.22(3), Wis. Stats., and establishes a five (5) member Plan Commission under secs. 60.62(4), 61.35 and 62.23, Wis. Stats.  The Plan Commission shall be considered the “Town Planning Agency” under secs. 236.02(13) and 236.45, Wis. Stats., which authorize, but do not require, Town adoption of a subdivision or other land division ordinance.

 Section 4. Membership

The Plan Commission may consist of two (2) members of the Town Board, one who may be the Town Board Chairperson, and three (3) or four (4) citizen members, who are not otherwise Town officials, and who shall be persons of recognized experience and qualifications.  The chairperson of the plan commission must be a town board member.

 Section 5. Appointments

The Town Board Chairperson shall appoint members of the Plan Commission, subject to confirmation by the Town Board, during the month of April, to fill any expiring term.  The Town Board Chairperson shall also select the Chairperson of the Plan Commission.    In a year in which any Town Board member is elected at the spring election, any appointment or designation by the Town Board Chairperson shall be made after the election and qualification of the Town Board members elected.  Any citizen appointed to the Plan Commission shall take and file the oath of office within five (5) days of notice of appointment, as provided under secs. 19.01 and 60.31, Wis. Stats.

Section 6. Terms of Office

(1)     Initial Terms.  The citizen members initially appointed to the Plan Commission  shall be appointed for a (3) year staggered term.

(2)    Town Board Member or Chairperson.  The Plan Commission member who is a Town Board member or Town Board Chairperson, shall serve for a period of two (2) years, as allowed under sec. 66.0501(2), Wis. Stats., concurrent with his or her term on the Town Board, except an initial appointment made after April 30 shall be for a term that expires two (2) years from the previous April 30.

 Section 7. Vacancies and Removals

A person who is appointed to fill a vacancy on the Plan Commission shall serve for the remainder of the term.  A member of the Plan Commission may be removed only by a majority vote of the Town Board.

 Section 8. Compensation; Expenses

The Town Board of the Town of Cloverland, hereby sets a per diem allowance of $50.00 per meeting for citizens and Town Board members of the Plan Commission, as allowed under sec. 66.0501(2), Wis. Stats.  In addition, the Town Board may reimburse reasonable costs and expenses, as allowed under sec. 60.321, Wis. Stats.

 Section 9. Experts & Staff

The Plan Commission may, under sec. 62.23(1), Wis. Stats., recommend to the Town Board the employment of experts and staff, and may review and recommend to the approval authority proposed payments under any contract with an expert.

 Section 10. Rules; Records

The Plan Commission, under sec. 62.23(2), Wis. Stats., may adopt rules for the transaction of its business, subject to Town ordinances, and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions, findings and determinations, which shall be a public records under secs. 19.21-19.39, Wis. Stats.

 Section 11. Chairperson & Officers

  1. Chairperson.  The Plan Commission Chairperson shall be appointed by the Town Chair, be a board member, and serve a term as provided in sections 5 and 6 of this ordinance.  The Chairperson shall, subject to Town ordinances and Commission rules:

(a)   provide leadership to the Commission;

(b)   set Commission meeting and hearing dates;

(c)   provide notice of Commission meetings and hearings and set their agendas, personally or by his or her designee;

(d)   preside at Commission meetings and hearings; and

(e)   ensure that the laws are followed.

  1. Vice Chairperson.  The Plan Commission may elect, by open vote or secret ballot

     under sec. 19.88(1), Wis. Stats., a Vice Chairperson to act in the place of the 

     Chairperson when the Chairperson is absent or incapacitated for any cause.

  1. Secretary.  The Plan Commission shall elect, by open vote or secret ballot under

     sec. 19.88(1), Wis Stats., one of its members to serve as Secretary, or, wit the

     approval of the Town Board, designate the Town Clerk or other Town officer or  

     employee as Secretary.

Section 12.  Commission Members as Local Public Officials

All members of the Plan Commission shall faithfully discharge their official duties to the best of their abilities, as provided in the oath of office, sec. 19.01, Wis. Stats., in accordance with, but not limited to, the provisions of the Wisconsin Statutes on:  Public Records, secs. 19.21-19.39; Code of Ethics for Local Government Officials, secs. 19.42, 19.58 & 19.59; Open Meetings, secs. 19.81-19.89; Misconduct in office, sec. 946.12; and Private Interest in Public Contracts, sec. 946.13.  Commission members shall further perform their duties in a fair and rational manner and avoid arbitrary actions.

 Section 13. General & Miscellaneous Powers

The Plan Commission, under sec. 62.23(4), Wis. Stats., shall have the power:

(1)     Necessary to enable it to perform its functions and promote Town planning.

(2)    To make reports and recommendations relating to the plan and development of the Town to the Town Board, other public bodies, citizens, public utilities and organizations.

(3)    To recommend to the Town Board programs for public improvements and the financing of such improvements.

(4)    To receive from public officials, within a reasonable time, requested available information require for the Commission to do its work.

(5)    For itself, its members and employees, in the performance of their duties, to enter upon land, make examinations and surveys, and place and maintain necessary monuments and marks thereon.  However, entry shall not be made upon private land, except to the extent that the private land is held open to the general public, without the permission of the landowner or tenant.  If such permission has been refused, entry shall be made under the authority of an inspection warrant issued for cause under sec. 66.0119, Wis. Stats., or other court-issued warrant.

 Section 14. Town Comprehensive planning: General Authority & Requirements

(1)     The Plan Commission shall make and adopt a comprehensive plan under secs.

      2.23 and 66.1001, Wis. Stats., which contains the elements specified in sec.

      66.1001(2), Wis. Stats, and follows the procedures in sec. 66.1001(4), Wis.

      Stats.

(2)    The Plan Commission shall make and adopt the comprehensive plan within the

      time period directed by the Town Board, but not later than a time sufficient to

      allow the Town Board to review the plan and pass an ordinance adopting it to

      take effect on or before January 1, 2010, so that the Town comprehensive plan

      is in effect by the date on which specified town actions must be consistent with 

      the Town comprehensive plan under sec. 66.100(3), Wis. Stats.

(3)    In this section the requirement to “make” the plan means that the Plan

     Commission shall ensure that the plan is prepared, and oversee and coordinate

     the preparation of the plan, whether the work is performed for the Town by the

     Plan Commission, Town staff, another unit of government, the regional planning

     commission, a consultant, citizens, an advisory committee, or any other person,

     group or organization.

 Section 15. Procedure for Plan Commission Adoption & Recommendation of a Town Comprehensive Plan or Amendment

The Plan Commission, in order to ensure that the requirements of sec. 66.1001(4), Wis. Stats, are met, shall proceed as follows:

(1)     Public participation verification.  Prior to beginning work on a comprehensive plan, the Plan Commission shall verify that the Town Board has adopted written procedures designed to foster public participation in every stage of preparation of the comprehensive plan.  These written procedures shall include open discussion, communication programs, information services, and noticed public meetings.  These written procedures shall further provide for wide distribution of proposed, alternative or amended elements of a comprehensive plan and shall provide an opportunity for written comments to be submitted by members of the public to the Town Board and for the Town Board to respond to such written comments.

(2)    Resolution.  The Plan Commission, under sec. 66.1001(4)(b), Wis. Stats., shall recommend its proposed comprehensive plan or amendment to the Town Board by adopting a resolution by a majority vote of the entire Plan Commission.  The vote shall be recorded in the minutes of the Plan Commission.  The resolution shall refer to maps and other descriptive materials that relate to one or more elements of the comprehensive plan.  The resolution adopting a comprehensive plan shall further recite that the requirements of the comprehensive planning law have been met, under sec. 66.1001. Wis. Stats., namely that:

(a)   the Town Board adopted written procedures to foster public

     participation   and that such procedures allowed public participation at

     each stage of preparing the comprehensive plan;

(b)   the plan contains the nine (9) specified elements and meets the requirements of those elements;

(c)   the plan has been adopted by a majority vote of the entire Plan Commission, which the clerk or secretary is directed to record in the minutes; and

(d)   the Plan Commission clerk or secretary is directed to send a copy of the comprehensive plan adopted by the Commission to the governmental units specified in sec. 66.1001(4), Wis. Stats., and sub. (3) of this section.

 

(3)    Transmittal.  One copy of the comprehensive plan or amendment adopted by

      the Plan Commission for recommendation to the Town Board shall be sent to:

(a)   Every governmental body that is located in whole or in part within the

Boundaries of the Town, including any school district, Town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district or other special district.

(b)   The clerk of every city, village, town, county and regional planning commission that is adjacent to the Town.

(c)   The Wisconsin Land Council.

(d)   After September 1, 2005, the Department of Administration.

(e)   The regional planning commission in which the Town is located.

(f)   The public library that serves the area in which the Town is located.

Section 16. Plan Implementation & Administration

(1)     Ordinance development.  If directed by resolution or motion of the Town Board,

The Plan Commission shall prepare the following:

    (a) Official map.  A proposed official map ordinance under sec. 62.23(6), Wis.

          Stats.

    (b) Subdivisions.  A proposed Town subdivision or other land division

      ordinance under sec. 236.45, Wis. Stats.  

(c)   Other.  Any other ordinance specified by the Town Board (Note: e.g.,

      historic preservation, design review, site plan review).

(2)    Ordinance amendment.  The Plan Commission, on its own motion, or at the

direction of the Town Board by its resolution or motion, may prepare proposed amendments to the Town’s ordinances relating to comprehensive planning and lance use.

(3)    Non-regulatory programs.  The Plan Commission, on its own motion, or at the 

direction of the Town Board by resolution or motion, may propose non-regulatory programs to implement the comprehensive plan, including programs relating to topics such as education, economic development and tourism promotion, preservation of natural resources through the acquisition of land or conservation easements, and capital improvement planning.

(4)    Program administration.  The Plan Commission shall, pursuant to Town

     ordinances, have the following powers:

 (a) Subdivision review.  Proposed plats under ch. 236, Wis. Stats. shall be

      referred to the Plan Commission for review and recommendation to the

      Town board. 

(5)    Consistency.  When the Plan Commission considers any action that is subject to  the consistency requirement in sec. 66.1001(3), Wis. Stats., the action of the Plan  Commission shall, as of January 1, 2010, be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.  If any such Plan Commission action would not be consistent with the comprehensive plan, the Plan Commission shall use this as information to consider in updating the comprehensive plan.

 Section 17. Referrals to the Plan Commission

(1)     Required referrals under sec. 62.23(5) Wis. Stats.  The following shall be

     referred to the Plan Commission for report:

(a)   The location and architectural design of any public building.

(b)   The location of any statue or other memorial.

(c)   The location, acceptance, extension, alteration, vacation, abandonment, change of use, sale acquisition of land for or lease of land for any

(i)                 street, alley or other public way;

(ii)               park or playground;

(iii)             airport;

(iv)              area for parking vehicles; or

(v)                other memorial or public grounds.

         (d) The location, extension, abandonment or authorization for any publicly or

              privately owned public utility.

(e) All plats under the Town’s jurisdiction under ch. 236, Wis. Stats., 

      including divisions under a Town subdivision or other land division    

      ordinances adopted under sec. 236.45, Wis. Stats.

(f)   The location, character and extend or acquisition, leasing or sale of lands for

            (I)  public or semi-public housing;  

            (ii) slum clearance;

            (iii) relief of congestion; or

            (iv) vacation camps for children.

(g)   The amendment or repeal of any ordinance adopted under sec. 62.23,

      Wis. Stats., including ordinances relating to:  the Town Plan Commission;

      the  Town master plan or the Town comprehensive plan under

      sec. 66.1001, Wis. Stats.; a Town official map

(2)    Required referrals under sections of the Wisconsin Statutes other than sec.

     2.23(5), Wi. Stats.  The following shall be referred to the Plan Commission for

     report:

(a)    An application for initial licensure of a child welfare agency or group

home under sec. 48.8(3), Wis. Stats.

(b)    An application for initial licensure of a community-based residential facility

     under sec. 50.05(4), Wis. Stats. 

(c)    Proposed designation of a street, road or public way, or any part thereof,

    wholly within the jurisdiction of the Town, as a pedestrian mall under sec. 

     60.0905, Wis. Stats.

(d)    Matters relating to the establishment or termination of an architectural conservancy district under sec. 60.1007, Wis. Stats.

(e)    Matters relating to the establishment of a reinvestment neighborhood required to be referred under sec. 66.1107, Wis. Stats.

(f)    Matters relating to the establishment or termination of a business improvement district required to be referred under sec. 60.1109, Wis. Stats.

(g)    A proposed housing project under sec. 66.1211(3), Wis. Stats.

(h)    Matters relating to urban redevelopment and renewal in the Town required to be referred under subch. XIII of ch. 66, Wis. Stats.

(i)      The adoption or amendment of a Town subdivision or other land division ordinance under sec. 236.45(4), Wis. Stats.

(j)     Any other matter required by the Wisconsin Statues to be referred to the Plan Commission.

(3)    Required referrals under this ordinance.  In addition to the referrals required by

      the Wisconsin Statutes, the following matters shall be referred to the Plan

      Commission for report:

(a)  Any proposal, under sec. 59.69, Wis. Stats., for the town to approve

     general county zoning so that it takes effect in the town, or to remain

     under general county zoning. 

(b)  Proposed regulations or amendments relating to historic preservation

     under sec. 60.64,Wis. Stats.

(c)  A proposed driveway access ordinance or amendment.

(d)   A proposed Town official map ordinance under sec. 62.23(6), Wis. Stats., or any other proposed Town ordinance under sec. 62.23, Wis. Stats., not specifically required by the Wisconsin Statutes to be referred to the commission. 

(e)  A proposed boundary change pursuant to an approved cooperative plan

agreement under sec. 66.0225. Wis. Stats., or other authority.

(f)  A Any proposed plan, element of a plan or amendment to such plan or

     element developed by the regional planning commission and sent to the

     Town for review or adoption.

(g)  Any proposed contract, for the provision of information, or the

     preparation of a comprehensive plan, an element of a plan or an

     implementation measure, between the Town and the regional planning  

     commission, under sec. 60.0309, Wis. Stats., another unit of government,

     a consultant or any other person or organization.

(h)  A proposal to create environmental remediation tax incremental financing in the town under sec. 66.1006, Wis. Stats.

(i)    A proposed county agricultural preservation plan or amendment, under subch. IV of ch. 91, Wis. Stats., referred by the county to the Town, or proposed Town agricultural preservation plan or amendment.

(j)   Any other matter required by any Town ordinance of Town Board resolution or motion to be referred to the Plan Commission.

(4)    Discretionary referrals.  The Town Board, or other town officer or body with

Final approval authority or referral authorization under the Town ordinances, may refer any of the following to the Plan Commission for report:

          (a) A proposed county development plan or comprehensive plan, proposed

               element of such a plan, or proposed amendment to such a plan.

          (b) A proposed intergovernmental cooperation agreement, under sec.

               66.0301, Wis. Stats., or other statute, affecting land use, or a municipal

               revenue sharing agreement under sec. 66.0305, Wis. Stats.

 (c) A proposed county plan, under sec. 236.465, Wis. Stats., or the proposed 

                    amendment or repeal of the ordinance adopting such plan, for a system     

                    of  town arterial thoroughfares and minor streets, and the platting of lots

                     surrounded by them.

(d) Any other matter deemed advisable for referral to the Plan Commission

      for report.

(5)    Referral period.  No final action may be taken by the Town Board or any other

     office or body with final authority on a matter referred to the Plan Commission

     until the Commission has made its report, or thirty (30) days, or such longer

     period as stipulated by the Town Board, has passed since referral.  The thirty

     (30) day period for referrals required by the Wisconsin Statutes may be

     shortened only if so authorized by statute.  The thirty (30) day referral period,

     for matters subject to required or discretionary referral under the Town’s

     ordinances, but not required to be referred under the Wisconsin Statues, may be

     made subject by the Town Board to a referral period shorter or longer than the

     thirty(30) day referral period if deemed advisable.

 Section 18. Effective Date

Following passage by the Town Board, this ordinance shall take effect the day after the date of publication or posting as provided by sec. 60.80, Wis. Stats.