City of Lake Mills, WI Article X Joint Rock Lake Committee

[Adopted 3-3-1998 by Ord. No. 800A (Title 2, Ch. 11, of the 2009 Code of Ordinances)]

§ 27-31 Purpose.

The Town of Lake Mills and the City of Lake Mills recognize the importance of coordinating with each other and with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as they establish policies which impact on the quality of Rock Lake, and as they provide funding for activities related to the lake, and as they balance public and private interests in navigation and recreational activities. To help facilitate the joint efforts of the Town and City in attaining their shared goals regarding the lake, and to aid in exchange of information with the DNR and in attraction of state resources, both entities wish to establish a committee, known as the "Joint Rock Lake Committee."

§ 27-32 Statutory authority.

Under the authority of §§ 60.10(2)(C), 60.22(3), 61.34(1) and (2), and § 64.10, Wis. Stats., the Town Board of the Town of Lake Mills and the City Council of the City of Lake Mills hereby exercise their respective powers to enact separate ordinances providing for the creation of a joint committee to act as an advisory body on issues related to Rock Lake.

§ 27-33 Establishment, membership, and organization.

A. Establishment. The Joint Rock Lake Committee is hereby established upon the adoption of like ordinances by both the Lake Mills Town Board and the Lake Mills City Council. The Committee may be altered or reorganized by the amendment of the ordinances enacted by both the City and Town which establishes this Committee. The Committee may be abolished by the repeal of either the Town or City ordinance establishing the joint committee.

B. Membership.

(1) The Joint Rock Lake Committee shall consist of five voting members, and such other nonvoting, ex officio members designated from time to time by the Committee.

(2) Three of the five voting members shall be Town of Lake Mills residents and shall be appointed by the Town Board, which is the Town's appointing authority. Two of the five voting members shall be City of Lake Mills residents and shall be appointed by the City Council President and confirmed by a majority vote of the City Council.

(3) The terms of office of the members initially appointed shall be staggered, such that two of the three Town appointees shall be appointed for a two-year term, and one of the Town appointees and one of the City appointees shall be appointed for a one-year term, and one of the City appointees shall be appointed to a two-year term. When these initial terms expire, all the vacancies on the Committee shall be filled for two-year terms by the respective appointing authority. Each term of office expires on April 30 in the appropriate year of expiration of a term.

(4) If a member's position on the Committee becomes vacant for any reason, the respective appointing authority may appoint a successor to complete the remaining term of office.

C. Organization.

(1) The voting members of the Committee, upon its organization, and annually thereafter by no later than May 31, shall elect a chairperson from among their numbers to serve in that capacity for one year. Ex officio members are not eligible to hold an office on the Committee.

(2) The voting members of the Committee may elect a Vice Chair, Secretary, and such other officers as the Committee may deem necessary to carry out the duties of the Committee.

(3) The Committee may adopt such rules as the Committee may deem necessary to carry out the duties of the Committee, provided those rules do not contravene any provision of the ordinances establishing the Committee, any other ordinances enacted by either the City or the Town, or any state statutes.

(4) The Town Clerk shall serve as the Records Custodian of the Committee.

(5) The Committee Chairperson shall serve as the person responsible for providing proper public notice of meetings of the Committee.

§ 27-34 Compensation and oath.

Members shall receive no compensation for their service on the Committee. Each voting member shall take and file his or her written oath of office with the Clerk of the respective governing body within 10 days of notice of appointment and prior to exercising the duties of office.

§ 27-35 Meetings.

A. The Committee shall meet at least monthly at a regular meeting at the City of Lake Mills Municipal Building, and such meeting shall be open to the public and properly noticed. Proper notice of a regular meeting may be accomplished by posting a notice, including an agenda, in three public buildings and by providing a copy of the notice, including an agenda, to the Clerks of the Town and City by no later than seven days prior to the meeting. Proper notice of a regular meeting also shall include publication of the notice, including an agenda, in the local newspaper in the weekly issue published during the week preceding the meeting.

[Amended 4-20-2004 by Ord. No. 925; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

B. Special meetings of the Committee may be called by the Committee Chair, provided the place of the meeting is the City of Lake Mills Municipal Building or other public place, and provided proper notice of the special meeting is accomplished no later than three days prior to the special meeting. Proper notice of a special meeting shall consist of posting the notice, with agenda, in three public buildings, and by providing copies of the notice with agenda to the Clerks of the Town and City.

[Amended 4-20-2004 by Ord. No. 925; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

C. No business, except adjournment, may be conducted at any meeting unless a quorum of three voting members is present at a properly noticed meeting. Discussion without a decision is defined as business, which requires the presence of a quorum at a properly noticed meeting.

§ 27-36 Powers and duties.

A. The Committee may review and recommend the adoption or amendment of ordinances affecting Rock Lake, recognizing that municipal power to regulate activities on or adjacent to the lake, such as set forth in §§ 30.11, 30.13(2), 30.14, 30.16, 30.745, 30.77, 30.772(3), 30.773, and 30.81, Wis. Stats., are often shared powers requiring identical ordinances and oversight by the DNR.

(1) Any recommendation regarding the adoption or amendment of any ordinance requiring both the City and Town to enact identical ordinances shall be forwarded to the Clerks of the Town and City.

(2) Any recommendation for the adoption or amendment of any ordinance that only requires enactment by the municipality with 60% of the shoreline within its boundaries shall be forwarded to the Town Clerk, but such recommendation may also be forwarded to the City Clerk for comment from the City.

(3) All drafting of ordinances or amendments recommended for adoption shall be responsibility of the Town, unless such recommendation is for an ordinance requiring adoption by both entities. Such ordinances may then be drafted by either the Town's legal counsel or the City Attorney, and the attorney not drafting the ordinance shall be provided with a copy of the proposed language for comment prior to the introduction of the ordinance to either the Town or the City for enactment.

(4) The Town Clerk shall forward all ordinances or amendments to the DNR which require DNR approval before the ordinances or amendments are effective.

B. The Committee shall receive and review all correspondence or reports from the DNR, and such documents or records shall be placed on file with the Town Clerk. The Committee shall provide copies of all correspondence from the Committee to the DNR to the Town Clerk. The Committee may provide its own reports on communications from the DNR to the Clerks of the Town and City.

C. The Committee may provide reports and recommendations to the Town Board regarding public education for the safe and lawful use of Rock Lake, and regarding public education efforts designed to increase public involvement in or awareness of issues impacting on the preservation or improvement of the environmental quality of Rock Lake.

D. The Committee may monitor and report to the Town Board on the proper maintenance or deployment of navigation aids, informational and ordinance signs, and other similar items.

E. The Committee shall apply for DNR grants or other funding sources for Rock Lake feasibility studies, and improvement or maintenance projects, when authorized to do so by the Town Board.

F. The Committee shall prepare long-range plans for the improvement, protection, or preservation of Rock Lake, and shall submit the plans with recommendations to the Clerks of the Town and City for forwarding to the Town Board and the City Council.

G. The Committee shall maintain communications with the DNR, the Priority Watershed Project, the Rock Lake Improvement Association, the City Facilities and Grounds Director, the County Parks Department, and any other organizations or entities with an interest in Rock Lake. Any such written communication from or to the Committee shall be placed on file with the Town Clerk.

[Amended 8-3-2021 by Ord. No. 1226

H. The Committee shall annually prepare and submit recommended budget proposals for all activities conducted on or for the benefit of Rock Lake to the Clerks of the Town and the City by no later than September 1. Such recommended budget proposals shall reflect as sources of revenue any and all other sources of anticipated funding, including gifts, grants, launch and other fees, boat patrol reimbursements by the DNR, and fund-raising dollars contributed by volunteer organizations. Any funds generated through the sale of property and any unexpended funds from the previous year shall be shown in the annual budget proposal prior to budget submission to the City and Township.

(1) The adoption of an approved budget which allocates funds for activities or projects related to Rock Lake shall be undertaken by the Town and City, with either entity having the unilateral authority to fund or not fund individual items within the context of each entity's adoption of a municipal budget. Items to be budgeted which both entities agree to fund jointly shall be funded at an agreed-upon proportion by each entity.

(2) The City shall annually pay over to the treasury of the Town that amount agreed upon during budget adoption for the funding of the City's share of Rock Lake activities and projects.

(3) The Town shall administer the funding of any budgeted item relating to Rock Lake. The Committee may not contract, purchase, sell, or otherwise encumber any funds or property for any purpose, as all funding of all activities or projects shall be administered by the Town.

I. All members of the Committee shall comply with applicable state statutes regarding conduct in public office, open meeting and open records laws, and regarding duties of public officials.