[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board (now Village Board) of the Town (now Village) of Vernon 11-16-1995 by Ord. No. 45 (§§ 3.01 and 3.02 of the Town Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Ch. 84, Town Board, was renamed to Village Board 6-12-2020 by Ord. No. V2020-01.
[Amended 6-12-2020 by Ord. No. V2020-01; 9-3-2020 by Ord. No. V2020-01A]
A. 
Legal status. The Village of Vernon was incorporated on June 4, 2020. The Village operates under the village system of government pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, Chapter 61.
B. 
Authority. The Village Board of the Village of Vernon confirms the specific statutory authority, powers, and duties of the Village Board of the Village of Vernon established by law and this chapter, other statutory authority, powers and duties to manage and direct the affairs of the Village of Vernon.
C. 
Newspaper; legal posting. The Village shall use posting pursuant to Wis. Stats., § 985.05(1), as its means of giving notice, except as required by Wisconsin State Statutes or directed by the Village Board. When publication is required by Wisconsin State Statutes or when directed by the Village Board, the Village shall publish in the Waukesha Freeman, Waukesha Now, or as directed by the Village Board.
[Amended 6-12-2020 by Ord. No. V2020-01; 9-3-2020 by Ord. No. V2020-01A]
A. 
Membership. The Village Board shall be known as the "Village Board of the Village of Vernon" as provided in Wis. Stats., § 61.34.
(1) 
The Village Board of the Village of Vernon shall consist of four trustees and the Village President, as permitted by Wis. Stats., § 61.20(4), all of which are elected from the Village at large.
B. 
Numbered seats. The Village Trustee seats shall be numbered, as follows.
(1) 
The Village of Vernon, pursuant to §§ 66.0101 and 61.195, Wis. Stats., hereby elects not to be governed by any portions of §§ 61.20, 61.23, 8.30(2m) and 8.30, Wis. Stats., relating to the terms of office and qualifications for office for Village Trustee to the extent, if any, that such sections may be in conflict with this section establishing numbered seats.
(2) 
Village Trustees shall be nominated and elected for nonpartisan primaries and elections at large by numbered seats. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no person shall be eligible to be nominated, elected, or to serve in more than one of the numbered seats for the office of Trustee of the Village of Vernon at the same time.
(3) 
The Trustee position currently held by Jim Slawny shall be Trustee No. 1.
(4) 
The Trustee position currently held by Gary Wilde shall be Trustee No. 2.
(5) 
The Trustee position currently held by Fred Michalek shall be Trustee No. 3.
(6) 
The Trustee position currently held by Laureen Dashek shall be Trustee No. 4.
C. 
Term of office. Except with regard to the initial terms as provided in Resolution No. 2020-01, at the annual spring election, the Village shall elect for two-year terms:
(1) 
In odd-numbered years, the Village President and Trustee No. 2 and Trustee No. 4.
(2) 
In even-numbered years, Trustee No. 1 and Trustee No. 3.
D. 
Compensation.
(1) 
The compensation for all Village Trustees and the Village President shall be as determined in accordance with Wis. Stats., § 61.193, by resolution by the Village Board, provided salaries and compensation rates of elected officials shall not be increased or decreased during their terms of office.
(2) 
The Village President and Trustees shall budget annually and receive reimbursement for travel, training and attendance at conferences and seminars and other expenses related to their duties as Village President or Trustee.
A legal quorum of the Town Board is a majority of members. The current Town Board consists of five members, so that three members shall be a legal quorum when they are in attendance at any duly called and duly authorized public meeting of the Town Board.
The Town Board has the specific powers and duties that are established in §§ 60.22 and 60.23, Wis. Stats. These powers and duties are as follows:
A. 
Charge of Town officers. The Town Board has charge of all affairs of the Town not committed by law to another body or officer or to a Town employee.
B. 
Charge of actions. The Town Board has charge of any action or legal proceeding to which the Town is a party.
C. 
Pursue claims of Town. The Town Board shall demand payment of penalties and forfeitures recoverable by the Town of Vernon and damages incurred by the Town due to breach of any official bond, any injury to property or other injury. If, following demand by the Town Board, payment is then not made, the Town Board may pursue appropriate legal action to recover the appropriate penalties, forfeitures or damages.
D. 
Joint participation agreements. The Town Board may cooperate with state, county or other units of government in Wisconsin pursuant to § 66.0301, Wis. Stats., including cooperative agreements involving the acquisition, development, remodeling, construction, equipping, operation and maintenance of land, building and facilities for regional projects, whether or not they are located in the Town of Vernon.
E. 
Other. The Town Board has all other power and duties authorized by law or the Annual Town Meeting.
[Amended 1-22-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-01]
The regular meeting of the Town Board will be held at the Town Hall located at W249 S8910 Center Drive, Town of Vernon, Wisconsin, at a time and a date to be established by the Town Board from time to time. Any regular meeting of the Town Board falling upon a legal holiday shall be held on the day designated by the Town Board. Any meeting of the Town Board shall be noticed in compliance with the Open Meetings Law.[1] Notice to the public shall be by posting a written notice of the meeting inside and outside the Vernon Town Hall. As a courtesy, but not as a requirement, unless otherwise required by law, the Town Board meeting agendas will be forwarded to the entities required by law and as designated by separate action of the Town Board.
[1]
Editor's Note: See § 19.81 et seq., Wis. Stats.
A. 
Any special meeting of the Town Board may be called by any member of the Town Board by request to the Town Clerk more than 24 hours prior to the proposed special Town Board meeting except in the case of emergency.
B. 
No special meeting of the Town Board shall be made unless the notice requirements of the State Open Meeting Law, pursuant to § 19.82, Wis. Stats., have been complied with by the Town Clerk.
C. 
The Town Clerk of the Town of Vernon, upon receipt of the request for the special meeting of the Town Board, shall notify each member of the Town Board and shall post notice and notify any media that has requested notice.
D. 
Special meetings of the Town Board may be held without notice to the Town Board when all members of the Town Board consent in writing to the holding of any special meeting of the Town Board. Any consent by any member of the Town Board shall be filed by the Town Clerk.
E. 
Special meetings of the Town Board attended by a quorum of the members shall be considered a regular meeting by the Town Board for the transaction of any Town of Vernon business that may come before the Town Board if such regular Town business was so noted in the written notice to the public as required by the State Open Meeting Law, § 19.82, Wis. Stats.
F. 
The Town Board may, by majority vote, adjourn any special meeting of the Town Board from time to time to another time within the same day or to another place. The adjournment to another time or place must comply with the Open Meeting Law.
A. 
Agenda.
[Amended 1-4-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-01]
(1) 
Agenda items. Any member of the Town Board may direct the Town Clerk to place a matter on the agenda for any regular or special Town Board meeting, subject to the agenda deadline and limitations described below.
(2) 
Agenda deadline. The deadline for submitting to the Town Clerk any agenda item is at 12:00 noon of the day that falls one week preceding the Town Board meeting, except as follows. This deadline may be waived by the Town Chairperson in exigent circumstances. The deadline shall be earlier if applicable laws impose notice requirements that cannot reasonably be met in this time, in which case the agenda item must be submitted sufficiently in advance of the meeting to reasonably allow the required notices to be provided.
(3) 
Agenda limitations. The Town Chairperson must remove matters that are submitted for the agenda, if the Town Attorney finds that placing such matters on the Town agenda would violate applicable laws.
B. 
Order of business.
(1) 
The order of business for regular Town Board meetings shall be substantially as follows:
[Amended 5-4-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-06]
(a) 
Call to order.
(b) 
Pledge of allegiance.
(c) 
Moment of silence.
(d) 
Roll call.
(e) 
Open meeting law compliance check.
(f) 
Motion to open meeting to public comments.
(g) 
Review of recent correspondence.
(h) 
Discussion and action concerning matters specified in meeting agenda.
(i) 
Announcements by individuals specified in meeting agenda.
(j) 
Reports to the Town Board specified in the meeting agenda.
(k) 
Discussion and action concerning Town financial matters.
(l) 
Approval of meeting minutes.
(m) 
Adjournment.
(2) 
Amended order of business. At the meeting of the Town Board any member of the Town Board may request that the Town Chairperson take up any business on the agenda in any other order.
C. 
Quorum at roll call of the meeting. If there is not a legal quorum present at the time of the initial roll call, the meeting of the Town Board shall be adjourned by the members of the Town of Vernon present to another specific date and hour.
D. 
Absence of the Town Clerk at the meeting. If the Town Clerk is not present at the roll call of the meeting of the Town Board, the Town Chairperson shall appoint the Deputy Clerk or any other person present at the meeting to be the Town Clerk Pro Tem. The Town Clerk or Clerk Pro Tem shall prepare and maintain minutes of the meeting of the Town Board.
E. 
Presiding officer. The Town Chairperson may preside over all meetings of the Town Board. If the Town Chairperson is not present, the Town Chairperson may designate, in writing, a Town Board Supervisor to serve as presiding officer, provided such designation is received by the Town Clerk prior to the time of the absence. If the Town Chairperson is not present and no designation has been made, or if the designated Town Board Supervisor is also absent, the Supervisors who are present shall elect which Supervisor shall preside. Supervisors who preside in lieu of the Town Chairperson pursuant to this subsection shall serve only for the designated meeting, and only until the Town Chairperson is able to preside at the meeting.
[Amended 12-21-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-11]
F. 
Vacation of Town Chair or presiding officer at the meeting. If the Town Chairperson or any other presiding officer of the Town Board desires to make any motion, the Town Chairperson or the presiding officer may make a motion without vacating the Chair or without designating a member of the Town Board to preside at the meeting as Town Chairperson Pro Tem.
G. 
Open session. All business of any meeting of the Town Board shall be in the open session and accessible to the public, except as provided in the State Open Meeting Law, § 19.85(1), Wis. Stats.
H. 
Rules of conduct.
(1) 
Robert's Rules of Order. Unless other rules of conduct are specifically adopted and codified by ordinance, meetings of the Town Board shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
(2) 
Remarks to the presiding officer. All those allowed to speak shall address all remarks to the presiding officer at any meeting of the Town Board.
(3) 
Speaking before the Town Board. At a meeting of the Town Board no person other than the members of this Board shall address the Town Board until recognized by the presiding officer.
(4) 
Excused voting. For voting upon any question, all individual members of the Town Board present at the meeting shall vote unless for special cause a Town Board member has been excused prior to the vote by the presiding officer.
(5) 
Reconsideration. Any member of the Town Board voting in the majority on any matter may move for reconsideration of the vote at the meeting or at a succeeding regular meeting where the topic is an agenda item.
The Town Clerk shall present the Town Board at its meeting with the accounts of the Town of Vernon for auditing by the Town Board. All accounts shall be filed with the Town Clerk at least two days prior to the next meeting of the Town Board in order for the account to be presented by the Town Clerk at the upcoming meeting of the Town Board.