The management, operation, and control of the sewer system for the Village shall be vested in the Village Board, its officers, agents, committees, and Village departments as assigned. All records, minutes and all written proceedings thereof shall be kept by the Village Clerk-Treasurer, and all financial records thereof shall be kept by the Village Clerk-Treasurer.
The Village Board shall have the power to construct sewer lines for public use, and shall have the power to lay sewer pipes in and through the public alleys, streets, and public grounds of the Village; and generally, to do all such work as may be found necessary or convenient in the management of the sewer system as provided and authorized under § 61.39, Wis. Stats.
[Amended 6-11-2025 by Ord. No. O-2025-04]
A. 
General policy.
(1) 
The Village of Bellevue is responsible for maintenance of mainline sewers in the roadway right-of-way. The Village provides scheduled sewer cleaning and televising to ensure that the sanitary sewer mains are in good working order and limit any potential blockages.
(2) 
The property owner is responsible to maintain the sanitary lateral in good working order, clear of grease, tree roots, and other foreign material and protected from frost, at their own risk and expense.
B. 
Responsibility for sewer lateral repairs and replacement.
(1) 
The Village will be responsible for the coordination and payment of repairs to the sewer lateral pipe located within the municipal right-of-way. The Village will reimburse the connecting property owner for any documented expenses incurred by the property owner in locating and identifying sewer service repairs within the municipal right-of-way, except when damage is caused by negligence of the property owner.
(2) 
The property owner is directed to notify the Village of any suspected "clogged" pipe and allow sufficient time for the Village to check the connection sewer main before attempting any means of opening the building sewer. The Village will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the property owner in attempting to open a building sewer when the Village had not been notified and allowed sufficient time to check the sewer main.
(3) 
The Village will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the property owner in unclogging a building sewer when the connecting sewer main and sanitary lateral within the municipal right-of-way are found to be in working order, free of obstruction.
(4) 
The Village will be responsible for replacing the lateral, as defined in this chapter to include the Y or similar fitting designed for connection with the public sewer system, from the main to the property line within the municipal right-of-way.
C. 
Damage recovery. The Village shall have the right of recovery from all persons, partnerships, corporations, organizations, associations or groups of any expense or increased cost incurred by said sewer system for the operation, maintenance, repair or replacement of any aspect of the sewer system because of any act, whether intentional or inadvertent, by said persons, partnerships, corporations, organizations, associations or groups.
Whenever any real estate or any easement therein, or use thereof, shall in the judgment of the Village Board be necessary for the sewer system, and whenever, for any cause, an agreement for the purchase thereof, cannot be made with the owner thereof, the Village Board shall proceed with all necessary steps to acquire such real estate easement or use by condemnation in accordance with Ch. 32, Wis. Stats., and applicable federal statutes.
All property, real, personal, and mixed, including but not limited to easements, acquired for the construction of the Village sewer system, and all plans, specifications, diagrams, papers, books and records connected therewith, and all buildings, machinery, and fixtures pertaining thereto, shall be the property of and titled in the name of the Village.