[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:
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.
