Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 30 - Navigable waters, harbors and navigation.
30.30 - Municipal authority to make harbor improvements.

30.30 Municipal authority to make harbor improvements. Every municipality having navigable waters within or adjoining its boundaries may exercise the following powers:
(1) Harbor improvement. By proper filling or excavating or dredging and docking, create or improve any inner or outer harbor and such turning basins, slips, canals and other waterways within its boundaries as it determines are necessary.
(2) Repairs and alterations. Keep in repair and from time to time alter, extend, enlarge or discontinue any improvement mentioned in sub. (1).
(3) Dock walls and shore protection walls.
(a) Either by itself or in conjunction with another municipality, construct, maintain or repair suitable dock walls or shore protection walls along the shore of any waterway adjoining or within the limits of such municipality, exclusive of privately owned slips. Such structures may be located within or without the municipal limits.
(b) Whenever an improvement, alteration, repair or extension of a dock wall or shore protection wall along the bank or shore of any waterway adjoining or within the limits of a municipality is required in order to eliminate menaces to navigation, or to promote the public health, safety or welfare, or to eliminate dilapidation, blight or obsolescence of such dock wall or shore protection wall, the board of harbor commissioners, if such board has been established within the municipality, or the local legislative body if no such board has been created, shall make a determination by resolution that it is essential that such dock wall or shore protection wall be improved, altered, repaired or extended. A certified copy of such resolution shall be served on the owners of the property of which such dock wall or shore protection wall is a part, by either forwarding such certified copy of the resolution by registered mail to the owners or by serving a certified copy of such resolution personally upon such owners if they can be found within the municipality. The resolution shall also specify a period of 90 days within which the owners shall be required to commence work for the improvement, alteration, repair or extension of the dock wall or shore protection wall.
(c) If the owners of the property on which the dock wall or shore protection wall is located fail to notify the board of harbor commissioners or the local legislative body within the 90-day period that the work will be commenced as specified in the resolution, the board of harbor commissioners or the local legislative body shall request the city attorney, village attorney, town attorney or corporation counsel for the commencement of an action in the circuit court in the county in which the property is located for determination of whether or not the improvement, alteration, repair or extension of the dock wall or shore protection wall is required and for the fixing of the time by the court within which time the work must be commenced and completed. The action shall be entitled in the name of the state and the municipality, and the attorney general shall participate on behalf of the state. The complaint shall recite the type of improvement, alteration, repair or extension which is required, the approximate cost thereof, the need for such work as related to the reasons stated in par. (b), and such other allegations as may be pertinent. The owners of the property within which the dock wall or shore protection wall is located shall be named defendants. They shall be permitted to plead as provided for in civil actions. The action shall be brought to trial in the circuit court as promptly as possible. If the circuit court determines that the work shall be performed, it shall make a finding to that effect and enter an order directing the owners of the property to commence the work and to complete it within a period of time fixed by the court in the order, or in the alternative provide that the municipality may complete the work and charge the cost thereof to the owners of the property. If the work is performed by the municipality, the cost shall be recovered from the owners of the property as special assessments for benefits to lands provided for in s. 66.0703. Either party to the action may appeal from the determination of the circuit court and the appeal shall be given preference. Only that portion of the cost of the work shall be assessed against the owners which is of benefit to their lands.
(4) Special assessments. Make special assessments for benefits to lands on account of any of the improvements specified in sub. (3) and also in those cases where the owners of the property to be benefited by improvements in navigable waters consent in advance to such assessments, and in no other case, but the cost of protecting the ends of public streets and highways and other public grounds shall be paid wholly by the municipality.
(5) Acquisition of land. Acquire such lands or interests therein as it deems necessary for properly carrying out its powers under this chapter, including such lands outside the municipal limits as are necessary to protect its property or to carry out its powers under sub. (3). Such acquisition may be by condemnation proceedings.
(6) Cooperation with federal government in harbor improvements. Prepare the necessary plats and otherwise cooperate with the federal government when it indicates its intention to aid in the improvement of any harbor over which the municipality has jurisdiction, including the authority granted by s. 66.0315. If the municipality has established a board of harbor commissioners, such board shall have charge of the preparation of the plats and other necessary cooperation. The title to any lands acquired for the purpose of such harbor improvement may be transferred to the U.S. government for use in improving the harbor of the municipality.
(7) Doing of work. Contract for the doing of the work authorized by this section or purchase the necessary equipment for the doing of the work itself, but if the municipality has established a board of harbor commissioners such board shall have charge of the letting of contracts and shall supervise the doing of the work, except as provided in ss. 30.31 (1) and 30.32 (2).
(8) Lease of wharfing privileges. Lease the wharfing privileges of navigable waters at the ends of streets, giving preference to owners of adjoining land, and prescribe or regulate the fees to be charged for wharfage at such places. No buildings shall be erected on the ends of streets, and a free passage over the same for all persons with their baggage shall be reserved; but nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the erection of public buildings by a municipality within a filled in area of a lake or river where such municipality has been granted specific authority therefor by the legislature, or in conjunction therewith, in any street end or approaches thereto. No such construction on any street end or approaches shall prevent access to the navigable water. If the municipality has established a board of harbor commissioners, the municipality may delegate to such board the powers conferred by this subsection.
History: 1977 c. 187 s. 134; 1983 a. 219; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 246; 1999 a. 150 s. 672.
Judicial Council Note, 1983: Sub. (3) (c) is amended to replace the appeal deadline of 30 days after entry of the order by the standard time specified in s. 808.04 (1), stats. The subsection is further amended to eliminate the superfluous provision that the appeal be perfected in the same manner as other civil appeals. The manner of perfecting civil appeals is established by s. 809.11, stats. [Bill 151-S]

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