60.66 Town park commission.
(1) Established by annual town meeting. The annual town meeting may establish a town park commission consisting of 7 members.
(2) Appointment and term.
(a) The town board shall appoint the members of the commission within 60 days after the commission is established. Each member shall take and file the official oath.
(b) Except as provided under par. (c), members shall serve a term of 7 years, commencing July 1 of the year in which appointed. The town board shall appoint a successor during the month of June immediately preceding the expiration of the member's term.
(c) The first 7 members shall be appointed for staggered terms so that on the first day of July in each of the 7 years next following the year in which they are appointed, the term of one member expires.
(d) A member shall hold his or her office until his or her successor is appointed and qualified.
(3) Organization.
(a) Within 30 days after the appointment and qualification of the initial members of the commission, the commission shall hold a meeting to appoint officers and establish bylaws for its operation.
(b) The commission may appoint necessary assistants and employees to carry out its functions, make rules and regulations concerning their work and remove them at pleasure.
(c) The town board shall provide sufficient office space for the maps, plans, documents and records of the commission.
(4) Powers and duties.
(a) In this subsection, “park" means a public park, parkway, boulevard or pleasure drive.
(b) The commission shall have charge of and supervision over all parks located in the town and may exercise the powers of a board of park commissioners under ss. 27.08 and 27.10 (1).
(c) Within 2 years after its organization under sub. (3), the commission shall:
1. Make a thorough study of the town with reference to reserving lands for park purposes.
2. Make plans and maps of a comprehensive town park system.
3. Present the results of its study and its plans to the town meeting.
(d) The commission may:
1. Lay out, improve and maintain parks in the town.
2. Lay out, grade, construct, improve and maintain highways, roads and bridges in a park or connecting the park with any other park or with any municipality.
3. Establish regulations for the use and enjoyment of the parks by the public.
4. With town board approval, acquire, in the name of the town, by purchase, land contract, lease, condemnation or otherwise, tracts of land suitable for parks. No land acquired by the commission may be disposed of by the town without the consent of the commission. If the land is disposed of, all money received for the land shall be paid into a town park fund.
5. Accept, in the name of the town, grants, conveyances and devises of land and bequests and donations of money to be used for parks located in the town.
History: 1983 a. 532.