Wisconsin Code § 30.31

Procedural and other requirements to be followed in making harbor improvements
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(1) SUPERVISION OF WORK. In exercising the powers granted by s. 30.30 (1)
to (3) a municipality shall be governed by the law governing the
laying out, improvement and repair of streets and bridges in such
municipality, so far as applicable, except that no petition of property owners for doing any such work is necessary. If the municipality has established a board of harbor commissioners, such
board shall be in charge of the work unless the board determines
that it is not equipped to supervise the work and by resolution delegates such function to the agency which ordinarily performs
such function for the municipality. If the municipality does not
have a board of harbor commissioners, the municipality’s board
of public works or, in the event there is no such board, the municipality’s governing body shall be in charge of the work.
(2) WORK REQUIRING APPROVAL OF STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. No work for which the approval of the department or
of the United States is required shall be commenced unless the
plans and specifications for such work have been submitted to
and approved by the department or the proper officer of the
United States, as the case may be. When the plans and specifications have been so approved, the work shall be done only in accordance with such plans and specifications.
(3) GOVERNMENT AID IN DREDGING OF HARBOR CHANNELS
AND FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS. Whenever the U.S. government
indicates its intention to aid in any flood control project or in the
improvement of any harbor by dredging of harbor channels at federal expense, subject to the proviso that the local interests save the
federal government harmless from all liability and claims for
damages resulting from such project or dredging, the governing
body of such municipality may, by resolution, assume liability for
and on behalf of both public and private ownership adjacent to,
within, under and over the channels, land area and construction
works in flood control projects, involved in such federal projects.
Such municipality may provide adequate insurance coverage, indemnifying such municipality for all damage resulting from such
project or dredging.
(4) ACQUISITION OF LAND. In acquiring land by condemnation for any of the purposes specified in this chapter, a municipality shall be governed by the law relating to condemnation of land
for public grounds or street purposes. Whenever land is acquired
through a land contract arrangement, such contract may create a
lien on such lands for the purchase price and interest thereon but
shall not create any liability therefor on the part of the
municipality.
(5) COOPERATION AMONG MUNICIPALITIES. Whenever 2 or
more municipalities propose to cooperate in erecting, maintaining or repairing a dock wall or shore protection wall, their governing bodies shall first meet and adopt a method of proceeding and
a plan of apportioning to each its share of the entire cost. Such
method of proceeding and plan of apportionment shall be embodied in a resolution adopted by the governing bodies of the cooperating municipalities acting jointly and later such resolution shall
be adopted by each of the governing bodies acting separately.
Municipalities acting under this section shall have the powers
conferred by s. 66.0301.
(6) SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS. Special assessments for benefits
to lands, when authorized by s. 30.30 (4), shall be made and enforced as provided by s. 66.0703, except that at any time within
the 90-day period immediately following the publication of the
final resolution as required by s. 66.0703 (8) (d), the owner of any
property along which such improvement is to be made may elect
to make the improvement along the owner’s property at the
owner’s expense in accordance with the approved plans and specifications or in a manner which conforms to good engineering
practice and which provides for materials and designs which,
with respect to strength and permanence, are at least equal to the
requirements of the approved plans and specifications. If the
owner makes the improvement at the owner’s expense, no assessment of benefits shall be made therefor. If such owner fails to
commence the work within the 90-day period specified herein or
fails to carry on and complete the work with due diligence, the
work may be done or completed by the municipality and assessment of benefits made therefor.
(7) BUILDING PERMITS FOR MARINE SHIPPING STRUCTURES.
Before any permit for building or improving any structure directly
affecting marine shipping is issued by a municipality or any of its
departments, the plans therefor shall be submitted to the municipality’s board of harbor commissioners, if any. If the board finds
that the location or design of the structure will adversely affect
the orderly development of the harbor or the orderly movement of
traffic to or within the harbor, the board may disapprove the

plans, giving its specific reasons for such disapproval. No permit
for building or improving any such structure shall be issued until
the plans therefor have been approved by the board of harbor
commissioners. The governing body of the municipality may
delegate to the board of harbor commissioners the power to issue
permits for construction of dock walls.

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