Flood control board, creation, duties, powers, pay, funds
Wis. Stat. § 87.12
in effect(1) If the department directs the work of constructing the improvement to proceed as provided in s. 87.07, it shall certify the fact of the making of such order to the governor, together with a statement of the county in which the major part of the proposed improvement, as determined by the estimated cost thereof, is to be located and the county in which the largest amount of property to be benefited, as determined by the equalized assessed value thereof, is located. The governor shall thereupon appoint a board to take charge of the construction and the maintenance and operation of the improvement, whose membership shall be determined as follows:
(a) One member to be certified by the board of supervisors of the county in which the major part of the proposed improvement is located;
(b) One member to be certified by the board of supervisors of the county in which the largest amount of property to be benefited is located;
(c) One member to be chosen by the governor from the drainage area.
(2) The board so appointed shall serve for a term of 6 years and until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. Succeeding appointments shall be made in the same manner as original appointments. Any vacancy occurring by reason of the death, resignation or removal from the state, or permanent disability of any person thus appointed, shall be filled in the manner provided for the original appointment of such person. The county board making any such certification of an appointee may at any time certify to the governor the name of another appointee to succeed him or her, and the governor shall thereupon name such new appointee as a member of the board and the tenure of the former appointee shall terminate. The governor may at any time appoint another person to succeed the person chosen by the governor on said board and the tenure of the latter shall thereupon terminate.
(3) The board thus constituted shall be a body corporate and shall be known as “ .... Flood Control Board,” the name to commence with the name of the river or body of water defined by the department pursuant to s. 87.04 as being the principal river or body of water involved in the project. The board shall organize by the election of one of its members as chairperson and one as treasurer, who shall be removable at the pleasure of the board. It shall also appoint a secretary, who need not be a member of the board and who shall likewise be removable at pleasure.
(4) Each member of the board shall file the official oath with the department, and the treasurer of the board shall file with the department the official bond, which shall be approved by the department and shall be in amount as follows: Up to the completion of the construction of the improvement, not less than 50 percent of the total cost thereof as estimated by the department; for the first 18 months thereafter, not less than 50 percent of the cost of operation and maintenance during said period as estimated by the department; and thereafter, not less than 50 percent of the annual cost of maintenance and operation as certified by the board pursuant to s. 87.14, except that in case of an addition to or reconstruction pursuant to s. 87.15, and during the period of such work such bond shall be in an additional amount not less than one-half the cost of such addition or reconstruction as estimated by the department.
(5) It shall be the duty of the flood control board to construct the proposed improvement by contract according to the plans and specifications prescribed by the department. No contract for such work shall be let or indebtedness therefor incurred until there shall actually be in the hands of the several treasurers, as provided in s. 87.10, or in the process of collection, the entire sum called for in said section, except the deferred installments, if any, of special assessments, or the amount therefor is assured by contract, lease, sale or lease with option to purchase, as provided in s. 87.18. The board shall have authority to require the treasurers of the public corporations to certify from time to time the amounts actually on hand for such purpose, the amounts in process of collection, and the amounts to be collected upon deferred installments of special assessments. The board shall apply for and obtain all necessary permits from the federal government. It shall have the power to enter upon any land for the purpose of making necessary examinations and surveys, and this right shall extend to its duly authorized assistants, representatives and employees, including any contractor engaged to do any part of the work of constructing the improvement, together with the representatives and employees of any such contractor; but any such contractor shall be responsible for any damage the contractor may do. The board has power to borrow money for the construction of a reservoir and to issue its corporate bonds for the amount so borrowed, securing the same by a mortgage on the reservoir property. The rate of interest shall not exceed 6 percent nor shall the time of repayment exceed 30 years.
(6) The board shall have the power to institute and prosecute in the manner provided in ch. 32 of the statutes such eminent domain proceedings as may be necessary in the construction of said improvement. When necessary for that purpose, this right of eminent domain shall be dominant over the rights of eminent domain of public or private corporations or governmental agencies. The board shall also have the power to acquire any lands or interest therein necessary for the aforesaid purpose, by gift, purchase or lease. Any title acquired by condemnation or gift, purchase or lease shall be held in the name of the flood control board in trust for the several towns, villages and cities and contributing, as provided in s. 87.10 (1) (c) and (d), in proportion to the amounts of their several contributions. The board shall have the power to employ engineers, attorneys, agents, assistants, clerks, employees and laborers as it may deem advisable for the proper execution of its duties, and to fix their compensation.
(7) Each member of the board shall receive compensation at the rate of $10 for each day or major part thereof actually devoted to the performance of duties as such member and shall also be reimbursed the actual necessary expenses incurred by the member in the performance of such duties, upon verified statements in each case which shall be duly audited by the board and filed with the secretary.
(8) All moneys of the board shall be deposited in credit unions, savings banks, savings and loan associations or state or national banks designated by the board, and shall be drawn out only upon checks, share drafts or other drafts signed by the chairperson and the treasurer of the board. As funds are required by the board for the work of constructing the improvement, the board shall by resolution requisition the amounts required from the treasurers of the public corporations holding money available for that purpose under s. 87.10, and each treasurer shall pay the amount requisitioned to the board. The amount to be requisitioned at any time from any treasurer shall bear the same proportion to the total amount requisitioned at that time, as the amount certified by the treasurer under this section to be on hand and available bears to the total amount certified by all of the treasurers to be on hand and available.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/87.12Fetched: 10/7/2026