Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
Authorizing the City’s Participation in the Preparation of a Cooperative Plan Between the Cities of Madison and Middleton, Villages of DeForest and Waunakee, and the Town of Westport Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.0307.
Body
WHEREAS, on October 4, 2024, the Town of Westport filed a petition for incorporation as the Village of Westport with the Dane County Circuit Court (Case No. 2024 CV 3040) pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.0203; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison, along with the City of Middleton, the Villages of DeForest and Waunakee, and the Waunakee Community School District have all been granted intervenor status in that matter; and,
WHEREAS, following a hearing on December 4, 2024, the Circuit Court found that Westport’s incorporation petition was in proper form and ordered that the petition be referred to the incorporation review board for further proceedings consistent with State statute; and,
WHEREAS, since the Court’s order, staff and officials from the Town of Westport, the Villages of DeForest and Waunakee, the Cities of Middleton and Madison have engaged in discussions related to the Westport incorporation petition, which petition raises numerous intergovernmental issues by and between the various entities; and,
WHEREAS, as part of the discussions, the municipalities have discussed the possibility of preparing a Cooperative Plan pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.0307 to address many of the issues that have been raised in the process; and,
WHEREAS, while the City of Madison does not have a lot at stake in Westport’s incorporation petition due to the topographical constraints in its boundary area with the Town (notably, the Yahara River and the Cherokee Marsh), it is in the City’s interest to participate in this process; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to the procedures set forth in Wis. Stat. § 66.0307(4)(a), each municipality that intends to participate in the preparation of a Cooperative Plan under Wis. Stat. § 66.0307 is required to adopt a resolution authorizing participation in the preparation of the plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the City of Madison, pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.0307(4)(a), is authorized to participate in the preparation of a cooperative plan with the Town of Westport, the City of Middleton, and the Villages of DeForest and Waunakee.