The way town board vacancies are filled; public notice requirements for governmental meetings; appointment and removal procedures for certain town officeholders; a process for an applicant to appeal a permit denial to the governing body of a city, village, or town; wages paid to an elected town officer who also serves as a town employee; and the term of appointed town assessors. (FE)

Generally, under current law, if a town board is authorized by a town meeting to appoint instead of elect persons to offices, the board must appoint a person to fill the office of town clerk, town treasurer, or both, and the board must make the initial appointment not fewer than 30 days nor more than 60 days after the town meeting at which the authorization is given. The bill repeals the requirement relating to the timing of when the town board must make the initial appointment.

Current law provides a number of methods by which public notice must be given for meetings of a governmental body, including a property tax board of review which reviews local property tax rolls. “Governmental body” is defined as a state or local agency, board, commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order, including certain special purpose districts such as a local exposition district. The bill expands how public notice of a meeting of a governmental body may be given.

Under current law, if a village board trustee is temporarily incapacitated because of physical or mental disability, the board may appoint a person to discharge the trustee's duties until the disability is removed. The bill creates a similar provision for a member of a town board of supervisors who is temporarily incapacitated in a similar way.

Current law provides that an elective village officer may be removed for the continued physical inability to perform the duties of office or gross neglect of duty by a majority vote of all the members of the village board. The bill creates a similar removal provision for any elective town officer.

The bill authorizes an applicant to appeal the denial of a temporary use permit application or permit extension application by the chief of a fire district if the basis of the denial is a discretionary determination. Under the bill, the applicant may appeal the denial to the common council or village or town board to which the application relates. Following a hearing on the denial, the council or board may approve the applicant's permit or extension application.

Generally, under current law, an elected town officer who also serves as a town employee may be paid an hourly wage not exceeding $5,000 each year for serving as a town employee, except that if the individual is an elected town clerk or town treasurer or an officer serving as a combined town clerk and town treasurer, the maximum hourly wage he or she may be paid for serving as a town employee is $15,000 each year. Under the bill, any elected town officer who serves as a town employee may be paid an hourly wage not exceeding $15,000 each year for serving as a town employee.

The bill extends from three years to five years the maximum contract length that a town can engage in with an appointed assessor.