Bill to Create Replacement for Regional Planning Commission Introduced in Wisconsin Assembly

March 18, 2004
Sharyn Wisniewski (608) 267-8823
County Executive

A bill (AB949) to create a Council of Governments to replace the Dane County Regional Planning Commission (RPC) has been introduced in the Assembly by Representative David Ward. Senator Fred Risser has introduced a comparison measure (SB553) in the State Senate. The legislators introduced the measure at the request of Verona Mayor John Volker, who chairs the Dane County Cities and Villages Association, Town of Bristol Chair Gerald Derr, who chairs the Dane County Towns Association, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. In February, the four had reached agreement on a joint plan, contained in the bill, to continue vital planning beyond the scheduled October 1, 2004 dissolution of the RPC. The Council would make key recommendations regarding water quality and urban service area expansions immediately upon dissolution of the RPC. The bill provides that the new Council of Governments consist of the following members, who must all be elected officials, who have the following weighted votes: · Mayor of the City of Madison, 35 votes · President of the Madison Common Council, five votes · President of the Dane County Towns Association, 20 votes · President of the Dane County Cities and Villages Association, 20 votes · Vice President of the Dane County Cities and Villages Association, five votes · Dane County Executive, 20 votes · Chair of the Dane County Board, five votes. Falk, Cieslewicz, Volker and Derr issued the following statement: “We are grateful to Representative Ward and to Senator Risser for introducing this bill. We remain confident that this plan is a fair and reasonable replacement for the RPC. We urge the Wisconsin Legislature to take up this measure at the earliest possible time in any session that may be called this year. If there is no entity in place to carry out vital planning responsibilities when the RPC dissolves, local governments and businesses will face chaotic conditions.” # # #