2010 Wisconsin Code
Chapter 59. Counties.
59.72 Land information.

59.72

59.72 Land information.

59.72(1)

(1) Definitions. In this section:

59.72(1)(a)

(a) "Land information" means any physical, legal, economic or environmental information or characteristics concerning land, water, groundwater, subsurface resources or air in this state. "Land information" includes information relating to topography, soil, soil erosion, geology, minerals, vegetation, land cover, wildlife, associated natural resources, land ownership, land use, land use controls and restriction, jurisdictional boundaries, tax assessment, land value, land survey records and references, geodetic control networks, aerial photographs, maps, planimetric data, remote sensing data, historic and prehistoric sites and economic projections.

59.72(1)(b)

(b) "Land records" means maps, documents, computer files and any other storage medium in which land information is recorded.

59.72(1)(c)

(c) "Local governmental unit" means a municipality, regional planning commission, special purpose district or local governmental association, authority, board, commission, department, independent agency, institution or office.

59.72(2)

(2) Duties.

59.72(2)(a)

(a) If the county has established a county assessor system under s. 70.99, the board shall provide Internet access to countywide property tax assessment data, and, if the county maintains land records that identify the zoning classification of individual parcels, the board shall post on the Internet land records that identify the zoning classification of individual parcels.

59.72(2)(b)

(b) No later than June 30 following the end of any year in which a county that accepts a grant under s. 16.967 (7) or retains any fees under sub. (5) (b), the county land information office shall submit to the department of administration a report describing the expenditures made with the moneys derived from those grants or retained fees.

59.72(3)

(3) Land information office. The board may establish a county land information office or may direct that the functions and duties of the office be performed by an existing department, board, commission, agency, institution, authority, or office. If the board establishes a county land information office, the office shall:

59.72(3)(a)

(a) Coordinate land information projects within the county, between the county and local governmental units, between the state and local governmental units and among local governmental units, the federal government and the private sector.

59.72(3)(b)

(b) Within 2 years after the land information office is established, develop and receive approval for a countywide plan for land records modernization. For any county in which land records are not accessible on the Internet, the plan shall include a goal of providing access to public land records on the Internet. The plan shall be submitted for approval to the department of administration under s. 16.967 (3) (e).

59.72(3)(c)

(c) Review and recommend projects from local governmental units for grants from the department of administration under s. 16.967 (7).

59.72(3m)

(3m) Land information council.

59.72(3m)(a)

(a) If the board has established a land information office under sub. (3), the board shall have a land information council consisting of not less than 8 members. The council shall consist of the register of deeds, the treasurer, and, if one has been appointed, the real property lister or their designees and the following members appointed by the board for terms prescribed by the board:

59.72(3m)(a)1.

1. A member of the board.

59.72(3m)(a)2.

2. A representative of the land information office.

59.72(3m)(a)3.

3. A realtor or a member of the Realtors Association employed within the county.

59.72(3m)(a)4.

4. A public safety or emergency communications representative employed within the county.

59.72(3m)(a)4m.

4m. The county surveyor or a registered professional land surveyor employed within the county.

59.72(3m)(a)5.

5. Any other members of the board or public that the board designates.

59.72(3m)(am)

(am) Notwithstanding par. (a), if no person is willing to serve under par. (a) 3., 4., or 4m., the board may create or maintain the council without the member designated under par. (a) 3., 4., or 4m.

59.72(3m)(b)

(b) The land information council shall review the priorities, needs, policies, and expenditures of a land information office established by the board under sub. (3) and advise the county on matters affecting the land information office.

59.72(4)

(4) Aid to counties.

59.72(4)(a)

(a) A board that has established a land information office under sub. (3) and a land information council under sub. (3m) may apply to the department of administration for a grant for a land information project under s. 16.967 (7).

59.72(4)(b)

(b) A board shall use any grant received by the county under s. 16.967 (7) (a) and any fees retained under sub. (5) (b) to design, develop, and implement a land information system under s. 16.967 (7) (a) 1. and to make public records in the system accessible on the Internet before using these funds for any other purpose.

59.72(5)

(5) Land record modernization funding.

59.72(5)(a)

(a) Before the 16th day of each month a register of deeds shall submit to the department of administration $10 from the fee for recording or filing each instrument that is recorded or filed under s. 59.43 (2) (ag) 1. or (e), less any amount retained by the county under par. (b).

59.72(5)(b)

(b) Except as provided in s. 16.967 (7m), a county may retain $8 of the $10 submitted under par. (a) from the fee for recording or filing each instrument that is recorded or filed under s. 59.43 (2) (ag) 1. or (e) if all of the following conditions are met:

59.72(5)(b)1.

1. The county has established a land information office under sub. (3).

59.72(5)(b)1m.

1m. The county has created a land information council under sub. (3m).

59.72(5)(b)2.

2. A land information office has been established for less than 2 years or has received approval for a countywide plan for land records modernization under sub. (3) (b).

59.72(5)(b)3.

3. The county uses $6 of each $8 fee retained under this paragraph to develop, implement, and maintain the countywide plan for land records modernization and $2 of each $8 fee retained under this paragraph for the provision of land information on the Internet, including the county's land information records relating to housing.

59.72(6)

(6) Land records modernization. With regard to land records modernization as described in sub. (3) (b), if a register of deeds transfers an instrument that was filed or recorded with the register of deeds before April 1, 2006, to an electronic format, as described in s. 59.43 (4), the register of deeds shall make a reasonable effort to make social security numbers from the transferred instrument's electronic format not viewable or accessible on the Internet.

59.72 - ANNOT.

History: 1989 a. 31, 339; 1995 a. 201 s. 457; Stats. 1995 s. 59.72; 1997 a. 27 ss. 2175aj to 2175c, 9456 (3m); 2001 a. 16, 104; 2003 a. 33 s. 2811; 2003 a. 48 ss. 10, 11; 2003 a. 206 ss. 8 to 9, 23, 24; 2005 a. 25 ss. 1236 to 1238, 2493; 2009 a. 314.