119.60 Real property.

(1) Except as provided in sub. (2m) (c) and s. 119.61 (5), if any real property within the city which is used for school purposes is sold, the board shall determine whether the proceeds of the sale are deposited in the school operations fund under s. 119.46 or are deposited in the school construction fund under s. 119.48.

(2) Except as provided in sub. (2m) and s. 119.61 (5), city-owned property used for school purposes shall be sold by the city upon written request of the board if the common council adopts a resolution approving the sale. If, within 12 months after a written request by the board, the city has not disposed of the property, has failed to obtain a written agreement to dispose of the property or has not provided the board with a written report giving specific reasons, which are not identified by the city attorney as constituting a conflict of interest, for its failure to dispose of the property or to obtain an agreement to dispose of the property, the board may retain a real estate agent to represent the board in its real estate transactions.

(2m)

(a)

1. Subject to subd. 2., if the common council finds that city-owned property used for school purposes has been unused or underutilized for at least 12 consecutive months, including the 12 months preceding June 8, 2011, or if the board has determined by resolution prior to January 1, 2011, that any city-owned property used for school purposes is surplus to the needs of the school district, the common council may sell or lease that property if it adopts a resolution approving the sale or lease.

2. Before the common council may adopt a resolution approving the sale or lease of underutilized city-owned property used for school purposes, the common council shall adopt by resolution a set of criteria under which the common council may or may not find that the city-owned property used for school purposes is underutilized. In order to determine whether city-owned property used for school purposes satisfies the criteria adopted under this subdivision, the common council shall request from the board, and the board shall provide to the common council within 15 days of the request, all relevant information regarding the current and planned utilization of the city-owned property used for school purposes that is proposed for sale or lease under this paragraph.

(b) If a resolution is adopted by the common council as provided under par. (a), the board shall provide the common council and city employees and agents copies of all documents related to the property and access to and entry upon and into the property for purposes related to the sale or leasing of the property.

(c) If any real property within the city which is used for school purposes is sold or leased as provided in this subsection, the net proceeds of the sale or lease shall be deposited in the school operations fund under s. 119.46.

(d) Notwithstanding s. 119.16 (1m), if any real property within the city which is used for school purposes is leased as provided in this subsection, the lease shall require the lessee to assume responsibility for the care, operation, and maintenance of the real property and its facilities for the duration of the lease.

(3) The board's authority to retain a real estate agent under sub. (2) is limited to the actual sale of property. The board may compensate the real estate agent for his or her services only on the basis of a commission for specific property sold, and no property taxes may be levied for the purpose of providing funds to pay such commissions.

(4) The city is not liable for any action of the board or its real estate agent in the sale of property under this section.

(5) For any lease of city-owned property used for school purposes in effect on January 1, 2011, between the board and a charter school that is not an instrumentality of the school district under s. 118.40 (7), the common council shall be made party to the lease and may negotiate with the charter school to modify the terms of the lease when the lease is modified, extended, or renewed if the common council adopts a resolution to do so. If a lease is modified, extended, or renewed as provided in this subsection, the net proceeds of that lease shall be deposited in the school operations fund under s. 119.46.

History: 1983 a. 224; 2005 a. 453; 2011 a. 17; 2015 a. 55.