44.39 State agency cooperation.

(1) Lead agency. The state historical society shall serve as the central unit of state government to coordinate the activities of all state agencies in connection with historic properties, to serve as the repository of information concerning historic properties owned or leased by the state, to collect and disseminate to state agencies information concerning appropriate means for managing and improving historic properties and to take any other action necessary to implement this section and ss. 44.40 and 44.41.

(2) Identification of affected state agencies. The state historical society shall identify every state agency which has any power or duty under s. 44.40 or 44.41 and shall notify each identified state agency of its powers and duties.

(3) Appointment of state agency historic preservation officer; duties. Every state agency notified under sub. (2) shall appoint one of its employees or officers, who has authority in the agency to affect the management of that agency's resources and to directly influence that agency's decision making, to serve as that agency's historic preservation officer. That state agency historic preservation officer shall coordinate all functions of that state agency related to historic properties and shall serve as the liaison between that state agency and the state historical society.

(4) Cooperation. All state agencies shall cooperate with each other and with the state historical society to achieve the objectives of ss. 44.39 to 44.41.

(5) Waiver of compliance.

(a) If the department of health services or the department of corrections determines that public safety may be jeopardized by compliance with any requirement of this section or s. 44.40 or 44.41, the department may request a waiver of compliance from the building commission. The building commission may grant the waiver of compliance.

(b) If a waiver of compliance is granted by the building commission under par. (a), the applicable agency shall notify the officer of any proposed action to be taken under the waiver that may affect a historic property. The officer shall be notified at least 30 days before the proposed action is taken and, during the period before the proposed action is taken, the applicable agency shall allow the historical society to document the condition of the historic property.

History: 1987 a. 395; 1989 a. 31; 1995 a. 27 ss. 1993j, 9126 (19); 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a).