114.33 Initiation of airport project; sponsorship; land acquisition. (1) Any county, city, village or town, either singly or jointly with one or more counties, cities, villages or towns, or any owner of a public-use airport desiring to sponsor an airport development project to be constructed with federal aid and state aid or with the state aid alone as provided by this chapter, may initiate such project in the manner provided by this section. The department may initiate and sponsor an airport project in the same manner as a local governing body. If the department initiates and sponsors an airport project, it shall hold a hearing in the area affected by the project. Notice of the hearing shall be given as provided in sub. (2). The department may install, operate and maintain air navigation facilities with or without federal aid and may enter into agreements with sponsors to share the maintenance and operation costs of such facilities. (2) Such initiation shall be by a petition filed with the secretary by the governing body or bodies of the counties, cities, villages or towns or by the governing body of a public-use airport not owned by a county, city, village or town desiring to sponsor the project, or if the project is initiated and sponsored by the department by a statement by the secretary setting forth among other things that the airport project is necessary and the reason therefor; the class of the airport that it is desired to develop, the location of the project in general, and the proposed site tentatively selected; the character, extent and kind of improvement desired under the project, evidence, in the form of a transcript, that the project has received a public hearing in the area affected before adoption by the petitioners, and any other statements that the petitioners or the department may desire to make. At least 10 days’ notice of the public hearing shall be given by publication of a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, in the area affected. (3) If the project has been sponsored by a local governing body or bodies or by the governing body of a public-use airport not owned by a county, city, village or town, the secretary shall
May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)
114.33
AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
make a finding within a reasonable time after receipt of the petition. If such finding is generally favorable to the development petitioned for, the secretary shall submit the finding to the governor for approval and no finding favoring an airport development project shall be effective unless the governor’s approval is endorsed thereon in writing. If the finding is approved by the governor the secretary shall notify the petitioners to that effect by filing a copy of the finding, which shall include among other things the location of the approved site, the character and extent of the improvements deemed necessary, and an approximate estimate of the costs and the amount to be paid by the sponsor. The finding shall constitute approval of the airport site so specified as a portion of the state airport system. On receipt of the finding the sponsors shall take action at their next meeting toward providing their share of the cost and shall promptly notify the secretary. The sponsors may proceed in accordance with the finding to acquire the site and to make master development plans and project plans, and shall be entitled to receive credit therefor as provided by federal law and by this chapter. On completion and approval of the plans a revised estimate of the project costs shall be made for the purposes of the project application. (3m) If the project is initiated and sponsored by the department, the secretary shall submit the statement prepared under sub. (2) to the governor for approval as provided in sub. (3). After approval by the governor, the department may proceed with the project as provided in sub. (3). (4) All projects for the development of airports with federal aid shall be in compliance with federal laws. All plans and other arrangements for development of projects with state aid alone shall be subject to the approval of the secretary. (5) In the case of projects to be carried out by contract, force account, or by a county highway committee in a manner similar to the applicable provisions of s. 84.06 (3), the sponsor’s share of the cost of a project shall be deposited in the state treasury promptly on the request of the secretary, to be held in trust for the purposes of the project. The secretary need not request the entire share at any one time. The secretary may suspend or discontinue proceedings or construction relative to any project at any time if any sponsor fails to pay the amount properly required of it as its contribution to the project. In the case of projects or parts of projects authorized by the secretary to be performed by force account methods, the secretary may permit the sponsor to retain the sponsor’s share of the cost of authorized project work provided the sponsor is to do the work. In such case the sponsor will be periodically reimbursed for the state or federal share, or both, on the basis of audited costs incurred by the sponsor. (6) (a) For the purposes of carrying out this section and ss.