State fair park board

Wis. Stat. ch. 42
in effect

Wis. Stat. § 42.01 Powers and duties; general

(1) The state fair park board shall manage the state fair park and supervise or conduct thereat fairs, exhibits or promotional events for agricultural, industrial, educational and recreational purposes; lease or license the use of any property thereon for other purposes when not needed for the above public purposes; and charge reasonable rents and fees for use of or attendance at the premises. The state fair park board may accept and administer gifts, grants and bequests. (2) The state fair board shall exercise police supervision over state fair park, and its duly appointed agents or representatives may arrest, with or without warrant, any person within such park area, committing an offense against the laws of the state or the rules of that board, and except as provided in sub. (3) deliver such person to a proper court in the county and execute a complaint charging such person with the offense committed. (3) (a) The state fair park board shall promulgate rules governing the use of state fair park and establish a bond deposit schedule for purposes of par. (c). The state fair park board may not establish any bond deposit in an amount exceeding $200. Any person violating such rules shall forfeit not more than $200 which may be recovered by civil action as provided by ch. 778 and when collected shall be paid directly into the state treasury. The action shall be commenced by the attorney general or by the district attorney in the circuit court for Milwaukee County. (b) The state fair park board may not promulgate rules regarding the distribution of noncommercial handbills, but may adopt rules regarding registration of noncommercial handbills if the state fair park board gives reasonable notice to the public of the registration requirement. The state fair park board may request the attorney general to commence legal action for an injunction restraining the distribution or confining it in such manner as the court deems proper, if it appears to the fair park management that the manner of distribution or the content of noncommercial handbills will cause harm or provoke violence. (c) When any person is arrested for violation of a rule promulgated under this subsection, the duly appointed agent or representative of the state fair park board shall accept from such person a bond, in the amount established by rule of the state fair park board for such violation, with sufficient sureties, or his or her own personal bond upon depositing the amount thereof in money, for his or her appearance in the court having jurisdiction of such offense. A receipt shall be issued therefor. (d) If the person so arrested and released fails to appear, personally or by an authorized attorney or agent, before the court at the time fixed for hearing of the case, then the bond and money deposited, or such portion thereof as the court determines to be an adequate penalty, plus the costs, may be declared forfeited by the court or may be ordered applied upon the payment of any penalty which may be imposed after an ex parte hearing together with the costs. In either event, the surplus, if any, shall be refunded to the person who made such deposit. (4) (a) The state fair park board may organize a nonstock corporation under ch. 181 for the purposes of raising funds and providing support for the operation, management and development of state fair park. The board shall organize any corporation organized under this paragraph so that the corporation is exempt from taxation under the section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. (b) The state fair park board may enter into a contract with any corporation that the board organizes under par. (a) under which the corporation raises funds or provides support for the operation, management and development of state fair park. (5) The state fair park board shall ensure that it receives sufficient revenues from the operation of state fair park to make the payments required under s. 20.190 (1) (j).

Wis. Stat. § 42.02 State fair park director

The state fair park board shall appoint a state fair park director, outside the classified service.

Wis. Stat. § 42.03 Staff

The state fair park director shall appoint all staff necessary for performing the duties of the state fair park board.

Wis. Stat. § 42.04 Private operation and leasing

The state fair park board may provide for the operation and leasing of any facilities by private entrepreneurs, except that the state fair park board shall reserve the use of state fair park facilities for a sufficient period of time every year for purposes of conducting an annual state fair.

Wis. Stat. § 42.05 Auto races

(1) Except during the annual state fair and at other times between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., every motor vehicle, as defined in s. 287.15 (1) (e), that is used at state fair park in racing competition or practice shall be equipped with a muffler which, at all times, shall be in good working condition sufficient to prevent excessive or unusual noise. (2) It is unlawful to operate, or for the state fair park board to permit to be operated, at state fair park in racing competition or practice except during the period specified in sub. (1), any motor vehicle, as defined in s. 287.15 (1) (e), with the muffler or cutout open. (3) Any person violating this section may be fined not more than $200 or imprisoned for not more than 6 months or both.

Wis. Stat. § 42.07 Ticket scalping; penalty

(1) Every ticket or other evidence of the right of entry to any amusement, game, contest, exhibition or performance given by or under the auspices of the state fair park shall be considered a revocable license to the person to whom such ticket is issued and shall be transferable only on such terms and conditions as the state fair park board prescribes. (2) No such ticket or other evidence of the right of entry may be sold for more than the price printed upon the face of the ticket. Any person reselling any such ticket for more than said price shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than $100 or imprisoned not more than 60 days.

Wis. Stat. § 42.08 Insurance

The state fair park board may procure worker’s compensation insurance to cover its employees, business interruption insurance, fire insurance and property insurance.

Wis. Stat. § 42.09 State fair park facilities

(1) The state fair park board shall cooperate with the building commission in all matters relating to the development of new facilities under s. 13.488 (7). The state fair park board shall solicit proposals from private entrepreneurs interested in leasing any facilities at state fair park. The terms of such leases may be negotiated at the discretion of the state fair park board, subject to the lease provisions of s. 13.488 (7). (2) (a) The state fair park board may not alter or renovate any building, appurtenance, fixture, exhibit or other structure or facility at state fair park that is owned by the board but that was owned by the department of natural resources on July 29, 1995, without the permission of the department, but the board may provide routine maintenance without the department’s permission. (b) The state fair park board shall allow the department of natural resources access to and use of the buildings, appurtenances, fixtures, exhibits and other structures and facilities described in par. (a) so that the department may prepare, display and dismantle exhibits during events occurring at state fair park. (3) (a) Subject to approval of the building commission when required under s. 13.48 (12), the state fair park board may permit a private person to construct a building, structure or facility in the state fair park under a lease agreement with the board. (b) The board shall develop policies encouraging each private person entering into an agreement with the board under this subsection to agree that his or her goal shall be to ensure that at least 25 percent of the employees hired to perform construction work in connection with state fair park facilities or to perform professional services in connection with the construction or development of those facilities will be minority group members, as defined in s. 16.287 (1) (f), and that at least 5 percent of the employees hired to perform construction work in connection with state fair park facilities or to perform professional services in connection with the construction or development of those facilities will be women.

Wis. Stat. § 42.10 Cooperation to promote agriculture

The state fair park board may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection to coordinate the activities of the state fair park board and that department. The state fair park board shall cooperate with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection in the conduct and promotion of fairs, exhibits and educational and promotional events related to agriculture and the activities of that department at state fair park.

Wis. Stat. § 42.11 National Ice Training Center

The state fair park board may purchase the National Ice Training Center and associated land and parking areas from the Pettit National Ice Center, Inc., if the Pettit National Ice Center, Inc., discontinues its operation of the facility as an ice skating rink and training facility.

Wis. Stat. § 42.12 Crowd and traffic control services grant program

(1) Beginning on July 1, 1992, in each fiscal year, the state fair park board may award a grant to the city of West Allis to be used to provide crowd and traffic control services related to events held at the state fair park. (2) The state fair park board may not award a grant under sub. (1) unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) The city of West Allis submits a plan to the state fair park board detailing the proposed use of the grant. (b) The state fair park board approves the plan under par. (a). (c) The city of West Allis enters into a written agreement with the state fair park board under which the city of West Allis agrees to comply with conditions specified by the state fair park board for use of the grant, including an agreement to comply with any reporting and auditing requirements specified by the state fair park board. (d) The city of West Allis agrees to submit to the state fair park board, within 6 months after the grant proceeds are fully expended, a report detailing the use of the proceeds of the grant.

Wis. Stat. § 42.035 Treatment of certain state fair park board employees

Notwithstanding s. 230.08 (2) (pm), those employees holding positions in the classified service at the state fair park board on October 29, 1999, who have achieved permanent status in class before that date, shall retain, while serving in the unclassified service at the state fair park board, those protections afforded employees in the classified service under ss. 230.34 (1) (a) and 230.44 (1) (c) relating to demotion, suspension, discharge, layoff or reduction in base pay. Such employees shall also be eligible for transfer under s. 230.29 and shall have reinstatement privileges to the classified service under s. 230.33 (1m). Those employees of the state fair park board on October 29, 1999, who have not achieved permanent status in class in any position at the state fair park board on that date are eligible to receive the protections, privileges and rights preserved under this section if they successfully complete service equivalent to the probationary period required in the classified service for the position that they hold on that date.

Wis. Stat. § 42.105 State fair park board and department of tourism

(1) The state fair park board and the department of tourism shall enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth the responsibilities of the department of tourism relating to promoting fairs, exhibits and promotional events at state fair park and the methods that the state fair park board and the department of tourism will use to cooperate in promoting and carrying out those fairs, exhibits and promotional events. (2) Notwithstanding s. 15.03, the department of tourism shall process and forward all personnel and biennial budget requests by the state fair park board without change except as requested or concurred in by the state fair park board.

Wis. Stat. § 42.106 State fair park board, building commission and department of administration

(1) Except as provided in sub. (2), the state fair park board may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the department of administration and the building commission to coordinate the activities of the board, the department and the commission. (2) The state fair park board shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the department of administration with respect to oversight of the contracting procedures under s. 16.855 (10n).
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/42Fetched: 10/7/2026