WI SB497

Nonconforming outdoor advertising signs affected by state or local transportation projects receiving DOT funds may be repositioned (raised, lowered, rotated, adjusted, or moved to another location) within the political subdivision without losing their nonconforming status, expanding current law which only covered DOT highway projects and same-site realignment

Lead agencies must pay sign owners actual replacement costs for repositioning, determined using the moving cost agreement for outdoor advertising sign relocation

Prohibits use of the "unit rule" in sign condemnation cases, requiring condemnors to separately compensate sign owners for the sign value and lease, loss in value to other signs owned, and property owners for loss of the right to maintain the sign—rather than limiting payment to fair market value of the property as an undivided whole

Local governments may petition to condemn a nonconforming sign instead of allowing repositioning, but must pay the condemnation award minus what repositioning costs would have been; DOT may reduce transportation aid payments to municipalities that fail to pay

Appraisals used for jurisdictional offers must fall within 85-115% of the offer amount, and successful sign owner litigants in compensation disputes may recover litigation expenses under s. 32.28(3)