HB0252 - Special districts-resort districts.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0513.E1

ENGROSSED

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0252

 

 

Special districts-resort districts.

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to special districts; providing procedures
 2  for establishing resort districts; providing procedures for
 3  levying and collecting assessments; specifying duties and
 4  powers of districts and district boards; and providing for
 5  an effective date.

 6 

 7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 8 

 9         Section 1.  W.S. 18-16-101 through 18-16-118 are
10  created to read:

11 

12                         CHAPTER 16

13                   RESORT DISTRICTS

14 

15                         ARTICLE 1

16                         IN GENERAL

 

Page  1

 

 

 

 1 

 2         18-16-101.  Definitions.

 3 

 4         (a)  As used in this act:

 5 

 6              (i)  "Assessed value" means the total assessed
 7  value of real property within the district, but excludes
 8  assessed values attributable to minerals. Assessed value
 9  shall be determined from the last assessment roll of the
10  county within which the district is located;

11 

12              (ii)  "Board" means the board of directors of a
13  resort district;

14 

15              (iii)  "Bonds" means bonds, warrants, notes or
16  other evidences of indebtedness of a resort district;

17 

18              (iv)  "Commissioners" means the board of county
19  commissioners;

20 

21              (v)  "District" means a resort district as
22  organized under the terms of this act;

23 

 

Page  2

 

 

 

 1              (vi)  "Improvement" means and includes buildings,
 2  structures and all facilities of a public nature intended
 3  for public use, including but not limited to streets,
 4  sidewalks, curbs, gutters, alleys and other public ways,
 5  parks, water, sewage, solid waste disposal and other
 6  sanitary systems and facilities, and with respect to the
 7  foregoing, such additional facilities or improvements as
 8  relate or contribute to the full public use and enjoyment
 9  thereof;

10 

11              (vii)  "Landowner" or "owner of land" means the
12  person or persons holding a majority interest in the record
13  fee title to one (1) or more parcels of real property
14  within the district or proposed district or a person or the
15  persons who are obligated to pay general property taxes
16  under a contract to purchase real property;

17 

18              (viii)  "Resort area" means an area that:

19 

20                   (A)  Is an unincorporated area and is a
21  defined contiguous geographic area;

22 

 

Page  3

 

 

 

 1                   (B)  Has a permanent population of less than
 2  five hundred (500) according to the most recent federal
 3  census;

 4 

 5                   (C)  Derives the major portion of its
 6  economic well-being from businesses catering to the
 7  recreational and personal needs of persons traveling to or
 8  through the area;

 9 

10                   (D)  Does not include real property used for
11  manufacturing, milling, converting, producing, processing
12  or fabricating materials, generating electricity or the
13  extraction or processing of minerals.

14 

15              (ix)  "Service" means the operation and
16  maintenance of improvements and any other service
17  authorized by this act;

18 

19              (x)  "Written authorization" means an affidavit
20  filed with the election official conducting the election
21  setting forth a general legal description of the property
22  owned, the street or common name address for the property,
23  the name or names of all owners of the property described,
24  and a statement that the person signing the written

Page  4

 

 

 

 1  authorization is the only person having authority to act on
 2  behalf of the owner or owners of the property;

 3 

 4              (xi)  "This act" means W.S. 18-16-101 through
 5  18-16-118.

 6 

 7         18-16-102.  Districts authorized; general function.

 8 

 9         (a)  Any resort area in this state may be formed into
10  a resort district to perform any of the following
11  functions:

12 

13              (i)  Acquire, construct, operate and maintain
14  improvements of local necessity and convenience;

15 

16              (ii)  Obtain improvements or services hereunder
17  by contracting for the same with any city, town, county or
18  other entity;

19 

20              (iii)  Furnish or perform any special local
21  service which enhances the use or enjoyment of the resort
22  area.

23 

 

Page  5

 

 

 

 1         (b)  A district is a separate entity and a political
 2  subdivision of the state. A district shall be subject to
 3  and covered by the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act.

 4 

 5         (c)  A district shall not include any parcel of
 6  agricultural property. For purposes of this section,
 7  "agricultural property" means any parcel of real property
 8  greater than ten (10) acres, which was assessed as
 9  agricultural land under W.S. 39-13-103(b)(x) in the two (2)
10  calendar years before filing of the petition for formation
11  of a resort district, and which at the time of filing of
12  the petition, is being used and employed for the primary
13  purpose of obtaining a monetary profit as agricultural or
14  horticultural use or any combination thereof.

15 

16         18-16-103.  Jurisdiction.

17 

18  Unless in conflict with a provision of this article, the
19  Special District Elections Act of 1994, W.S. 22-29-101
20  through 22-29-601, shall govern the formation of resort
21  districts.

22 

23         18-16-104.  Petition for formation; number of
24  signatures required; filing fee.

 

Page  6

 

 

 

 1 

 2  A petition to form a district shall be in accordance with
 3  the provisions of W.S. 22-29-105. The provisions of W.S.
 4  22-29-109(e) relating to protest resulting in failure of
 5  formation of a district shall not apply to proceedings for
 6  the formation of a resort district. The petition shall be
 7  accompanied by a filing fee of two hundred dollars
 8  ($200.00).

 9 

10         18-16-105.  Formation election; procedures.

11 

12         (a)  Each landowner within the proposed district shall
13  have one (1) vote per parcel of real property owned by that
14  landowner.

15 

16         (b)  The formation of the district is approved if:

17 

18              (i)  A majority of the total votes cast on the
19  proposition vote "for" formation; or

20 

21              (ii)  A majority of the total votes cast on the
22  proposition vote "against" formation, but a majority of
23  votes cast, excluding votes cast by owners of single-family
24  homes, are in favor of organization.

 

Page  7

 

 

 

 1 

 2         (c)  If formation of the district is approved pursuant
 3  to paragraph (b)(ii) of this section, the district shall
 4  not include owners of single family dwellings.

 5 

 6         18-16-106.  Powers of district.

 7 

 8         (a)  Each district may:

 9 

10              (i)  Have and use a corporate seal;

11 

12              (ii)  Sue and be sued, and be a party to suits,
13  actions and proceedings;

14 

15              (iii)  Purchase insurance;

16 

17              (iv)  Enter into contracts for the purpose of
18  providing any authorized improvements and the maintenance
19  and operation thereof, or otherwise to carry out the
20  purposes of the district;

21 

22              (v)  Accept from any public or private source
23  grants, loans, contributions and any other benefits
24  available for use in the furtherance of its purposes;

 

Page  8

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (vi)  Borrow money and incur indebtedness and
 3  other obligations and evidence the same by certificates,
 4  notes or debentures, and issue bonds;

 5 

 6              (vii)  Require any person or entity desiring to
 7  conduct business within the district to obtain a business
 8  license from the board before conducting business within
 9  the district;

10 

11              (viii)  Levy and collect an assessment from the
12  proceeds of each lot transferred or sold within the
13  district pursuant to such procedures as may be established
14  by the board;

15 

16              (ix)  Charge interest and levy fines and
17  penalties on unpaid assessments;

18 

19              (x)  Create and enforce liens for unpaid
20  assessments;

21 

22              (xi)  Adopt bylaws not inconsistent with law;

23 

 

Page  9

 

 

 

 1              (xii)  Establish and collect charges for water,
 2  sanitation and related services and the use of improvements
 3  or services provided by the district, including authority
 4  to change the amount or rate thereof, and to pledge the
 5  revenues therefrom for the payment of district
 6  indebtedness;

 7 

 8              (xiii)  Acquire and own or lease real or personal
 9  property, including easements and rights-of-way, within or
10  without the district for district purposes;

11 

12              (xiv)  Supply the inhabitants of the district
13  with water for domestic and any other lawful use;

14 

15              (xv)  Provide for the collection, treatment or
16  disposal of sewage, waste and storm water of the district
17  and its inhabitants;

18 

19              (xvi)  Provide for the collection and disposal of
20  garbage or refuse matter;

21 

22              (xvii)  Provide all services necessary to protect
23  the health and welfare of residents in the district and the
24  value of property therein and to enter into agreements with

Page 10

 

 

 

 1  any public or private agency, institution or person for the
 2  furnishing of such services;

 3 

 4              (xviii)  Provide for public recreation by means
 5  of parks, including but not limited to playgrounds, golf
 6  courses, swimming pools or recreation buildings;

 7 

 8              (xix)  Provide for street lighting;

 9 

10              (xx)  Provide for the opening, widening,
11  extending, straightening and surfacing in whole or part of
12  any street and snow removal or clearance for the same or
13  other roads or streets;

14 

15              (xxi)  Provide for the construction and
16  improvement of bridges, culverts, curbs, gutters, drains
17  and works incidental to any street improvement;

18 

19              (xxii)  Provide subdivision control;

20 

21              (xxiii)  Provide for the development and
22  marketing of the district;

23 

 

Page 11

 

 

 

 1              (xxiv)  With the approval of the board of county
 2  commissioners, establish and collect charges for the use of
 3  any improvement to cover the costs of operating and
 4  maintaining the improvement. Following approval of the
 5  county commissioners and upon application by a district, an
 6  assessment roll shall be created by the county assessor's
 7  office to facilitate the collection of the improvement
 8  operation and maintenance charges, whether or not the
 9  assessor has created an assessment roll for the collection
10  of indebtedness;

11 

12              (xxv)  Do any and all other things necessary to
13  carry out the purposes of this act.

14 

15         18-16-107.  District board of directors.

16 

17  The district shall be managed and controlled by a board of
18  directors consisting of five (5) members. The initial board
19  shall consist of five (5) members elected at the
20  organizational election as provided in W.S. 18-16-105. Two
21  (2) shall serve for three (3) years, two (2) for four (4)
22  years and one (1) for five (5) years after formation of the
23  district and until their successors are elected and
24  qualified at the regular scheduled subsequent director

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 1  election as provided in W.S. 22-29-112(a). The subsequent
 2  directors shall be elected pursuant to W.S. 18-16-118. Each
 3  year, commencing with the third anniversary of the first
 4  director election an election shall be held to elect a
 5  director to fill the vacancy resulting from expiration of
 6  the term of the director whose term expires at that time. 
 7  A vacancy occurring on the board during the term of an
 8  original director or his successor shall be filled as
 9  provided in the Special District Elections Act of 1994.

10 

11         18-16-108.  Compensation; officers; rules and
12  regulations.

13 

14         (a)  The members of the board shall serve without
15  compensation but shall receive reimbursement for actual and
16  necessary expenses incurred in connection with the
17  performance of their duties.

18 

19         (b)  The board shall adopt rules, regulations and
20  procedures for the district whether or not included in its
21  bylaws, including those to govern the use and enjoyment of
22  public improvements, facilities and services of the
23  district.

24 

 

Page 13

 

 

 

 1         18-16-109.  Cost assessed in accordance with benefits.

 2 

 3  When an improvement proposed by the board will benefit
 4  specific property in the district to a greater extent than
 5  other property the improvement may be financed with an
 6  assessment against the property specially benefited upon a
 7  frontage, zone or other equitable bases, in accordance with
 8  benefits.

 9 

10         18-16-110.  Resolution of intent to provide for
11  special assessment.

12 

13         (a)  The board may declare by resolution their intent
14  to order improvements to be paid for by special assessment.
15  The resolution shall specify:

16 

17              (i)  The nature of the improvement proposed;

18 

19              (ii)  The extent of the district to be improved;

20 

21              (iii)  The probable cost per unit of measurement
22  as shown by estimates of a qualified engineer;

23 

 

Page 14

 

 

 

 1              (iv)  The time in which the cost will be payable;
 2  and

 3 

 4              (v)  The time when a resolution authorizing the
 5  improvements will be considered.

 6 

 7         (b)  Any resolution or directive in the premises may
 8  be modified, confirmed or rescinded at any time prior to
 9  the passage of the resolution authorizing the improvements.

10 

11         18-16-111.  Notice of resolution; hearing; objections.

12 

13         (a)  At the request of the board the county clerk
14  shall give notice, by advertisement once in a newspaper of
15  general circulation in the county, to the owners of the
16  property to be assessed to provide:

17 

18              (i)  The nature of the improvement proposed;

19 

20              (ii)  The extent of the district to be improved;

21 

22              (iii)  The probable cost of the improvement;

23 

24              (iv)  The time at which the cost will be payable;

 

Page 15

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (v)  The time when a resolution authorizing the
 3  improvements will be considered by the board;

 4 

 5              (vi)  That maps, estimates and schedules showing
 6  the approximate amounts to be assessed and all resolutions
 7  and proceedings are on file and may be seen or examined at
 8  the office of the county clerk or other designated place;
 9  and

10 

11              (vii)  That all complaints and objections
12  concerning the proposed improvement by owners of property
13  subject to assessment will be heard and considered by the
14  board before final action, under the provisions of the
15  Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act.

16 

17         (b)  If objections to the improvement are made by
18  owners or agents representing property subject to thirty
19  percent (30%) or more of the projected dollar assessments,
20  the improvement may not be authorized and a new resolution
21  for the same or a similar purpose encompassing property
22  representing objections may not be considered within one
23  (1) year thereafter.

24 

 

Page 16

 

 

 

 1         18-16-112.  Notice of apportionment; assessment roll.

 2 

 3         (a)  A copy of the resolution as finally adopted shall
 4  be recorded by the county clerk who shall within sixty (60)
 5  days after the adoption of the resolution by written
 6  notice, mailed or otherwise delivered, notify each owner of
 7  property to be assessed of the amount of assessment, the
 8  purpose for which the levy is made, the tax against each
 9  lot or parcel of land, and the date it becomes delinquent.
10  The county clerk shall also notify each owner of property
11  of the amount of any operation and maintenance charges to
12  be assessed within sixty (60) days after the assessment is
13  approved by the board of county commissioners under W.S.
14  18-16-106(a)(xxv).

15 

16         (b)  The county assessor shall prepare a local
17  assessment roll showing real property assessed, the total
18  amount of assessment and operation and maintenance charges
19  if approved under W.S. 18-16-106(a)(xxv), the amount of
20  each installment of principal and interest if the same is
21  payable in installments, and the date when each installment
22  will become due, and deliver the same, duly certified, to
23  the county treasurer for collection.

24 

 

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 1         18-16-113.  Annual tax levy authorized; certification
 2  and collection; treasurer designated.

 3 

 4  The board of directors may annually levy and collect taxes
 5  for corporate purposes upon property within the limits of
 6  the district.  This board shall file the resolution in the
 7  office of the county clerk who shall record the same in the
 8  county where the district lies. The board shall also
 9  certify the same to the county assessor of the counties in
10  which the district is located, who shall extend the same
11  upon the county tax list. The same shall be collected by
12  the county treasurer in the same manner as state and county
13  taxes. The county treasurer of the county in which the
14  greater portion of the area of the district is located
15  shall pay the same to the district ordering the assessment
16  or levy and the collection. The payment of the collections
17  shall be made monthly to the treasurer of the district and
18  paid into its depository to the credit of the district.

19 

20         18-16-114.  Bond elections; resolution for submission
21  of proposition to voters.

22 

23  By resolution of its board a district may submit to its
24  qualified voters, by mail ballot or at an election on a

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 1  date authorized under W.S. 22-21-103, as determined by the
 2  board of county commissioners, the proposition of issuing
 3  bonds pursuant to this act to provide funds for the
 4  acquisition, construction, improving or financing of
 5  improvements as well as performing services for the benefit
 6  of the residents of the district, including any or all
 7  expenses incidental thereto or connected therewith.

 8 

 9         18-16-115.  Contents of resolution; notice of
10  election.

11 

12         (a)  The resolution shall:

13 

14              (i)  State the purpose for which the bonds are
15  proposed to be issued;

16 

17              (ii)  State the estimated amount of money to be
18  raised by the bond issue;

19 

20              (iii)  State the principal amount of the bonds;

21 

22              (iv)  State the maximum rate of interest on the
23  bonds;

24 

 

Page 19

 

 

 

 1              (v)  Fix the date of the election;

 2 

 3              (vi)  Fix the manner of holding the election.

 4 

 5         (b)  The notice of bond election shall include the
 6  following information:

 7 

 8              (i)  The amount of the proposed bond issue;

 9 

10              (ii)  The maximum maturity of the bonds;

11 

12              (iii)  Statement by the board of the need for the
13  issuance of the bonds and the purposes for which the
14  proceeds of the bonds shall be devoted;

15 

16              (iv)  A description of the exterior boundaries of
17  the district;

18 

19              (v)  A general description of the proposed
20  improvement, utility or local service to be provided by the
21  district.

22 

23         18-16-116.  Election procedures.

24 

 

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 1  The bond elections shall be called and conducted, and the
 2  bonds shall be issued, by the board of county commissioners
 3  as set forth in W.S. 18-12-122 through 18-12-137.

 4 

 5         18-16-117.  Rules and regulations; enforcement.

 6 

 7  The board may adopt reasonable rules and regulations not
 8  inconsistent with law for the government and control of the
 9  district organization and to facilitate the collection of
10  assessments or charges. All rules and regulations adopted
11  pursuant to this section shall be promulgated in accordance
12  with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act and filed
13  with the county clerk for each county in which the district
14  is located.

15 

16         18-16-118.  District election procedures.

17 

18         (a)  Except as otherwise provided in this act, any
19  petition or election that requires a general vote of
20  district members for approval or rejection under this act
21  or under the Special District Elections Act, including,
22  without limitation, elections relating to the election of
23  directors, approval of assessments or other taxes,
24  enlargement, consolidation, merger, dissolution or change

Page 21

 

 

 

 1  in boundaries of the district shall allow each landowner
 2  within the proposed district to have one (1) vote per
 3  parcel of real property owned by that landowner.

 4 

 5         (b)  The matter being voted on shall be approved if a
 6  majority of the total votes cast vote "for" the
 7  proposition.

 8 

 9         Section 2.  W.S. 22-29-103(a) by creating a new
10  paragraph (xii) and by renumbering (xii) as (xiii) and
11  34-1-142 by creating a new subsection (j) are amended to
12  read:

13 

14         22-29-103.  Applicability to special districts;
15  general provisions.

16 

17         (a)  This act applies to the following districts as
18  specified in subsection (b) of this section:

19 

20              (xii)  Resort districts;

21 

22              (xii)(xiii)  Other districts as specified by law.

23 

 

Page 22

 

 

 

 1         34-1-142.  Instrument transferring title to real
 2  property; procedure; exceptions; confidentiality.

 3 

 4         (j)  The statement may be used by a resort district
 5  board of directors to levy an assessment pursuant to W.S.
 6  18-16-106(a)(viii).

 7 

 8         Section 3.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

 9 

10                         (END)

 

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