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S.B. 86

             1     

AGRICULTURE PROTECTION AMENDMENTS

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             5     
House Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends provisions related to an agriculture protection area.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    amends language related to the duties of an advisory board;
             13          .    amends language related to the creation of an agriculture protection area;
             14          .    amends language related to removing land from an agriculture protection area;
             15          .    amends language related to condemning land located in an agriculture protection
             16      area;
             17          .    enacts language related to an appeal of a condemnation decision; and
             18          .    makes technical corrections.
             19      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             20          None
             21      Other Special Clauses:
             22          This bill provides an immediate effective date.
             23      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             24      AMENDS:
             25          17-41-201, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 179
             26          17-41-305, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2006, Chapter 194
             27          17-41-306, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 376


             28          17-41-405, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 90
             29      ENACTS:
             30          17-41-407, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             31     
             32      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             33          Section 1. Section 17-41-201 is amended to read:
             34           17-41-201. Agriculture protection area or industrial protection area advisory
             35      board.
             36          (1) (a) (i) Each county legislative body shall appoint no more than five members from
             37      the county's conservation district board of supervisors to serve as the Agriculture Protection
             38      Area Advisory Board.
             39          (ii) Each county legislative body shall appoint an industrial protection area advisory
             40      board.
             41          (b) A county legislative body may appoint the advisory board before or after a proposal
             42      to create an agriculture protection area or industrial protection area is filed.
             43          (2) Each member of an advisory board shall serve without salary, but a county
             44      legislative body may reimburse members for expenses incurred in the performance of their
             45      duties.
             46          (3) Each advisory board shall:
             47          (a) evaluate proposals for the establishment of agriculture protection areas or industrial
             48      protection areas and make recommendations to the applicable legislative body about whether or
             49      not the proposal should be accepted;
             50          (b) provide expert advice to the planning commission and to the applicable legislative
             51      body about:
             52          (i) the desirability of the proposal;
             53          (ii) the nature of agricultural production or industrial use, as the case may be, within
             54      the proposed area;
             55          (iii) the relation of agricultural production or industrial use, as the case may be, in the
             56      area to the county as a whole; and
             57          (iv) which agriculture production or industrial use should be allowed within the
             58      agriculture protection area or industrial protection area, respectively; [and]


             59          (c) report to the applicable legislative body on a proposed condemnation in accordance
             60      with Section 17-41-405 ; and
             61          [(c)] (d) perform all other duties required by this chapter.
             62          Section 2. Section 17-41-305 is amended to read:
             63           17-41-305. Criteria to be applied in evaluating a proposal for the creation of an
             64      agriculture protection area or industrial protection area.
             65          In evaluating a proposal and in determining whether or not to create or recommend the
             66      creation of an agriculture protection area or industrial protection area, the advisory committee,
             67      planning commission, and applicable legislative body shall apply the following criteria:
             68          (1) whether or not the land is currently being used for [agriculture production or for an
             69      industrial use, as the case may be;]:
             70          (a) if the proposal is for the creation of an agriculture protection area, agriculture
             71      production sufficient to qualify for a benefit available under Title 59, Chapter 2, Part 5,
             72      Farmland Assessment Act, regardless of whether the applicant has applied for a benefit; or
             73          (b) if the proposal is for the creation of an industrial protection area, an industrial use;
             74          (2) whether or not the land is zoned for agriculture use or industrial use, as the case
             75      may be;
             76          (3) whether or not the land is viable for agriculture production or industrial use, as the
             77      case may be;
             78          (4) the extent and nature of existing or proposed farm improvements or the extent and
             79      nature of existing or proposed improvements to or expansion of the industrial use, as the case
             80      may be; and
             81          (5) (a) in the case of an agriculture protection area, anticipated trends in agricultural
             82      and technological conditions; or
             83          (b) in the case of an industrial protection area, anticipated trends in technological
             84      conditions applicable to the industrial use of the land in question.
             85          Section 3. Section 17-41-306 is amended to read:
             86           17-41-306. Adding land to or removing land from an agriculture protection area
             87      or industrial protection area -- Removing land from a mining protection area.
             88          (1) (a) Any owner may add land to an existing agriculture protection area or industrial
             89      protection area, as the case may be, by:


             90          (i) filing a proposal with:
             91          (A) the county legislative body, if the agriculture protection area or industrial
             92      protection area and the land to be added are within the unincorporated part of the county; or
             93          (B) the municipal legislative body, if the agriculture protection area or industrial
             94      protection area and the land to be added are within a city or town; and
             95          (ii) obtaining the approval of the applicable legislative body for the addition of the land
             96      to the area.
             97          (b) The applicable legislative body shall comply with the provisions for creating an
             98      agriculture protection area or industrial protection area, as the case may be, in determining
             99      whether or not to accept the proposal.
             100          (2) (a) Any owner of land within an agriculture protection area or industrial protection
             101      area may remove any or all of the land from the agriculture protection area or industrial
             102      protection area, respectively, by filing a petition for removal with the applicable legislative
             103      body.
             104          (b) (i) The applicable legislative body:
             105          (A) shall:
             106          (I) grant the petition for removal of land from an agriculture protection area or
             107      industrial protection area, as the case may be, even if removal of the land would result in an
             108      agriculture protection area or industrial protection area of less than the number of acres
             109      established by the applicable legislative body as the minimum under Section 17-41-301 ; and
             110          (II) in order to give constructive notice of the removal to all persons who have, may
             111      acquire, or may seek to acquire an interest in land in or adjacent to the agriculture protection
             112      area or industrial protection area and the land removed from the agriculture protection area or
             113      industrial protection area, file a legal description of the revised boundaries of the agriculture
             114      protection area or industrial protection area with the county recorder of deeds and the affected
             115      planning commission; and
             116          (B) may not charge a fee in connection with a petition to remove land from an
             117      agriculture protection area or an industrial protection area.
             118          (ii) The remaining land in the agriculture protection area or industrial protection area is
             119      still an agriculture protection area or industrial protection area, respectively.
             120          (3) (a) The applicable legislative body may remove land from an agriculture protection


             121      area if:
             122          (i) the land is no longer being used for an agricultural purpose;
             123          (ii) the landowner applies for a zoning change that, if approved, would remove the
             124      property from agricultural zoning; and
             125          (iii) the applicable legislative body holds a public hearing in accordance with
             126      Subsection (3)(b).
             127          (b) Before the applicable legislative body may remove land from an agriculture
             128      protection area in accordance with Subsection (3)(a), the applicable legislative body shall:
             129          (i) publish notice in a newspaper having general circulation within:
             130          (A) the same county as the land proposed for removal from an agriculture protection
             131      area if the land is within the unincorporated part of the county; or
             132          (B) the same city or town as the land proposed for removal from an agriculture
             133      protection area if the land is within a city or town;
             134          (ii) publish notice in accordance with Section 45-1-101 ;
             135          (iii) post notice at five public places, designated by the county or municipal legislative
             136      body, within or near the land proposed for removal from an agriculture protection area;
             137          (iv) mail written notice to each owner of land within 1,000 feet of the land proposed
             138      for removal from an agriculture protection area;
             139          (v) include in the notice:
             140          (A) a statement that the applicable legislative body shall hold a public hearing to
             141      consider removing land from an agriculture protection area; and
             142          (B) identify the land described in Subsection (3)(b)(v)(A); and
             143          (vi) hold a public hearing to determine whether to remove the land from an agriculture
             144      protection area.
             145          [(3)] (4) (a) If a municipality annexes any land that is part of an agriculture protection
             146      area or industrial protection area located in the unincorporated part of the county, the county
             147      legislative body shall, within 30 days after the land is annexed, review the feasibility of that
             148      land remaining in the agriculture protection area or industrial protection area according to the
             149      procedures and requirements of Section 17-41-307 .
             150          (b) The county legislative body shall remove the annexed land from the agriculture
             151      protection area or industrial protection area, as the case may be, if:


             152          (i) the county legislative body concludes, after the review under Section 17-41-307 ,
             153      that removal is appropriate; and
             154          (ii) the owners of all the annexed land that is within the agriculture protection area or
             155      industrial protection area consent in writing to the removal.
             156          (c) Removal of land from an agriculture protection area or industrial protection area
             157      under this Subsection [(3)] (4) does not affect whether that land may be:
             158          (i) included in a proposal under Section 17-41-301 to create an agriculture protection
             159      area or industrial protection area within the municipality; or
             160          (ii) added to an existing agriculture protection area or industrial protection area within
             161      the municipality under Subsection (1).
             162          [(4)] (5) A mine operator that owns or controls land within a mining protection area
             163      may remove any or all of the land from the mining protection area by filing a notice of removal
             164      with the legislative body of the county in which the land is located.
             165          Section 4. Section 17-41-405 is amended to read:
             166           17-41-405. Eminent domain restrictions.
             167          (1) A political subdivision having or exercising eminent domain powers may not
             168      condemn for any purpose any land within an agriculture protection area that is being used for
             169      agricultural production or any land within an industrial protection area that is being put to an
             170      industrial use unless it has obtained approval, according to the procedures and requirements of
             171      this section, from the applicable legislative body [and the advisory board].
             172          (2) [Any] (a) A condemnor wishing to condemn property within an agriculture
             173      protection area or industrial protection area shall file a notice of condemnation with the
             174      applicable legislative body and the agriculture protection area or industrial protection area's
             175      advisory board at least 30 days before filing an eminent domain complaint.
             176          (b) An advisory board described in Subsection (2)(a) shall:
             177          (i) review the notice of condemnation and the land identified for condemnation;
             178          (ii) determine whether the proposed condemnation meets the requirements of
             179      Subsection (4);
             180          (iii) prepare a report of the advisory' board's findings under Subsection (2)(b)(i); and
             181          (iv) submit the report to the applicable legislative body before the public hearing
             182      described in Subsection (3).


             183          (3) The applicable legislative body [and the advisory board] shall:
             184          (a) hold a joint public hearing on the proposed condemnation at a location within the
             185      county in which the agriculture protection area or industrial protection area is located;
             186          (b) publish notice of the time, date, place, and purpose of the public hearing:
             187          (i) in a newspaper of general circulation within the agriculture protection area or
             188      industrial protection area, as the case may be; and
             189          (ii) on the Utah Public Notice Website created in Section 63F-1-701 ; and
             190          (c) post notice of the time, date, place, and purpose of the public hearing in five
             191      conspicuous public places, designated by the applicable legislative body, within or near the
             192      agriculture protection area or industrial protection area, as the case may be.
             193          (4) At the hearing required in Subsection (3), the legislative body shall:
             194          (a) receive testimony, evidence, and recommendations from:
             195          (i) the condemnor;
             196          (ii) the landowner; and
             197          (iii) the public; and
             198          (b) consider a report submitted by an advisory board in accordance with Subsection
             199      (2)(b)(iv).
             200          [(4)] (5) (a) If the condemnation is for highway purposes or for the disposal of solid or
             201      liquid waste materials, the applicable legislative body [and the advisory board] may approve
             202      the condemnation [only] if there is no reasonable and prudent alternative to the use of the land
             203      within the agriculture protection area or industrial protection area for the project.
             204          (b) If the condemnation is for [any other purpose] a purpose other than a purpose
             205      described in Subsection (5)(a), the applicable legislative body [and the advisory board] may
             206      approve the condemnation [only] if:
             207          (i) the proposed condemnation would not have an unreasonably adverse effect upon the
             208      preservation and enhancement of agriculture within the agriculture protection area or of the
             209      industrial use within the industrial protection area; or
             210          (ii) there is no reasonable and prudent alternative to the use of the land within the
             211      agriculture protection area or industrial protection area for the project.
             212          [(5)] (6) (a) Within 60 days after receipt of the notice of condemnation, the applicable
             213      legislative body [and the advisory board] shall approve or reject the proposed condemnation.


             214          (b) If the applicable legislative body [and the advisory board fail] fails to act within the
             215      60 days or such further time as the applicable legislative body establishes, [the condemnation
             216      shall be considered rejected] the political subdivision may proceed with the condemnation
             217      action.
             218          [(6) The] (7) (a) Subject to Subsection (7)(b), the applicable legislative body [or the
             219      advisory board] may request the county or municipal attorney to bring an action to enjoin [any]
             220      a condemnor from violating any provisions of this section.
             221          (b) If the decision of the legislative body made in accordance with this section is
             222      appealed in accordance with Section 17-41-407 , the county or municipal attorney may not
             223      bring an action under Subsection (7)(a) unless the action is to enforce the district court's final
             224      order.
             225          Section 5. Section 17-41-407 is enacted to read:
             226          17-41-407. Appeal of condemnation decision.
             227          (1) (a) No later than 30 days after the public hearing described in Section 17-41-405 , a
             228      person may file a complaint to appeal a decision made by the applicable legislative body to the
             229      district court of the district where the protected area is located.
             230          (b) The district court shall review the appeal de novo.
             231          (2) A court shall award the prevailing party of an appeal filed in accordance with
             232      Subsection (1)(a) court costs, including reasonable attorney fees.
             233          Section 6. Effective date.
             234          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
             235      upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
             236      Constitution Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
             237      the date of veto override.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-8-12 9:00 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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