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First Substitute H.B. 216

Representative Gage Froerer proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
INCORPORATION OF A TOWN AMENDMENTS

             2     
2010 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Gage Froerer

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Dennis E. Stowell

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions relating to the incorporation of a town.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    requires that a county legislative body commission a financial feasibility study after
             13      a petition to incorporate is certified;
             14          .    requires that the legislative body of a county, based on certain results of the
             15      financial feasibility study:
             16              .    approve a petition to incorporate;
             17              .    deny a petition to incorporate;
             18              .    impose conditions on the area proposed to be incorporated; or
             19              .    alter the boundaries of the area proposed to be incorporated; and
             20          .    makes technical corrections.
             21      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             22          None
             23      Other Special Clauses:
             24          None
             25      Utah Code Sections Affected:


             26      AMENDS:
             27          10-2-125, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapters 350 and 388
             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             30          Section 1. Section 10-2-125 is amended to read:
             31           10-2-125. Incorporation of a town.
             32          (1) As used in this section:
             33          (a) "Assessed value," with respect to agricultural land, means the value at which the
             34      land would be assessed without regard to a valuation for agricultural use under Section
             35      59-2-503 .
             36          (b) "Financial feasibility study" means a study to determine:
             37          (i) the projected revenues for the proposed town during the first three years after
             38      incorporation; and
             39          (ii) the projected costs, including overhead, that the proposed town will incur in
             40      providing governmental services during the first three years after incorporation.
             41          (c) "Municipal service" means a publicly provided service that is not provided on a
             42      countywide basis.
             43          (d) "Nonurban" means having a residential density of less than one unit per acre.
             44          (2) (a) (i) A contiguous area of a county not within a municipality, with a population of
             45      at least 100 but less than 1,000, may incorporate as a town as provided in this section.
             46          (ii) An area within a county of the first class is not contiguous for purposes of
             47      Subsection (2)(a)(i) if:
             48          (A) the area includes a strip of land that connects geographically separate areas; and
             49          (B) the distance between the geographically separate areas is greater than the average
             50      width of the strip of land connecting the geographically separate areas.
             51          (b) The population figure under Subsection (2)(a) shall be determined:
             52          (i) as of the date the incorporation petition is filed; and
             53          (ii) by the Utah Population Estimates Committee within 20 days after the county clerk's
             54      certification under Subsection (6) of a petition filed under Subsection (4).
             55          (3) (a) The process to incorporate an area as a town is initiated by filing a request for a
             56      public hearing with the clerk of the county in which the area is located.


             57          (b) Each request for a public hearing under Subsection (3)(a) shall:
             58          (i) be signed by the owners of at least five separate parcels of private real property,
             59      each owned by a different owner, located within the area proposed to be incorporated; and
             60          (ii) be accompanied by an accurate map or plat depicting the boundary of the proposed
             61      town.
             62          (c) Within 10 days after a request for a public hearing is filed under Subsection (3)(a),
             63      the county clerk shall, with the assistance of other county officers from whom the clerk
             64      requests assistance, determine whether the petition complies with the requirements of
             65      Subsection (3)(b).
             66          (d) If the clerk determines that a request under Subsection (3)(a) fails to comply with
             67      the requirements of Subsection (3)(b), the clerk shall reject the request and deliver written
             68      notice of the rejection to the signers of the request.
             69          (e) (i) If the clerk determines that a request under Subsection (3)(a) complies with the
             70      requirements of Subsection (3)(b), the clerk shall:
             71          (A) schedule and arrange for a public hearing to be held:
             72          (I) (Aa) at a public facility located within the boundary of the proposed town; or
             73          (Bb) if there is no public facility within the boundary of the proposed town, at another
             74      nearby public facility or at the county seat; and
             75          (II) within 20 days after the clerk provides the last notice required under Subsection
             76      (3)(e)(i)(B); and
             77          (B) subject to Subsection (3)(e)(ii), give notice of the public hearing on the proposed
             78      incorporation by:
             79          (I) posting notice of the public hearing on the county's Internet website, if the county
             80      has an Internet website; [and]
             81          (II) (Aa) [(Ii)] publishing notice of the public hearing at least once a week for two
             82      consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the proposed town; [and] or
             83          [(IIii) publishing notice of the public hearing in accordance with Section 45-1-101 for
             84      two weeks; or]
             85          (Bb) [in accordance with Subsection (3)(e)(i)(B)(II)(Aa)(Ii),] if there is no newspaper
             86      of general circulation within the proposed town, posting notice of the public hearing in at least
             87      five conspicuous public places within the proposed town[.]; and


             88          (III) publishing notice of the public hearing in accordance with Section 45-1-101 .
             89          (ii) The posting of notice required under [Subsection (3)(e)(i)(B)(I) and, if applicable,
             90      Subsection (3)(e)(i)(B)(II)(Bb) and the first publishing of notice required under Subsection
             91      (3)(e)(i)(B)(II)(Aa), if applicable] Subsections (3)(e)(i)(B)(II)(Aa) and (3)(e)(i)(B)(III), and if
             92      applicable, Subsections (3)(e)(i)(B)(I) and (3)(e)(i)(B)(II)(Bb), shall occur no later than 10 days
             93      after the day on which the clerk determines that a request complies with the requirements of
             94      Subsection (3)(b).
             95          (iii) Each public hearing under Subsection (3)(e)(i)(A) shall be conducted by the chair
             96      of the county commission or council, or the chair's designee, to:
             97          (A) introduce the concept of the proposed incorporation to the public;
             98          (B) allow the public to review the map or plat of the boundary of the proposed town;
             99          (C) allow the public to ask questions and become informed about the proposed
             100      incorporation; and
             101          (D) allow the public to express their views about the proposed incorporation, including
             102      their views about the boundary of the area proposed to be incorporated.
             103          (4) (a) At any time within three months after the public hearing under Subsection
             104      (3)(e), a petition to incorporate the area as a town may be filed with the clerk of the county in
             105      which the area is located.
             106          (b) Each petition under Subsection (4)(a) shall:
             107          (i) be signed by:
             108          (A) the owners of private real property that:
             109          (I) is located within the area proposed to be incorporated;
             110          (II) covers a majority of the total private land area within the area;
             111          (III) is equal in assessed value to more than 1/2 of the assessed value of all private real
             112      property within the area; and
             113          (IV) consists, in number of parcels, of at least 1/3 of the number of all parcels of
             114      private real property within the area proposed to be incorporated; and
             115          (B) a majority of all registered voters within the area proposed to be incorporated as a
             116      town, according to the official voter registration list maintained by the county on the date the
             117      petition is filed;
             118          (ii) designate as sponsors at least five of the property owners who have signed the


             119      petition, one of whom shall be designated as the contact sponsor, with the mailing address of
             120      each owner signing as a sponsor;
             121          (iii) be accompanied by and circulated with an accurate map or plat, prepared by a
             122      licensed surveyor, showing a legal description of the boundary of the proposed town; and
             123          (iv) substantially comply with and be circulated in the following form:
             124          PETITION FOR INCORPORATION OF (insert the proposed name of the proposed
             125      town)
             126          To the Honorable County Legislative Body of (insert the name of the county in which
             127      the proposed town is located) County, Utah:
             128          We, the undersigned owners of real property and registered voters within the area
             129      described in this petition, respectfully petition the county legislative body for the area described
             130      in this petition to be incorporated as a town. Each of the undersigned affirms that each has
             131      personally signed this petition and is an owner of real property or a registered voter residing
             132      within the described area, and that the current residence address of each is correctly written
             133      after the signer's name. The area proposed to be incorporated as a town is described as follows:
             134      (insert an accurate description of the area proposed to be incorporated).
             135          (c) A petition under this Subsection (4) may not describe an area that includes some or
             136      all of an area proposed for annexation in an annexation petition under Section 10-2-403 that:
             137          (i) was filed before the filing of the petition; and
             138          (ii) is still pending on the date the petition is filed.
             139          (d) A petition may not be filed under this section if the private real property owned by
             140      the petition sponsors, designated under Subsection (4)(b)(ii), cumulatively exceeds 40% of the
             141      total private land area within the area proposed to be incorporated as a town.
             142          (e) A signer of a petition under this Subsection (4) may withdraw or, after withdrawn,
             143      reinstate the signer's signature on the petition:
             144          (i) at any time until the county clerk certifies the petition under Subsection (6); and
             145          (ii) by filing a signed, written withdrawal or reinstatement with the county clerk.
             146          (5) (a) If a petition is filed under Subsection (4)(a) proposing to incorporate as a town
             147      an area located within a county of the first class, the county clerk shall deliver written notice of
             148      the proposed incorporation:
             149          (i) to each owner of private real property owning more than 1% of the assessed value


             150      of all private real property within the area proposed to be incorporated as a town; and
             151          (ii) within seven calendar days after the date on which the petition is filed.
             152          (b) A private real property owner described in Subsection (5)(a)(i) may exclude all or
             153      part of the owner's property from the area proposed to be incorporated as a town by filing a
             154      notice of exclusion:
             155          (i) with the county clerk; and
             156          (ii) within 10 calendar days after receiving the clerk's notice under Subsection (5)(a).
             157          (c) The county legislative body shall exclude from the area proposed to be incorporated
             158      as a town the property identified in the notice of exclusion under Subsection (5)(b) if:
             159          (i) the property:
             160          (A) is nonurban; and
             161          (B) does not and will not require a municipal service; and
             162          (ii) exclusion will not leave an unincorporated island within the proposed town.
             163          (d) If the county legislative body excludes property from the area proposed to be
             164      incorporated as a town, the county legislative body shall send written notice of the exclusion to
             165      the contact sponsor within five days after the exclusion.
             166          (6) Within 20 days after the filing of a petition under Subsection (4), the county clerk
             167      shall:
             168          (a) with the assistance of other county officers from whom the clerk requests
             169      assistance, determine whether the petition complies with the requirements of Subsection (4);
             170      and
             171          (b) (i) if the clerk determines that the petition complies with those requirements:
             172          (A) certify the petition and deliver the certified petition to the county legislative body;
             173      and
             174          (B) mail or deliver written notification of the certification to:
             175          (I) the contact sponsor;
             176          (II) if applicable, the chair of the planning commission of each township in which any
             177      part of the area proposed for incorporation is located; and
             178          (III) the Utah Population Estimates Committee; or
             179          (ii) if the clerk determines that the petition fails to comply with any of those
             180      requirements, reject the petition and notify the contact sponsor in writing of the rejection and


             181      the reasons for the rejection.
             182          (7) (a) (i) A petition that is rejected under Subsection (6)(b)(ii) may be amended to
             183      correct a deficiency for which it was rejected and then refiled with the county clerk.
             184          (ii) A valid signature on a petition filed under Subsection (4)(a) may be used toward
             185      fulfilling the signature requirement of Subsection (4)(b) for the same petition that is amended
             186      under Subsection (7)(a)(i) and then refiled with the county clerk.
             187          (b) If a petition is amended and refiled under Subsection (7)(a)(i) after having been
             188      rejected by the county clerk under Subsection (6)(b)(ii):
             189          (i) the amended petition shall be considered as a newly filed petition; and
             190          (ii) the amended petition's processing priority is determined by the date on which it is
             191      refiled.
             192          (8) (a) (i) The legislative body of a county with which a petition is filed under
             193      Subsection (4) [may, at its option and] shall, upon the petition being certified under Subsection
             194      (6), commission and pay for a financial feasibility study.
             195          (ii) [If the] A county legislative body [chooses to commission] that commissions a
             196      financial feasibility study[, the county legislative body] described in Subsection (8)(a)(i) shall:
             197          (A) within 20 days after the incorporation petition is certified, select and engage a
             198      feasibility consultant; and
             199          (B) require the feasibility consultant to complete the financial feasibility study and
             200      submit written results of the study to the county legislative body no later than 30 days after the
             201      feasibility consultant is engaged to conduct the financial feasibility study.
             202          (b) The county legislative body shall approve a petition proposing the incorporation of
             203      a town and hold an election for town officers, as provided in Subsection (9), if:
             204          (i) the county clerk has certified the petition under Subsection (6); and
             205          [(ii) (A) (I) the county legislative body has commissioned a financial feasibility study
             206      under Subsection (8)(a); and]
             207          [(II)] (ii) the results of the financial feasibility study described in Subsection (8)(a)(i)
             208      show that the average annual amount of revenues described in Subsection (1)(b)(i) [does not
             209      exceed] exceeds the average annual amount of costs described in Subsection (1)(b)(ii) by more
             210      than 10%[; or].
             211          [(B) the county legislative body chooses not to commission a financial feasibility


             212      study.]
             213          (c) (i) If [the county legislative body commissions a financial feasibility study under
             214      Subsection (8)(a) and] the results of the financial feasibility study described in Subsection
             215      (8)(a)(i) show that the average annual amount of revenues described in Subsection (1)(b)(i)
             216      [exceeds] does not exceed the average annual amount of costs described in Subsection
             217      (1)(b)(ii) by more than 10%, the county legislative body [may] shall:
             218          (A) deny the petition, [subject to] in accordance with Subsection (8)(c)(ii)[, if the
             219      results of the financial feasibility study show that the average annual amount of revenues
             220      described in Subsection (1)(b)(i) exceeds the average annual amount of costs described in
             221      Subsection (1)(b)(ii) by 25% or more]; or
             222          [(B) approve the petition and hold an election for town officers, as provided in
             223      Subsection (9); or]
             224          [(C)] (B) (I) with the consent of the petition sponsors:
             225          (Aa) impose conditions to [mitigate the fiscal inequities identified in the financial
             226      feasibility study] prevent the average annual amount of costs described in Subsection (1)(b)(ii)
             227      from exceeding the average annual amount of revenues described in Subsection (1)(b)(i) by
             228      more than 10%; or
             229          (Bb) alter the boundaries of the area proposed to be incorporated as a town to
             230      approximate the boundaries necessary to prevent the average annual amount of [revenues] costs
             231      described in Subsection (1)(b)[(i)](ii) from exceeding the average annual amount of [costs]
             232      revenues described in Subsection (1)(b)[(ii)](i) by more than 10%; and
             233          (II) approve the incorporation petition and hold an election for town officers, as
             234      provided in Subsection (9).
             235          (ii) A county legislative body intending to deny a petition under Subsection (8)(c)(i)(A)
             236      shall deny the petition within 20 days after the feasibility consultant submits the written results
             237      of the financial feasibility study.
             238          (d) Each town that incorporates pursuant to a petition approved after the county
             239      legislative body imposes conditions under Subsection (8)(c)(i)[(C)(I)](B)(I)(Aa) shall comply
             240      with those conditions.
             241          (9) (a) The legislative body of the county in which the proposed new town is located
             242      shall hold the election for town officers provided for in Subsection (8) within:


             243          [(i) 45 days after the petition is certified, for an election under Subsection
             244      (8)(b)(ii)(B);]
             245          [(ii)] (i) 45 days after the day on which the feasibility consultant submits the written
             246      results of the financial feasibility study, for an election under Subsection (8)(b)[(ii)(A) or
             247      (8)(c)(i)(B)]; or
             248          [(iii)] (ii) 60 days after the day on which the feasibility consultant submits the written
             249      results of the financial feasibility study, for an election under Subsection (8)(c)(i)[(C)](B)(II).
             250          (b) The officers elected at an election under Subsection (9)(a) shall take office:
             251          (i) at noon on the first Monday in January next following the election, if the election is
             252      held on a regular general or municipal general election date; or
             253          (ii) at noon on the first day of the month next following the effective date of the
             254      incorporation under Subsection (12), if the election of officers is held on any other date.
             255          (10) Each newly incorporated town shall operate under the five-member council form
             256      of government as defined in Section 10-3b-102 .
             257          (11) The mayor-elect of the future town shall:
             258          (a) within 30 days after the canvass of the election of town officers under Subsection
             259      (9), file with the lieutenant governor:
             260          (i) a copy of a notice of an impending boundary action, as defined in Section 67-1a-6.5 ,
             261      that meets the requirements of Subsection 67-1a-6.5 (3); and
             262          (ii) a copy of an approved final local entity plat, as defined in Section 67-1a-6.5 ; and
             263          (b) upon the lieutenant governor's issuance of a certificate of incorporation under
             264      Section 67-1a-6.5 :
             265          (i) if the town is located within the boundary of a single county, submit to the recorder
             266      of that county the original:
             267          (A) notice of an impending boundary action;
             268          (B) certificate of incorporation; and
             269          (C) approved final local entity plat; or
             270          (ii) if the town is located within the boundaries of more than a single county, submit
             271      the original of the documents listed in Subsections (11)(b)(i)(A), (B), and (C) to one of those
             272      counties and a certified copy of those documents to each other county.
             273          (12) (a) A new town is incorporated:


             274          (i) on December 31 of the year in which the lieutenant governor issues a certificate of
             275      incorporation under Section 67-1a-6.5 , if the election of town officers under Subsection (9) is
             276      held on a regular general or municipal general election date; or
             277          (ii) on the last day of the month during which the lieutenant governor issues a
             278      certificate of incorporation under Section 67-1a-6.5 , if the election of town officers under
             279      Subsection (9) is held on any other date.
             280          (b) (i) The effective date of an incorporation for purposes of assessing property within
             281      the new town is governed by Section 59-2-305.5 .
             282          (ii) Until the documents listed in Subsection (11)(b) are recorded in the office of the
             283      recorder of each county in which the property is located, a newly incorporated town may not:
             284          (A) levy or collect a property tax on property within the town;
             285          (B) levy or collect an assessment on property within the town; or
             286          (C) charge or collect a fee for service provided to property within the town.
             287          (13) For each petition filed before March 5, 2008:
             288          (a) the petition is subject to and governed by the law in effect at the time the petition
             289      was filed; and
             290          (b) the law in effect at the time the petition was filed governs in all administrative and
             291      judicial proceedings relating to the petition.


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