19-1594. Counties over 175,000; repairs and improvements to county buildings; replacing of equipment; plan; limitation; resolution; publication; bonds; election, when. The board of county commissioners of any county having a population of one hundred seventy-five thousand (175,000) or more is hereby authorized to plan and make permanent repairs and improvements to county buildings, and to replace deteriorated, obsolete equipment therein over a five (5) year period in accordance with the provisions of this act. Whenever the board of county commissioners of such counties shall, by resolution adopted unanimously by such board, determine that it is necessary to make permanent repairs and improvements to a combined courthouse and jail building, or home for the aged, or juvenile detention home, owned by such counties, including the remodeling, enlarging, modernizing and repairing of any such buildings and the replacing of any deteriorated or obsolete equipment therein, it shall be the duty of such board to program and plan such permanent building repairs and improvements over a five (5) year period, and to incorporate the provisions of such plan in the resolution herein referred to.

Prior to the adoption of such plan, the board of county commissioners of such counties shall employ a competent licensed architect or architects to make surveys for such improvements, to prepare plans and specifications therefor, to supervise all work to be performed and to assist it in preparing such plan for the permanent remodeling, enlarging, modernizing and repairing of such county buildings and the replacing of deteriorated, obsolete equipment therein. Thereupon, the board of county commissioners of such counties shall estimate, determine and fix the total cost of all such permanent repairs and improvements to, and equipment for, such buildings which it deems advisable and necessary to make under such plan as herein authorized, which total amount shall not exceed one-half of one percent (1/2%) of the total assessed tangible valuation of the county. The actual total cost of making such permanent repairs and improvements to, and equipment for, such county buildings under such plan may be paid from the proceeds of the sale of general obligation, negotiable bonds issued by such county in an aggregate amount not exceeding the sum stated in a resolution adopting such plan authorizing the permanent repairing and improving of such county buildings by the board of county commissioners of such counties, and shall not exceed one-half of one percent (1/2%) of the total assessed tangible valuation of the county at the date of the adoption of such resolution, but no contracts shall be awarded, no repairs or improvements shall be made, and no bonds shall be issued in payment thereof, as provided for in this act, until the aforesaid resolution, incorporating the essential details and items of such plan authorizing the permanent repairing and improving of such county buildings and the replacing of equipment therein, itemizing the estimated cost and type of the several permanent repairs and improvements to be made to, and equipment for, each county building, and setting forth the total aggregate cost of such repairs, improvements and equipment which shall not be exceeded under such plan, shall have been unanimously adopted by the board of county commissioners of such counties and published for three (3) consecutive issues in the official county newspaper. Whenever the board of county commissioners of any county having a population of three hundred thousand (300,000) or more, has, prior to the effective date of this act, adopted and published a resolution on a juvenile detention home as herein provided and no petition in protest or opposition to the adoption of such plan was filed with the county clerk as hereinafter provided and such board of county commissioners hereafter determines in their sole discretion that the total aggregate cost of such repairs, improvements and equipment has increased in an amount not exceeding ten percent (10%) of the total aggregate cost set out in such original resolution as adopted and published, such total aggregate cost shall thereupon be so redetermined by such board of county commissioners and thereafter the additional cost so incurred may be duly paid from general county funds, federal grants, gifts or any other funds which might be properly available for such purposes and the maximum total aggregate amount shall thereafter be the amount as so redetermined but nothing herein shall authorize the issuance of bonds beyond the amount stated in the original resolution adopting the plan and as published and not protested.

Whereupon, the board of county commissioners of such counties may thereafter advertise for proposals for the doing of such work at such times during said five (5) year period as it deems advisable under such plan for permanently improving, repairing and equipping such county buildings, award contracts therefor in the manner now provided by law, and issue serial bonds of such county in payment thereof, payable in approximately equal annual installments over a period of not to exceed fifteen (15) years, and bearing interest at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate of interest prescribed by K.S.A. 10-1009, unless a petition in protest or opposition to the adoption of such plan for permanently repairing, improving and equipping any or all such county buildings, signed by at least five hundred (500) qualified electors of such county, is filed with the county clerk of such county within thirty (30) days following the date of the last publication of the resolution adopted by the board of county commissioners of such counties. In the event such petition is filed, it shall be the duty of the board of county commissioners of such counties to submit the question of the adoption of such plan for repairing, improving and equipping such county buildings, and paying the cost thereof by the issuance of bonds, to the voters of such county at an election called for such purpose or at the next general election.

History: L. 1957, ch. 195, § 1; L. 1970, ch. 64, §49; L. 1975, ch. 160, § 1; L. 1978, ch. 99, § 23; April 25.