Effective 28 Aug 1939

233.350. Petitions for road improvement — proceedings. — 1. Whenever, in any road district so incorporated a petition signed by the owners of a majority of the acres of the land owned by residents of the county residing within the district that is within one-half mile of a public road or a part of a public road in the district, is delivered to the president or secretary of the board of special road district commissioners of the district praying that such public road or part of a public road be permanently improved and the cost of the improvement assessed against all lands in the district, and stating therein the points between which the improvement is desired, and the nature and kind of improvement desired, and stating the number of installments, not exceeding fifteen, in which they desire that such cost be payable, said special road district commissioners shall procure, prepare, or cause to be prepared, a map of the district and have such public road or part of a public road indicated thereon, and shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, a profile of such public road or part of public road, and plans and specifications for the improvement of such roads or parts of public roads and an estimate of the cost of making such improvements. Such map, profile and plan and specifications, or a copy thereof, and such estimate shall, upon the completion thereof, be submitted to the state highway engineer for approval, who shall approve the same or so revise them that they will meet with his approval, or prepare such plans and specifications and estimate as will meet with his approval, and return to the commissioners said map and profile, or a copy thereof, and such plans and specifications and estimate of the cost of such improvements as he may prepare or approve.

2. And said special road district commissioners shall fix a fair and impartial valuation on each tract of land within said district independent of the buildings thereon, and prepare a list of the lands within the district, and indicate in such list the valuation so fixed upon each tract of land and what tracts lie within one-half mile of said public road or a part of public road, and what tracts, if any, at a greater distance than one-half mile and less than one mile, and what tracts, if any, at a greater distance than one mile and less than one and one-half miles, and what tracts, if any, at a greater distance than one and one-half miles.

3. If said special road district commissioners cannot agree upon the valuation to be so fixed upon any tract of land in the district, they shall arrive at the value thereof by adding together the valuation placed thereon independent of the buildings thereon by each of the special road district commissioners and dividing the total thereof by three.

4. Said special road district commissioners, upon completion of such list of lands, shall annex a certificate thereto that they believe the same to be correct, and they shall acknowledge execution of such certificate as deeds of real estate are required to be acknowledged; and upon completion of such list of lands, and annexing such certificate and receiving from the state highway engineer plans and specifications prepared or approved by him for the improvement of said public roads or part of a public road, and an estimate prepared or approved by him of the cost of such improvements, the special road district commissioners shall file such petition and said list of lands, and said map and profile or copy thereof, and the plans and specifications and estimate prepared or approved by the state highway engineer, with the clerk of the county commission, who shall thereupon give notice, by at least two publications in some weekly newspaper published in the county, that said special road district commissioners have filed with him a petition, purporting to be signed by landowners residing within said district, for improvement of a public road or a part of a public road in said district, and plans and specifications for such improvements and an estimate of the cost thereof, and a list of the lands in the district in which is indicated the valuation fixed by them on each tract of said lands independent of buildings thereon, and such notice shall state a day, not less than two weeks later than the date of the first publication of such notice, upon which the county commission will be in session and will consider protests against such improvement and objections and exceptions to such petition and such list of lands and the valuation of therein indicated. Should the county commission fail for any cause to be in session on the day stated in such notice, the clerk shall give a new notice appointing some other day for the consideration of such protests, objections and exceptions.

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(RSMo 1939 § 8844)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 8184; 1919 § 10945