Effective 28 Aug 2001

247.165. Water service to annexed territory, agreement may be developed, procedure. — 1. Whenever all or any part of a territory located within a public water supply district organized pursuant to sections 247.010 to 247.220 is included by annexation within the corporate limits of a municipality, but is not receiving water service from such district or such municipality at the time of such annexation, the municipality and the board of directors of the district may, within six months after such annexation becomes effective, develop an agreement to provide water service to the annexed territory. Such an agreement may also be developed within six months after August 28, 2001, for territory that was annexed between January 1, 1996, and August 28, 2001, but was not receiving water service from such district or such municipality on August 28, 2001, except that such territory annexed in a county of the first classification without a charter form of government and with a population of more than sixty-three thousand eight hundred but less than seventy thousand inhabitants must have been annexed between January 1, 1999, and August 28, 2001. For the purposes of this section, "not receiving water service" shall mean that no water is being sold within the annexed territory by such district or municipality. If the municipality and district reach an agreement that detaches any territory from such district, the agreement shall be submitted to the circuit court originally incorporating such district, and the court shall make an order and judgment detaching the territory described in the agreement from the remainder of the district and stating the boundary lines of the district after such detachment. The court shall also make any changes in subdistrict boundary lines it deems necessary to meet the requirements of sections 247.110 to 247.227. Such subdistrict lines shall not become effective until the next election after the effective date of the agreement. At such time that the court's order and judgment becomes final, the clerk of the circuit court shall file certified copies of such order and judgment with the secretary of state and with the recorder of deeds and the county clerk of the county or counties in which the district is located. If an agreement is developed between a municipality and a water district pursuant to this subsection, subsections 2 to 8 of this section shall not apply to such agreement.

2. In any case in which the board of directors of such district and such municipality cannot reach such an agreement, an application may be made by the district or the municipality to the circuit court originally incorporating such district, requesting that three commissioners develop such an agreement. Such application shall include the name of one commissioner appointed by the applying party. The second party shall appoint one commissioner within thirty days of the service of the application upon the second party. If the second party fails to appoint a commissioner within such time period, the court shall appoint a commissioner on behalf of the second party. Such two named commissioners may agree to appoint a third disinterested commissioner within thirty days after the appointment of the second commissioner. In any case in which such two commissioners cannot agree on or fail to make the appointment of the third disinterested commissioner within thirty days after the appointment of the second commissioner, the court shall appoint the third disinterested commissioner.

3. Upon the filing of such application and the appointment of three such commissioners, the court shall set a time for one or more hearings and shall order a public notice including the nature of the application, the annexed area affected, the names of the commissioners, and the time and place of such hearings, to be published for three weeks consecutively in a newspaper published in the county in which the application is pending, the last publication to be not more than seven days before the date set for the first hearing.

4. The commissioners shall develop an agreement between the district and the municipality to provide water service to the annexed territory. In developing the agreement, the commissioners shall consider information presented to them at hearings and any other information at their disposal including, but not limited to:

(1) The estimated future loss of revenue and costs for the water district related to the agreement;

(2) The amount of indebtedness of the water district within the annexed territory;

(3) Any contractual obligations of the water district within the annexed area; and

(4) The effect of the agreement on the water rates of the district.

­­Such agreement shall also include a recommendation for the apportionment of court costs, including reasonable compensation for the commissioners, between the municipality and the water district.

5. If the court finds that the agreement provides for necessary water service in the annexed territory, then such agreement shall be fully effective upon approval by the court. The court shall also review the recommended apportionment of court costs and the reasonable compensation for the commissioners and affirm or modify such recommendations.

6. The order and judgment of the court shall be subject to appeal as provided by law.

7. If the court approves a detachment as part of the territorial agreement, it shall make its order and judgment detaching the territory described in the petition from the remainder of the district and stating the boundary lines of the district after such detachment. The court shall also make any changes in subdistrict boundary lines it deems necessary to meet the requirements of sections 247.110 to 247.227. Any subdistrict lines shall not become effective until the next annual regular election.

8. At such time that the court's order and judgment becomes final, the clerk of the circuit court shall file certified copies of such order and judgment with the secretary of state and with the recorder of deeds and the county clerk of the county or counties in which the district is located.

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(L. 2001 S.B. 267)