Section 358C.3. Real estate improvement district created.

  1.  A majority of the owners having an interest in the real property within the limits of a proposed district may file a petition in the office of county auditor of the county in which the proposed district or major part of the proposed district is located, requesting that the question be submitted to the registered voters of the proposed district of whether the territory within the boundaries of the proposed district shall be organized as a real estate improvement district as provided in this chapter.

  2.  All of the owners having an interest in the real property within the limits of a proposed district may file a petition in the office of county auditor of the county in which the proposed district or a major part of the proposed district is located, requesting that the proposed district be organized as a real estate improvement district as provided in this chapter.

  3.  Only areas of contiguous territory may be incorporated within a district. The petition shall be addressed to the board of supervisors if all or part of the proposed district includes territory located outside the boundaries of a city, shall be submitted to the board of supervisors before it is filed with the county auditor, and shall set forth the following information:

  a.  The name of the district.

  b.  The district shall have perpetual existence.

  c.  The boundaries of the district.

  d.  The names and addresses of the owners of land in the proposed district.

  e.  The description of the tracts of land situated in the proposed district owned by those persons who may organize the district.

  f.  The names and descriptions of the real estate owned by the persons who do not join in the organization of the district, but who will be benefited by the district.

  g.  A listing of one or more of the district improvements specified in section 358C.4 which will be carried out by the district.

  h.  The owners of real estate in the proposed district that are unknown may also be set out in the petition as being unknown.

  i.  That the establishment of the proposed district will be conducive to the public health, comfort, convenience, and welfare.

  4.  The petition shall also state that the owners of real estate who are forming the proposed district are willing to pay the taxes which may be levied against all of the property in the proposed district and special assessments against the real property benefited which may be assessed against them to pay the costs necessary to carry out the purposes of the district.

  5.  The petition shall also state that the owners of real estate who are forming the proposed district waive any objections to a subsequent annexation by a city.

  6.  The petition shall propose the names of three or more trustees who shall be owners of real estate in the proposed district or the designees of owners of property in the proposed district, to serve as a board of trustees until their successors are elected and qualified if the district is organized. The board of trustees shall only carry out those purposes which are authorized in this chapter and listed in the petition. Each person proposed as a trustee shall disclose whether the person has any financial interest in any business which is or may be a developer or contractor for public improvements within the proposed real estate improvement district and the extent of the person’s land ownership in the district, if any.

  7.  If the petition requests that the district be organized without an election, the petition shall contain the signatures of all known owners of property within the proposed district.

  8.  The petition shall be submitted to and approved by the city council before it is filed with the county auditor as provided in subsection 1. If a petition includes a proposed district located solely within the boundaries of a city, the petition is not subject to action by the board of supervisors except for the purpose of selecting the initial trustees and setting the election date to finally organize the district or the date to organize the district if no election is required.

  9.  A proposed district shall be created only from parcels of land within the boundaries of a city, on parcels of land, all or the major part of which is within two miles of the boundaries of a city, or on parcels of land from both locations.

95 Acts, ch 200, §3

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96 Acts, ch 1204, §2