19-2801. Parks, museums and recreation grounds; maintenance of certain city, district and township parks; contracts for recreational activities; issuance of bonds; tax levy, use of proceeds; protest petition and election. Any county may establish and maintain public parks, museums and recreation grounds and make additions to the same within said county as hereinafter provided, including the maintenance of any city, park district or township park, museum and recreation grounds used generally by residents of the county under agreements with the governing bodies thereof, and may contract for services or cooperate with another governmental agency to provide recreational activities, including programs for the aging, and may take and acquire title to lands, including any and all rights thereon, for the purpose of establishing the same by condemnation under the provisions of the general eminent domain procedure act or by gift, devise, purchase or in any other manner and may issue general obligation bonds of the county to pay the cost thereof or may make a special levy to pay the cost thereof and to pay a portion of the principal and interest on bonds issued under the authority of K.S.A. 12-1774, and amendments thereto, by cities located in the county. Before any such public park, museum or recreation grounds or additions to the same shall be acquired and established and any bonds issued or tax levy made, a notice of the same shall be published once each week on the same day of the week for two consecutive weeks in the official county newspaper. Such notice shall declare the intention of the governing body to establish such public park, museum or recreation grounds or to make an addition to the same, describe the specific property and rights to be acquired and any other pertinent information regarding such establishment, state the method of financing to be used and state the estimated cost of the same. If, within sixty (60) days after the last publication of said notice, there shall be filed in the office of the county clerk, not later than 5:00 p.m. on the last day, a protest signed by qualified electors equal in number to not less than five percent (5%) of the electors who voted for the secretary of state at the last preceding general election, an election shall be called and held within ninety (90) days after the last publication of said notice or at the next general election if held within that time. Such election shall be called, and held in the manner provided by law for bond elections. If no protest or no sufficient protest is filed or if an election is held and the proposition carries by a majority of those voting thereon, the governing body may establish the park, museum or recreation grounds or make additions to the same and may issue bonds to pay the cost thereof or levy a tax to pay the cost thereof and to pay a portion of the principal and interest on bonds issued under the authority of K.S.A. 12-1774, and amendments thereto, by cities located in the county all as provided in the notice. No such bonds shall be issued in an amount exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) until the question of issuing the same shall have been submitted to and approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon at an election called and held for such purpose. Such bonds shall be issued in the manner provided by the general bond law and shall be included within the county's bonded indebtedness limitation.

History: L. 1929, ch. 158, § 1; L. 1935, ch. 137, § 1; L. 1957, ch. 182, § 1; L. 1965, ch. 173, § 1; L. 1972, ch. 81, § 1; L. 1973, ch. 123, § 1; L. 1978, ch. 92, § 2; L. 1979, ch. 52, § 116; July 1.