19-2868. Same; powers of board. The board shall have power to:

(a) Finance, operate, improve and maintain the parks and playgrounds of the district as provided in this act;

(b) accept by gift or devise; purchase, lease and condemn real estate for use as parks and playgrounds for the district; sell any improvements of any real estate so acquired not usable for park purposes or take down such improvements and use or dispose of the salvage and use any of the proceeds thereof for park purposes without regard to budget limitations; and contract with school boards for joint use and improvement of school lands for park and playground purposes;

(c) improve the parks and playgrounds for the recreation, amusement and enjoyment of the inhabitants of the district;

(d) levy taxes for the acquisition of lands and improvements and operation, improvement and maintenance of the parks and playgrounds as authorized and limited by this act;

(e) issue bonds of the district for acquiring real estate and the improvement thereof for park and playground purposes upon authorization of the qualified electors of the district by election and within the limitations provided by this act;

(f) appoint park and recreation supervisory personnel and employ such other employees, servants, police and agents as may be necessary for the proper and adequate operation, improvement and maintenance of the park and recreation district, and may appoint, employ or retain attorneys, engineers, landscape architects, surveyors and other professional or technical persons or firms for a period or for specified projects and pay the necessary compensation therefor;

(g) adopt, promulgate and enforce reasonable rules and regulations for the operation and use of the parks and playgrounds and the conduct of persons using such parks and playgrounds as provided by this act;

(h) sell or salvage equipment found to be worn out or beyond repair or dangerous to use or to trade it in as part payment on new equipment, and the proceeds when respent or the trade-in value shall not be charged against the budget but may be in addition to the amount authorized for expenditure by the budget;

(i) sell and convey real estate acquired by purchase, condemnation, gift or devise when it appears such property is no longer needed for park, playground or recreational purposes, or is poorly situated for such purposes, or is poorly suited for such purposes, with the proceeds of such sale to be deposited in the land acquisition fund authorized by K.S.A. 19-2873b, and amendments thereto. No such sale shall be made except upon authorization of the majority of the votes cast by the qualified electors of the district at an election called and held for such purpose as provided by this act. If the instrument of gift or devise vests fee title in the district or authorizes the district to sell the real property, such property may be sold by the procedure herein provided. The board, when in its judgment deemed advisable and to the best interests of the district, by proper conveyances, may exchange any tract of land for lands similar in value, or exchange money and land for other land suitable for park or recreation purposes, or exchange land for land and money totaling the value of the land conveyed, provided that the money involved does not exceed 25% of the total value of the land involved, without vote of the qualified electors of the park district, subject to a public hearing having first been held with respect to such proposed exchange of lands, after notice of the time, place and purpose thereof, including a legal description of said lands, published once each week for two consecutive weeks prior thereto, in the official county paper, and subject further to final approval of such proposed exchange of lands, by the board of county commissioners of Johnson county, Kansas. The board may by proper conveyance exchange, transfer, sell, or lease any tract of district land with or without improvements to the state of Kansas, a political subdivision thereof, or an agency of the United States government, if the board determines that such property can properly be maintained and operated as park, playground, or recreational facilities by such governmental agency, or that such property may be utilized in whole or part in a contract with said governmental agencies in, on, or around other property of such governmental units, all or any part of which is located within boundaries of such district;

(j) adopt, change and modify a seal for the district and to use such seal in attestations by the secretary and in all other cases where a seal is required or advisable;

(k) cooperate with the Kansas department of wildlife, parks and tourism and with Miami county in the operation, improvement and maintenance of Hillsdale state park and to enforce rules and regulations for the operation of such park land; and

(l) do all other things provided by this act, and amendments thereto, have all the powers prescribed by this act and carry out and exercise the powers of the district as its governing body.

History: L. 1953, ch. 170, § 10; L. 1963, ch. 189, § 1; L. 1969, ch. 158, § 4; L. 1970, ch. 113, § 4; L. 1977, ch. 98, § 4; L. 1983, ch. 101, § 1; L. 1988, ch. 105, § 1; L. 2012, ch. 47, § 14; July 1.