24-138. Annexation of land; Finney county; procedure. (a) Subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 19-270, the governing body of any drainage district located in Finney county may annex land to the district if:

(1) The land adjoins the district;

(2) the land is surrounded by the district;

(3) the land is owned or held in trust for the district; or

(4) the land adjoins the district and a written petition for or consent to annexation is filed with the district by the landowner.

No drainage district or any portion thereof may be annexed by another drainage district.

(b) The governing body shall give notice of a public hearing to be held to consider the annexation of the land. The notice shall include:

(1) The time, date and place of the hearing;

(2) a description of the land to be annexed; and

(3) a sketch clearly delineating the land to be annexed.

At least 10 days prior to the hearing, the notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the district and the land to be annexed are located. A copy of the notice also shall be mailed by prepaid first-class mail to the owner of land to be annexed.

(c) At the public hearing, a representative of the district shall present the district's proposal for annexation. Following the explanation, all interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard. The governing body may recess the hearing to a time and date certain, which shall be fixed in the presence of persons in attendance at the hearing.

After the public hearing, if the governing body finds that it would be in the best interest of the drainage district and the owners of the land to be annexed, it may annex the land or a lesser amount thereof by the adoption of an annexation resolution. The resolution shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the district and the land are located. The annexation shall be final and conclusive upon the publication of the annexation resolution.

Within 30 days after the publication of the annexation resolution, any owner of land annexed by a drainage district may maintain an action in the district court of the county in which the drainage district is located challenging the authority of the drainage district to annex the land and the regularity of the proceedings.

(d) No resolution, notice or public hearing required under the provisions of this section shall be required as a prerequisite to the annexation of land owned by or held in trust for the drainage district or land all of the owners of which petition for or consent thereto in writing.

(e) All bonds issued or other indebtedness of the drainage district or the land annexed prior to the effective date of the annexation shall remain the liability of and lien against properties to which the liability attached prior to the annexation of the land to the district.

History: L. 1983, ch. 118, § 25; L. 1986, ch. 70, § 25; May 15.