A CHARTER ORDINANCE EXEMPTING THE CITY OF CONCORDIA, KANSAS, FROM THE PROVISIONS OF K.S.A. 14-570 AND K.S.A. 14-571 AND PROVIDING SUBSTITUTE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS ON THE SAME SUBJECT RELATING TO PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING FOR SAID IMPROVEMENTS.
WHEREAS, Article 12, Section 5 of the Constitution of the State of Kansas (the “Act”), provides that cities may exercise certain home rule powers, including passing charter ordinances which exempt such cities from non-uniform enactments of the Kansas Legislature; and
WHEREAS, the City of Concordia, Kansas (the “City”) is a city, as defined in the Act, duly created and organized, under the laws of the State of Kansas; and
WHEREAS, K.S.A. 14-570 and K.S.A. 14-571 are part of an enactment of the Kansas Legislature (K.S.A. 14-570 et seq.) relating to public improvements and the issuance of bonds for such purposes, which enactment is applicable to the City, but is not uniformly applicable to all cities within the State of Kansas; and
WHEREAS, the governing body of the City (the “Governing Body”) desires, by charter ordinance, to exempt the City from the provisions of K.S.A. 14-570 and K.S.A. 14-571, and to provide substitute and additional provisions therefor.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF CONCORDIA, KANSAS:
SECTION 1. EXEMPTION. The City, by virtue of the powers vested in it by the Act, hereby elects to exempt itself from and make inapplicable to it the provisions of K.S.A. 14-570 and K.S.A. 14 571, and shall be governed by the following substitute and additional provisions contained herein.
SECTION 2. PLAN FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. Whenever the Governing Body has approved a capital improvements plan or program (the “Plan”) for the physical development, maintenance, and protection of the City within the boundaries of the City, including the acquisition of necessary land and the acquisition of equipment, vehicles or other personal property to be used in relation thereto, and which may provide for assumption and payment of benefit district indebtedness heretofore created for public improvements and may require a number of years to execute, the City is hereby authorized to issue its general obligation bonds (the “Bonds”) in an amount sufficient to carry out such Plan or portion thereof and associated costs.
SECTION 3. PROCEDURE FOR ISSUANCE OF BONDS. Before any Bonds are authorized or issued pursuant to this Charter Ordinance, the City shall adopt a resolution specifying the amount of such Bonds and the purpose of the issuance thereof. Such resolution may contain, but is not required to contain, a provision that the issuance of the bonds be subject to: (a) publication of such resolution one time in the official City newspaper, and if within 30 days after the date of publication of the resolution, a petition in opposition to the issuance of the bonds, signed by not less than 10% of the qualified electors of the City, is filed with the City Clerk, the City shall not have the authority to issue the bonds until such question is submitted to the electors of the City at a special election called for that purpose or at the next general election and approved by a majority of the electors of the City voting at such election; or (b) approval by a majority of the electors of the City voting on such question at a special election called for that purpose or at the next general election. If such resolution does not contain a provision described in the foregoing subsection (a) or subsection (b), or if such resolution does contain a provision described in the foregoing subsection (a), but no protest is filed as described in subsection (a), the City may proceed to issue the bonds. Any election required by this section shall be conducted in the manner set forth in K.S.A. 10-120 by the election officer of Cloud County. General obligation bonds authorized by this section shall be issued, sold, delivered and retired in accordance with the provisions of the general bond law except as herein otherwise expressly provided.
SECTION 4. SEVERABILITY. If any provision or section of this Charter Ordinance is deemed or ruled unconstitutional or otherwise illegal or invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect any other provision of this Charter Ordinance. In such instance, this Charter Ordinance shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal or invalid provision had not been contained herein.
(11-16-2022)