(1) The board of county commissioners shall provide written notice of the date, time, and location of the hearing to the petitioners and the governing body of any existing municipality or special district that has levied an ad valorem tax within the next preceding tax year and that has boundaries within a radius of three miles of the proposed special district boundaries, which governmental units shall be interested parties for the purposes of this part 2. The board of county commissioners shall make publication of the date, time, location, and purpose of the hearing, the first of which shall be at least twenty days prior to the hearing date. The board of county commissioners shall include in the notice a general description of the land contained within the boundaries of the proposed special district and information outlining methods and procedures pursuant to section 32-1-203 (3.5) concerning the filing of a petition for exclusion of territory; except that, if the hearing is to review a service plan for a health service district, health assurance district, or early childhood development service district, the notice shall not include information regarding filing a petition for exclusion of territory. The publications shall constitute constructive notice to the residents and property owners within the proposed special district who shall also be interested parties at the hearing.
(1.5) Not more than thirty days nor less than twenty days prior to the hearing held pursuant to this section, the petitioners for the organization of the special district shall send letter notification of the hearing to the property owners within the proposed special district as listed on the records of the county assessor on the date requested unless the petitioners represent one hundred percent of the property owners. The notification shall indicate that it is a notice of a hearing for the organization of a special district and shall indicate the date, time, location, and purpose of such hearing, a reference to the type of special district, the maximum mill levy, if any, or stating that there is no maximum that may be imposed by the proposed special district, and procedures for the filing of a petition for exclusion pursuant to section 32-1-203 (3.5). Except when no mailing is required, the mailing of the letter notification to all addresses or post office box addresses within the proposed special district shall constitute a good-faith effort to comply with this subsection (1.5), and failure to notify all electors thereby shall not provide grounds for a challenge to the hearing being held.
(2) (a) If there is a county planning commission or a regional planning commission in lieu thereof, the service plan submitted by the petitioners for the organization of the proposed special district shall be delivered by the county clerk and recorder to such planning commission. The county planning commission or regional planning commission shall study such service plan and present its recommendations consistent with this part 2 to the board of county commissioners within thirty days following the filing of the service plan with the county clerk and recorder.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (2)(a) of this section, the service plan of a proposed health service district, health assurance district, or early childhood development service district shall not be delivered to the planning commission for study or recommendations unless specifically requested by the petitioners. If the petitioners do not request that the service plan be delivered to the planning commission, the clerk and recorder shall deliver the service plan to the board of county commissioners and the planning commission shall not be required to study the service plan or to present recommendations to the board of county commissioners pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section.
The hearing held by the board of county commissioners shall be open to the public,and a record of the proceedings shall be made. All interested parties as defined in this section shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard under such rules of procedure as may be established by the board of county commissioners. Any testimony or evidence which in the discretion of the board of county commissioners is relevant to the organization of the proposed special district shall be considered.
Within twenty days after the completion of the hearing, the board of county commissioners shall advise the petitioners for the organization of the proposed special district in writing of its action on the service plan. If the service plan is approved as submitted, a resolution of approval shall be issued to the petitioners. If the service plan is disapproved, the specific detailed reasons for such disapproval shall be set forth in writing. If the service plan is conditionally approved, the changes or modifications to be made in, or additional information relating to, the service plan, together with the reasons for such changes, modifications, or additional information, shall also be set forth in writing, and the proceeding shall be continued until such changes, modifications, or additional information is incorporated in the service plan. Upon the incorporation of such changes, modifications, or additional information in the service plan of the proposed special district, the board of county commissioners shall issue a resolution of approval to the petitioners.
Source: L. 81: Entire article R&RE, p. 1549, § 1, effective July 1. L. 85: (1.5) added, p. 1106, § 1, effective January 1, 1986. L. 91: (1), (1.5), and (2) amended, p. 782, § 4, effective June 4. L. 96: (1.5) amended, p. 309, § 7, effective April 15. L. 2007: (1) and (2) amended, p. 1188, § 5, effective July 1. L. 2019: (1) and (2)(b) amended, (HB 19-1052), ch. 72, p. 258, § 4, effective August 2.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 32-1-208 as it existed prior to 1981.