Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB670%20SUB1%20enr.htm&yr=2005&sesstype=RS&i=670
Timestamp: 2018-04-24 03:39:38
Document Index: 388007426

Matched Legal Cases: ['§3', '§19', '§19', '§19', '§19', '§19']

SB670 SUB1 enr
(Senators Kessler, Edgell, Helmick, Boley, Bowman, Barnes and Facemyer, original sponsors)
AN ACT to amend and reenact §3-8-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §19-21A-3, §19-21A-4 §19-21A-5, §19-21A-6 and §19-21A-7 of said code, all relating to electing supervisors for conservation districts; defining certain terms; authorizing emergency rulemaking; providing that registered voters in the district may vote for supervisors and in referendum; requiring candidate for supervisor file statement; requiring Conservation Committee certify qualified candidates for ballot; providing that candidate may not be on ballot or take office if qualifications not met; and requiring certain reports.
(1) On the last Saturday in March or within six days thereafter and annually whenever the total of all financial transactions relating to an election exceed five hundred dollars, a statement which shall include all financial transactions which have taken place by the date of that statement, subsequent to any previous statement filed within the previous five years under this section;
(e) Candidates for the office of conservation district supervisor elected pursuant to the provisions of article twenty- one-a, chapter nineteen of this code shall only be required to file the reports required by subdivisions (2) and (3), subsection (b) of this section immediately prior to and after the general election.
(a) Any twenty-five owners of land lying within the limits of the territory proposed to be organized into a district may file a petition with the State Conservation Committee asking that a conservation district be organized to function in the territory described in the petition. The petition shall set forth:
(3) A description of the territory proposed to be organized as a district, which shall not be required to be given by metes and bounds or by legal subdivisions, but shall be deemed sufficient if generally accurate;
(4) A request that the State Conservation Committee define the boundaries for the district; that a referendum be held within the territory so defined on the question of the creation of a conservation district in the territory; and that the Committee determine that a district be created.
(b) Within thirty days after a petition has been filed with the State Conservation Committee, it shall cause notice to be given of a proposed hearing upon the question of the desirability and necessity, in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare, of the creation of such district, upon the question of the appropriate boundaries to be assigned to such district, upon the propriety of the petition and other proceedings taken under this article and upon all questions relevant to such inquiries. Notice of the date, place and time of the hearing shall be published no less than fourteen days prior to the hearing as a Class II-0 legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code. The publication area is the county or counties where the proposed district is located. All owners of land within the limits of the territory described in the petition, and of lands within any territory considered for addition to the described territory, and all other interested parties shall have the right to attend the hearings and to be heard. If it appears upon the hearing that it may be desirable to include within the proposed district territory outside of the area within which notice of the hearing has been given, the hearing shall be adjourned and notice of further hearing shall be given throughout the entire area considered for inclusion in the district and another hearing held. After the hearing, if the Committee determines, upon the facts presented at the hearing and other relevant facts and information as may be available, that there is need, in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare, for a conservation district to function in the territory considered at the hearing, it shall make and record such determination and shall define, by metes and bounds or by legal subdivisions, the boundaries of such district. Districts thus defined may be a watershed or portion thereof and nothing in this article shall be interpreted to exclude from consideration, small areas often constituting a very small part of a large watershed. The district may be large or small, but in making that determination and in defining the boundaries, the committee shall give due weight and consideration to the topography of the area considered and of the state, the composition of soils therein, the distribution of erosion, the prevailing land-use practices, the desirability and necessity of including within the boundaries the particular lands under consideration and the benefits such lands may receive from being included within the boundaries, the relation of the proposed area to existing watersheds and agricultural regions and to other conservation districts already organized or proposed for organization under the provisions of this article and other physical, geographical and economic factors as are relevant, having due regard to the legislative determinations set forth in section two of this article. The territory to be included within the boundaries need not be contiguous. If the Committee determines after the hearing, after consideration of the relevant facts, that there is no need for a conservation district to function in the territory considered at the hearing, it shall make and record its determination and deny the petition. After six months shall have expired from the date of the denial of any petition, subsequent petitions covering the same or substantially the same territory may be filed as aforesaid and new hearings held and determinations made thereon.
(c) After the Committee has made and recorded a determination that there is need, in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare, for the organization of a district in a particular territory and has defined the boundaries thereof, it shall consider the question whether the operation of a district within such boundaries with the powers conferred upon conservation districts in this article is administratively practicable and feasible. To assist the Committee in the determination of administrative practicability and feasibility, it is the duty of the Committee to hold a referendum within the proposed district upon the proposition of the creation of the district and to cause due notice of such referendum to be given. The question of the creation of the proposed district shall be submitted to the registered voters of the proposed district at the next primary or general election. All of the provisions of chapter three of this code, unless in conflict with the provisions of this article, apply to voting and elections on the referendum, insofar as practicable.
The question shall be submitted by ballots upon which the words "For creation of a conservation district of the lands below described and lying in the (counties) of ____________, ____________, and ____________. Against creation of a conservation district of the lands below described and lying in the (counties) of ___________, ____________, and ____________" shall appear, with a square before each proposition and a direction to insert an X mark in the square before one or the other of the propositions as the voter may favor or oppose creation of a district. The ballot shall set forth the boundaries of the proposed districts as determined by the Committee.
(d) The Committee shall pay all expenses for the issuance of notices and conducting hearings. It shall promulgate rules in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code governing the conduct of hearings.
(e) The Committee shall publish the result of the referendum and shall thereafter consider and determine whether the operation of the district within the defined boundaries is administratively practicable and feasible. If the Committee determines that the operation of the district is not administratively practicable and feasible, it shall record its determination and deny the petition. If the Committee shall determine that the operation of the district is administratively practicable and feasible, it shall record the determination and proceed with the organization of the district in the manner hereinafter provided. In making its determination the Committee shall give due regard and weight to the attitudes of the occupiers of lands lying within the defined boundaries, the number of landowners eligible to vote in the referendum who have voted, the proportion of the votes cast in the referendum in favor of the creation of the district to the total number of votes cast, the approximate wealth and income of the land occupiers of the proposed district, the probable expense of carrying on erosion-control operations within the district and other economic and social factors as may be relevant to the determination, having due regard to the legislative determinations set forth in section two of this article.
(f) If the Committee determines that the operation of the proposed district within the defined boundaries is administratively practicable and feasible, it shall appoint two supervisors to act with the supervisors elected as provided hereinafter, as the governing body of the district.
(g) The two appointed supervisors shall present to the Secretary of State an application signed by them which shall set forth by recitals: (1) That a petition for the creation of the district was filed with the State Conservation Committee pursuant to the provisions of this article and that the proceedings specified in this article were taken pursuant to the petition; that the application is being filed in order to complete the organization of the district under this article; and that the Committee has appointed them as supervisors; (2) the name and official residence of each of the supervisors, together with a certified copy of the appointments evidencing their right to office; (3) the term of office of each of the supervisors; (4) the name which is proposed for the district; and (5) the location of the principal office of the supervisors of the district. The application shall be subscribed and sworn to by each of the supervisors before an officer authorized by the laws of this state to take and certify oaths, who shall certify upon the application that he or she personally knows the supervisors and knows them to be the officers as affirmed in the application and that each has subscribed thereto in the officer's presence. The application shall be accompanied by a statement by the State Conservation Committee, which shall certify by recitals that a petition was filed, notice issued and hearing held as aforesaid; that the Committee did determine that there is need, in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare, for a conservation district to function in the proposed territory and did define the boundaries thereof; that notice was given and a referendum held on the question of the creation of the district; that the result of the referendum showed a majority of the votes cast in the referendum to be in favor of the creation of the district; and that thereafter the Committee did determine that the operation of the proposed district is administratively practicable and feasible. The statement shall set forth the boundaries of the district as they have been defined by the Committee.
The Secretary of State shall examine the application and statement and, if he or she finds that the name proposed for the district is not identical with that of any other conservation district of this state or so nearly similar as to lead to confusion or uncertainty, he or she shall file them and shall record them in an appropriate book of record in his or her office. If the Secretary of State finds that the name proposed for the district is identical with that of any other conservation district of this state, or so nearly similar as to lead to confusion and uncertainty, he or she shall certify that fact to the State Conservation Committee which shall thereupon submit to the Secretary of State a new name for the district, which shall not be subject to defects. Upon receipt of the new name, free of defects, the Secretary of State shall record the application and statement, with the name so modified, in an appropriate book of record in his or her office. The Secretary of State shall make and issue to the supervisors a certificate, under the seal of the state, of the organization of the district and shall record the certificate with the application and statement. The boundaries of the district shall include the territory as determined by the State Conservation Committee as aforesaid, but in no event shall they include any area included within the boundaries of another conservation district organized under the provisions of this article.
(h) After six months has expired from the date of entry of a determination by the State Conservation Committee that operation of a proposed district is not administratively practicable and feasible and denial of a petition pursuant to such determination, subsequent petitions may be filed as aforesaid and action taken thereon in accordance with the provisions of this article.
(i) Petitions for including additional territory within an existing district may be filed with the State Conservation Committee and the proceedings herein provided for in the case of petitions to organize a district shall be observed in the case of petitions for inclusion. The Committee shall prescribe the form for petitions, which shall be as nearly as may be in the form prescribed in this article for petitions to organize a district. Where the total number of landowners in the area proposed for inclusion is less than twenty-five, the petition may be filed when signed by a majority of the landowners of the area and in such case no referendum need be held.
(j) In any suit, action or proceeding involving the validity or enforcement of, or relating to, any contract, proceeding or action of the district, the district shall be deemed to have been established in accordance with the provisions of this article upon proof of the issuance of the aforesaid certificate by the Secretary of State. A copy of the certificate certified by the Secretary of State shall be admissible in evidence in any suit, action or proceeding and shall be proof of the filing and contents thereof.
Within thirty days after the date of issuance by the Secretary of State of a certificate of organization of a conservation district, nominating petitions may be filed with the State Conservation Committee to nominate candidates for supervisors of the district. A candidate for supervisor shall own land in the district and have the education, training or experience necessary to carry out the duties required by this article and rules promulgated thereunder. A candidate shall file with the Committee a sworn written statement specifying that he or she meets the requirements of office. A candidate may not be placed on the ballot or be seated as a supervisor unless he or she meets these requirements. The Committee shall provide a list of qualified candidates to the Secretary of State prior to any election for supervisor at the time and in the manner specified by the Secretary.
The Committee shall have authority to extend the time within which nominating petitions may be filed. No nominating petition shall be accepted by the Committee unless it is subscribed by twenty-five or more owners of lands lying within the boundaries of the district and within the boundaries of the county in which the candidate resides. Registered voters in the district may sign more than one nominating petition to nominate more than one candidate for supervisor. All registered voters in the district shall be eligible to vote in the election for two candidates from the county or portion thereof within the boundaries of the district in which they reside. The two candidates in each county who receive the largest number of votes cast in the election shall be elected supervisors for district.
(b) The supervisors shall designate a chairperson and may, from time to time, change the designation. On and after the election of supervisors in two thousand eight, term of office of each supervisor is four years. A supervisor holds office until his or her successor has been elected or appointed. In case a new county or portion of a county is added to a district, the committee may appoint a supervisor to represent it until the next regular election of supervisors for the district takes place. If a vacancy occurs among the elected supervisors of a district, the Committee shall appoint a successor from the same county to fill the unexpired term. The appointment shall be made from a name or list of names submitted by the conservation district.
(c) A supervisor is entitled to expenses and a per diem not to exceed thirty dollars when engaged in the performance of his or her duties.
(d) The supervisors may, with the approval of the State Committee, employ a secretary, technical experts and any other officers, agents and employees, permanent and temporary, as they may require and shall determine their qualifications, duties and compensation. The supervisors may delegate to their chairperson, to one or more supervisors or to one or more agents, or employees, those administrative powers and duties they consider proper. The supervisors shall furnish to the State Conservation Committee, upon request, copies of the ordinances, rules, orders, contracts, forms and other documents they adopt or employ and any other information concerning their activities required in the performance of State Conservation Committee's duties under this article.
(e) The supervisors shall:
(f) Any supervisor may be removed by the State Conservation Committee upon notice and hearing for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other reason.
(g) The supervisors may invite the legislative body of any municipality or county located near the territory comprised within the district to designate a representative to advise and consult with the supervisors of a district on all questions of program and policy which may affect the property, water supply or other interests of the municipality or county.