ORS Chapter 545 — Irrigation Districts

ORS 545.093. Creation of subdistricts; purpose; change in subdistrict boundaries. (1) Subdistricts within an irrigation district may be created as provided in this section. (2) When the owners of more than 50 percent of the acreage in any contiguous tracts of land situated within a district and subject to the charges or assessments of the district desire to have the district undertake the construction of works for irrigation of their land or provide for the reconstruction, betterment, extension, purchase, operation or maintenance of works already constructed that will benefit their lands, they may petition the board for the creation of a subdistrict. The petition shall state the boundaries proposed for the subdistrict, the name and address of each person signing the petition, a brief general statement as to the works the petitioners desire to have constructed or provided and a prayer asking that the lands described be organized as a subdistrict. The description of the boundaries of the proposed subdistrict shall be certified as a complete and sufficient legal description by a qualified engineer or land surveyor and the certificate shall be filed with the board at the time the petition is filed. The petition shall be considered by the board at its next meeting. If the board approves the petition, the board shall adopt an order creating the subdistrict. The order shall contain a description of the boundaries of the subdistrict. A subdistrict may include all or any part of the lands within a district. A copy of the order shall be recorded in each county in which lands within the subdistrict are located. (3) A subdistrict may also be created under this section by resolution of the board. (4) After the creation of a subdistrict under this section, the boundaries of the subdistrict may be changed by the inclusion of lands outside of the subdistrict. A proceeding under this subsection may be initiated by petition of the owners of more than 50 percent of the lands sought to be included in the subdistrict. The lands to be included in the subdistrict must be contiguous to the subdistrict and within the boundaries of the district. The petition shall state the boundaries of the lands to be included in the subdistrict, the reason for adding the lands to the subdistrict, the name and address of each person signing the petition and a prayer asking that the lands described by the petition be included in the subdistrict. The petition shall be filed with the board. The description of the boundaries of the subdistrict after the proposed addition shall be certified as a complete and sufficient legal description by a qualified engineer or land surveyor and the certificate shall be filed with the board at the time the petition is filed. The board of directors shall enter an order fixing a time and place for a hearing on the petition and shall either publish notice of the hearing or mail a notice of the hearing to all landowners within the boundaries of the lands proposed for inclusion in the subdistrict. At the hearing or at any time and place to which the hearing may be adjourned, the board shall determine what lands proposed to be included within the subdistrict will be benefited by inclusion in the subdistrict. The board shall adopt an order for inclusion of the benefited lands in the subdistrict and the new boundaries of the subdistrict shall be described in the order. (5) A subdistrict created under this section may be designated Subdistrict No. ___of the ______ Irrigation District. (6) A subdistrict created under this section may be an electoral district for purposes of district elections under ORS 545.167. (7) The district board of the main district is the governing board of each subdistrict of the district. (8) Except as otherwise provided in ORS 545.093 to 545.095, after the creation of a subdistrict, proceedings relating to a subdistrict shall conform to provisions of this chapter applicable to districts. In all other matters affecting only a subdistrict, provisions of this chapter applicable to a district apply to the subdistrict as though the subdistrict were a district. [1999 c.356 2] Note: