reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-303 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 3 - Establishment and Organization|Section 26-303 - Board of Managers -- Tenure; Vacancies

    (a)    (1)    The term of each manager is 3 years.        (2)    Each manager shall serve until a successor is elected or appointed.    (b)    (1)    Each year, the landowners shall meet to elect a successor to:            (i)    any manager whose term expired on or before the date of the meeting; and            (ii)    any manager who died or resigned since the last annual meeting.        (2)    A manager who is elected to fill a vacancy caused by death or resignation shall hold the office for the rest of the term.    (c)    (1)    The county commissioners or county council shall appoint an individual to fill a vacancy on the board of managers if:            (i)    the board of managers does not call an annual meeting of landowners; or            (ii)    the board of managers holds an annual meeting of landowners but a quorum is not present.        (2)    The county commissioners or county council may appoint a manager to fill a vacancy on the board of managers until the next annual meeting of landowners.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-304 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 3 - Establishment and Organization|Section 26-304 - Officers

    The board of managers shall elect a chair and a secretary from among its members.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-305 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 3 - Establishment and Organization|Section 26-305 - Immunity From Liability

    An officer or director of a drainage association shall have the immunity from liability described in § 5–508 of the Courts Article.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-306 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 3 - Establishment and Organization|Section 26-306 - Distribution and Retention of Petition and Report

    The county commissioners or county council shall:        (1)    retain the original petition and report approved under § 26–206(b) of this title; and        (2)    deliver a copy of the approved petition and report to the board of managers and the State Soil Conservation Committee in the Department of Agriculture.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-307 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 3 - Establishment and Organization|Section 26-307 - Drainage File

    (a)    The designated officer shall maintain a drainage file.    (b)    The drainage file shall contain the petitions, motions, orders, reports, and other exhibits necessary for a complete record of the establishment of each drainage association in the county.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-308 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 3 - Establishment and Organization|Section 26-308 - Annual Meetings of Landowners

    (a)    In January of each year, the board of managers shall call a meeting of the landowners.    (b)    (1)    At least 10 days before the meeting, the board of managers shall post a notice of the meeting at four public places in the vicinity of the drainage project.        (2)    The notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.    (c)    At the meeting, the landowners shall:        (1)    receive the annual report of the board of managers; and        (2)    transact any other business that may properly come before the landowners.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-309 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 3 - Establishment and Organization|Section 26-309 - Special Meetings

    (a)    The board of managers may call a special meeting of landowners at any time.    (b)    (1)    At least 10 days before the meeting, the board of managers shall:            (i)    post a notice of the meeting at four public places in the vicinity of the drainage project; and            (ii)    mail a notice to:                1.    each landowner;                2.    the county commissioners or county council; and                3.    the State Soil Conservation Committee in the Department of Agriculture.        (2)    The notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-401 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 4 - Plan|Section 26-401 - Development

    (a)    The board of managers shall develop a plan for agricultural drainage and soil conservation to promote optimal crop production by establishing and maintaining drainage systems that promote public health, safety, and welfare.    (b)    In developing the plan, the board of managers:        (1)    shall engage the services of private engineers; or        (2)    may use the services of planners and engineers of local, State, and federal units of government.    (c)    A member or an agent of the board of managers or a member or an agent of the board of viewers:        (1)    may enter any land to make surveys and examinations for developing a plan; and        (2)    is liable for actual damage done to any land entered during a survey or examination.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-402 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 4 - Plan|Section 26-402 - Contents

    The plan developed under § 26–401 of this subtitle shall include:        (1)    the location of each proposed drainage project on a map, drawing, or aerial photograph;        (2)    a general delineation of the boundaries of the area affected by the drainage association with the general location in the county affected;        (3)    engineering plans in sufficient detail to describe the proposed project;        (4)    a general delineation of the boundaries of each tract of land in the area affected by the drainage association, including an estimate of the acreage of each tract; and        (5)    the total estimated construction cost of each proposed drainage project.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-403 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 4 - Plan|Section 26-403 - Adoption of Plan

    (a)    On completion of the plan, or on the acceptance of a previously completed plan, the board of managers shall call a meeting of the landowners to vote on the adoption of the plan for submission to the county commissioners or county council.    (b)    (1)    At least 10 days before the meeting, the board of managers shall:            (i)    post a notice of the meeting in four public places in the area or vicinity of the area of the drainage association; and            (ii)    mail a notice to each landowner.        (2)    The notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.    (c)    At the meeting required under subsection (a) of this section:        (1)    each landowner is entitled to one vote; and        (2)    any landowner may vote by proxy if the proxy is dated, signed by the individual entitled to vote, and witnessed by at least one individual.    (d)    (1)    The board of managers shall determine whether to submit the plan to the county commissioners or county council for review and approval.        (2)    In making the determination, the board of managers shall consider:            (i)    the vote of each landowner;            (ii)    the probable apportionment of benefits to each landowner based on acreage;            (iii)    the location of the drainage project; and            (iv)    the extent of the benefits to the voter’s land by the drainage project.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-404 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 4 - Plan|Section 26-404 - Filing With County

    (a)    (1)    If the board of managers decides to submit the plan to the county commissioners or county council, the board of managers shall submit three copies of the plan.        (2)    The county commissioners or county council shall forward a copy of the plan to the State Soil Conservation Committee in the Department of Agriculture.    (b)    The board of managers shall include with the submission of the plan a statement that the board of managers has determined that the drainage project:        (1)    is feasible;        (2)    will benefit the public and promote public health, safety, and welfare; and        (3)    will produce sufficient benefits to warrant the expenditure.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-501 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-501 - Appointment

    (a)    (1)    On approval of a plan submitted in accordance with § 26–404 of this title, the county commissioners or county council shall appoint a board of viewers composed of at least three impartial individuals who reside in the vicinity of the area of the drainage association.        (2)    A member of the board of viewers may not be a landowner.    (b)    If a drainage project described in a plan is located in more than one county, at least one member of the board of viewers shall be from each county in which the drainage project is located.    (c)    An individual who is appointed as a member of a board of viewers may not act in that capacity until the individual provides written notice of acceptance of the appointment to the county commissioners or county council.    (d)    (1)    If any member of the board of viewers dies, moves from a county in which the area of the drainage association is located, or otherwise is unable to act, the county commissioners or county council shall appoint a replacement as soon as feasible.        (2)    The appointment of a replacement does not affect the validity of any work of the board of viewers.    (e)    Each member of a board of viewers and the engineer is entitled to receive compensation for each day spent on duties as agreed by the county commissioners or county council and the members and engineer appointed under § 26–503 of this subtitle.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-502 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-502 - Notice of Action by Board of Viewers

    At least 10 days before proceeding with its duties, the board of viewers shall:        (1)    post a notice of its intention to proceed at four public places in the area described in the petition;        (2)    publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation published in each county in which the lands to be viewed are located; and        (3)    send a copy of the notice to the county commissioners or county council, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the State Soil Conservation Committee in the Department of Agriculture.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-503 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-503 - Duties

    (a)    On receipt of a copy of the plan from the county commissioners or county council, a board of viewers shall:        (1)    (i)    engage the services of a private engineer; or            (ii)    use the services of an engineer of a local, State, or federal unit of government;        (2)    enter and view, with the individuals described in item (1) of this subsection, the land described in the petition;        (3)    make careful and thorough examination of the land described in the petition and of other land if necessary to locate properly the project that is the subject of the petition;        (4)    include in the area of the proposed drainage association all land that would be benefited and exclude any land described in the petition that it determines would not be benefited by the proposed improvement;        (5)    conduct surveys to determine the boundaries and elevations of the area and to develop a plan for the project; and        (6)    lay out on the ground a plainly and substantially marked line of each ditch or drain or other improvement that it considers necessary.    (b)    A board of viewers shall consider as damages, without regard to any benefit that would result from the proposed drainage project:        (1)    the value of land taken for construction of the proposed drainage project;        (2)    inconvenience imposed by the construction of the proposed drainage project; and        (3)    other lawfully compensable damages.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-504 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-504 - Costs

    (a)    A board of viewers:        (1)    shall determine the amount sufficient to pay:            (i)    the cost of constructing or improving a proposed drainage project;            (ii)    any damages awarded;            (iii)    any compensation for an existing drainage project that the board of viewers adopts in accordance with § 26–505 of this subtitle;            (iv)    the expenses of the board of viewers; and            (v)    the costs of establishing the drainage association;        (2)    shall subtract from the amount determined under item (1) of this subsection any amounts received from the county commissioners or county council or any other source; and        (3)    shall assess each landowner, including the State or a political subdivision of the State, that will derive a benefit from the proposed drainage project a proportion of the amount described in item (2) of this subsection, based on the benefits that would accrue to the tract of land from the drainage project.    (b)    Notwithstanding any other law, the county commissioners or county council may:        (1)    contribute toward the costs of a drainage project authorized under this title from general funds of the county; or        (2)    allocate toward the costs of any drainage project any other money that is available for the drainage project.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-505 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-505 - Existing Drainage Projects

    (a)    A board of viewers may adopt an existing drainage project as a whole drainage project or as a part of a drainage project, under this title.    (b)    If an existing drainage project is adopted by the board of viewers, it shall pay fair compensation to each landowner for the value of work already done on the drainage project.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-506 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-506 - Subsequent Board of Viewers

    (a)    At the request of the board of managers, the county commissioners or county council shall appoint a board of viewers to determine if the original determination as to which lands have benefited from the improvements has changed.    (b)    The board of viewers appointed under this section shall have the same qualifications, rights, powers, privileges, and duties as the original board of viewers.    (c)    (1)    The board of viewers shall report its findings to the county commissioners or county council.        (2)    The county commissioners or county council shall consider the report in the same manner as the original report, and the report shall be subject to a public hearing and the right to judicial review as provided under § 26–513 of this subtitle.    (d)    Any revision in the original determination as to which lands benefit from the drainage project shall become the basis for all future assessments for paying for the drainage project, including related expenses such as damages and the maintenance of the drainage project.    (e)    Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, the board of managers, at any time after the creation of a drainage association, may determine which land in the association is classified as woodland, cropland, commercial, industrial, or residential.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-507 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-507 - Report to State and County

    (a)    At the earliest feasible date, the board of viewers shall submit three copies of a written report to the county commissioners or county council and to the State Soil Conservation Committee in the Department of Agriculture.    (b)    The report shall state:        (1)    whether the proposed drainage project:            (i)    is feasible;            (ii)    will benefit the public or promote the public health, safety, or welfare; and            (iii)    will benefit the land to be affected by the drainage project sufficiently to warrant the probable expenditure;        (2)    the name of each person entitled to damages and the amount of the damages;        (3)    the name of each person entitled to compensation for a drainage project adopted under § 26–505 of this subtitle and the amount of the compensation;        (4)    the amount determined under § 26–504(a)(1) of this subtitle; and        (5)    the amount for which each landowner shall be assessed as a share of the total cost of the drainage project and its proportion of the whole.    (c)    The board of viewers shall file with the report three copies of maps and profiles that show:        (1)    the location of the proposed drainage project on a map, drawing, or aerial photograph to a suitable scale;        (2)    a general delineation of the boundary of the area affected, with the general location in the county indicated;        (3)    a general delineation of the boundaries of each landowner’s tract, with an estimate of the acreage that each tract contains; and        (4)    the dimensions and profiles of the proposed drainage project.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-508 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-508 - Examination of Report; Hearing; Notice; Report Available for Inspection

    (a)    (1)    The county commissioners or county council shall examine a report submitted by a board of viewers under § 26–507 of this subtitle at the first meeting after receiving the report.        (2)    If the county commissioners or county council find that a report under § 26–507 of this subtitle is not in proper form or not in compliance with the law, the report shall be returned to the board of viewers to be corrected and resubmitted.        (3)    If the county commissioners or county council find that a report under § 26–507 of this subtitle is in proper form and in compliance with the law, the county commissioners or county council shall set a date for a public hearing on the report.    (b)    (1)    At least 30 days before a hearing under this section, the county commissioners or county council shall:            (i)    publish notice of the time and place of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in each county in which the land affected is located; and            (ii)    mail a notice to each person named in the report.        (2)    Notice of the hearing shall state that a copy of the report is available for inspection in an office of the designated officer.    (c)    A copy of the report of the board of viewers shall be:        (1)    available for inspection in an office of the designated officer; and        (2)    sent to the Secretary of Agriculture and the State Soil Conservation Committee in the Department of Agriculture.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-509 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-509 - Hearing Procedure on Report

    (a)    At a hearing under § 26–508 of this subtitle:        (1)    the board of viewers and engineers shall be present; and        (2)    any person may appear in person or by counsel and object to any part of the report.    (b)    The county commissioners or county council shall consider carefully each objection presented under subsection (a) of this section.    (c)    If possible at the hearing, the board of viewers may make changes to the report necessary to treat each concerned person equitably.    (d)    The county commissioners or county council may:        (1)    disapprove the report;        (2)    return the report to the board of viewers for amendment or reconsideration in view of an objection presented; or        (3)    approve the report as submitted or as amended.    (e)    On approval of the report by the county commissioners or county council, the board of managers may install, operate, and maintain the drainage project described in the report.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-510 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-510 - Payment of Expenses if Report Disapproved

    (a)    If a report is disapproved, the county commissioners or county council shall pay the expenses properly incurred in making the survey and report and in publishing notices.    (b)    To reimburse the county for the expenses described in subsection (a) of this section, the county commissioners or county council may impose a special assessment in equal amounts on the property of the landowners who signed the petition filed under Subtitle 2 of this title.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-511 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-511 - Amendment of Petition or Related Proceedings

    (a)    The county commissioners or county council or circuit court for the county in which proceedings are pending may, on application of any party and at any time before a final decision is made, grant leave to the party to amend the petition or any part of the proceedings that may be defective or informal to bring the merits of the case before the county commissioners or county council for a decision or before a jury of the circuit court for trial.    (b)    The county commissioners or county council or circuit court for the county may award costs.
MD. Local Government Code Ann. §  26-512 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Local Government|Division V - Other Local Entities|Title 26 - Public Drainage Associations|Subtitle 5 - Board of Viewers|Section 26-512 - Application for Order of Review

    (a)    A person who may be adversely affected by the making of any ditch or drain or who may be assessed for any part of the costs of a ditch or drain may apply for an order of review to the county commissioners or county council at any time before the approval of the report.    (b)    The county commissioners or county council may grant an order of review and appoint another board of viewers to redo the work done by the original board of viewers.