Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 14 - LOCAL GOVERNMENT (§§ 14-1-101 — 14-387-706) › Subtitle 5 - IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS GENERALLY (§§ 14-86-101 — 14-96-202) › Chapter 92 - SUBURBAN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS (§§ 14-92-101 — 14-92-603) › Subchapter 2 - SUBURBAN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS GENERALLY (§§ 14-92-201 — 14-92-240) › Section 14-92-219 - Purposes for which district organized

A suburban improvement district may be organized for any one (1) or more of the following purposes:
(1)
To purchase, accept as a gift, or construct a waterworks system or betterments, improvements, and extensions to such waterworks system, either within or without the boundaries of the district, if the property of the district will benefit and to operate and maintain any such waterworks system it may purchase, construct, or own;
(2)
To purchase, accept as a gift, or construct, either within or without the boundaries of the district, if the property of the district will benefit, a sewage collection system or a sewage treatment plant or intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, force mains, pumping stations, ejector stations, and all other appurtenances necessary or useful and convenient for the collection or treatment, purification, and disposal, in a sanitary manner, of the liquid and solid waste, sewage, night soil, and industrial waste of the area within the boundaries of the district or adjacent thereto, and to operate and maintain any such sewage system and facilities;
(3)
(A)
To open, grade, drain, pave, curb, gutter, or otherwise improve streets, roads, highways, and every other way for passage and use of vehicles, including viaducts and underpasses, either within or without the boundaries of the district, if the property of the district will benefit.
(B)
Such purpose shall include the acquisition of rights-of-way by purchase or the exercise of the power of eminent domain, and to maintain such streets, roads, highways, and every other way for passage and use by vehicles, lying within the boundaries of the district or beyond the boundaries of the district, if the property of the district will benefit;
(4)
To build, purchase, or accept as a gift recreational facilities such as, but not limited to, parks, lakes, golf courses, playgrounds, clubhouses, stadiums, auditoriums, arts and crafts centers, folklore centers, interpretative centers, camping areas, greenbelt areas, and any other facilities to provide for the recreation and cultural needs of the owners of the lands within the district and also to care for, maintain, and operate any such recreational facilities;
(5)
To lay and maintain sidewalks;
(6)
(A)
To lay, own, extend, operate and maintain gas pipelines connecting with gas systems.
(B)
(i)
Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to allow the purchase of an existing natural gas system or any part thereof.
(ii)
Any such gas system shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Pipeline Safety Division of the Arkansas Public Service Commission and shall be subject to all provisions of the Arkansas Gas Pipeline Code;
(7)
To build telephone lines to connect with the telephone systems operating in nearby or adjacent municipalities;
(8)
To establish, equip, and maintain rural fire departments, including construction of fire department buildings, purchase of fire trucks, fire boats, and other firefighting equipment;
(9)
To own, acquire, construct, reconstruct, extend, equip, improve, maintain, and operate hospitals or to acquire appropriate vehicles and equipment for, maintain, and operate ambulance services;
(10)
To own, acquire, construct, reconstruct, extend, equip, improve, maintain, and operate libraries;
(11)
(A)
To provide a solid waste management system to adequately provide for the collection and disposal of all solid wastes generated or existing within the boundaries of the district in accordance with the rules and orders of the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission.
(B)
(i)
The governing body of the district may enter into an agreement with one (1) or more municipalities, counties, county solid waste authorities, regional solid waste management districts, private persons, private trusts, or any combination thereof, to provide a solid waste management system or any part of a system for the district.
(ii)
(a)
The district may levy and collect fees and require licenses as determined appropriate to discharge the responsibilities of the district.
(b)
Any fees, charges, and licenses shall be based upon a schedule set forth by the district; and
(12)
(A)
To enter into a partnership with a private actor as provided by §
14-96-201
et seq. to do the following:
(i)
Contract for, or provide, promote, and support broadband internet service through, a public-private partnership under §
14-96-201
et seq.; and
(ii)
Finance public capital facilities or projects that include broadband internet service.
(B)
A suburban improvement district created after March 16, 1981, and in existence on and after January 1, 2021, may conduct any of the activities under subdivision (12)(A) of this section using the notice and voting procedures for the creation of a suburban improvement district under this subchapter.
(C)
A suburban improvement district created before March 16, 1981, may conduct any of the activities under subdivision (12)(A) of this section using the notice and voting procedures for the creation of a suburban improvement district that were used before March 16, 1981.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 795,§ 2, eff. 7/28/2021.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 315,§ 998, eff. 7/24/2019.
Acts 1941, No. 41, § 4; 1953, No. 420, § 2; 1967, No. 286, § 2; 1969, No. 230, § 2; 1975 (Extended Sess. 1976), No. 1213, § 1; A.S.A. 1947, § 20-704; reen. Acts 1987, No. 1008, § 1; 1997, No. 1134, § 1; 2005, No. 927, § 1.