2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 32 - SPECIAL DISTRICTS (§§ 32-1-101 — 32-22-117) › SPECIAL STATUTORY DISTRICTS (§§ 32-8-101 — 32-22-117) › Article 11 - URBAN DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL ACT (§§ 32-11-101 — 32-11-817) › Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 32-11-101 — 32-11-107) › Section 32-11-104 - [Effective 8/7/2024] Definitions

As used in this article 11, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)
"Acquisition" or "acquire" means the purchase, construction, reconstruction, lease, gift, transfer, assignment, option to purchase, other contract, grant from the federal government, any public body, or any other person, endowment, bequest, devise, installation, condemnation, and any other acquirement (or any combination thereof) of the facilities, other property, any project, or an interest therein, authorized by this article.
(2)
This "article" means the "Urban Drainage and Flood Control Act".
(3)
"Assess", "assessment", or "special assessment" means the levy of a special assessment, or the special assessment, against any tract specially benefited in an improvement district by any project, which assessment shall be made on a front-foot, zone, area, or other equitable basis as determined by the board; but in no event shall any assessment exceed the estimated maximum special benefits to the tract assessed as determined by the board, as provided in section
32-11-634 (4)
.
(4)
"Assessable property" means the tracts of land specially benefited in an improvement district by any project the cost of which is wholly or partly defrayed by the urban district by the levy of assessments, except any tract owned by the federal government in the absence of its consent to the assessment of any tract so owned, and except any street, alley, highway, or other public right-of-way of a public body, as provided in section
32-11-660
.
(5)
"Assessment lien" means a lien on a tract in an improvement district created by resolution of the urban district to secure the payment of an assessment levied against that tract, as provided in section
32-11-645
.
(6)
"Assessment unit" means a unit or quasi-improvement district designated by the board for the purpose of petition, remonstrance, and assessment in the case of a combination of projects in an improvement district, pursuant to section
32-11-606
.
(7)
"Board" or "board of directors", when not otherwise qualified, means the board of directors of the urban district.
(8)
"Chairman" or "chairman of the board", or any phrase of similar import means the de jure or de facto presiding officer of the board and the urban district, or his successor in functions, if any.
(9)
"Commercial bank" means a state or national bank or trust company which is a member of the federal deposit insurance corporation, including without limitation any "trust bank" as defined in this section.
(10)
(a)
"Condemnation" or "condemn" means the acquisition by the exercise of the power of eminent domain of any property for the facilities, any project, or an interest therein, authorized in this article. The board may exercise on behalf of the district the power of eminent domain or dominant eminent domain within or without or both within and without the district in the manner provided in articles
1
to
7
of title
38
, C.R.S., as from time to time amended, except as otherwise provided in this article. The district may take any property necessary to carry out any of the objects or purposes of this article, whether such property is already devoted to the same use by any person other than the federal government in the absence of its consent to any such taking, and may condemn any existing works or improvements of any such person in the district.
(b)
The power of eminent domain vested in the board includes the power to condemn, in the name of the district, either the fee simple or any lesser estate or interest in any real property which the board by resolution determines is necessary for carrying out the purposes of this article. Such resolution is prima facie evidence that the taking of the fee simple, easement, or other lesser estate or interest, as the case may be, is necessary.
(c)
The district shall not abandon any condemnation proceedings subsequent to the date upon which it has taken possession of the property being acquired.
(d)
In the event the construction of any project authorized in this article, or any part thereof, makes necessary the removal and relocation of any public utility, whether on private or public right-of-way, or otherwise, the district shall reimburse the owner of such public utility facility for the expense of such removal and relocation, including the cost of any necessary land or rights in land.
(11)
(a)
"Corporate district" means any school district, local college district, conservancy district, drainage district, metropolitan district, water district, sanitation district, water and sanitation district, mosquito control district, street improvement district, television relay and translator district, public improvement district, general improvement district, fire protection district, metropolitan recreation district, metropolitan park district, metropolitan recreation and park district, metropolitan water district, health service district, metropolitan sewage disposal district, irrigation district, internal improvement district, water conservation district, water conservancy district, or any other type of district constituting a body corporate and politic and a political subdivision of the state.
(b)
"Corporate district" does not include a "district" or "urban district" as defined in this section nor an "improvement district" as defined in this section.
(12)
"Cost" or "cost of the project", or any phrase of similar import, means, in addition to the usual connotations thereof, all or any part of the cost of the acquisition, improvement, and equipment (or any combination thereof) of all or any part of a project of the urban district and of all or any property, rights, easements, licenses, privileges, franchises, and other agreements deemed by the urban district to be necessary or useful and convenient therefor or in connection therewith, and all incidental expenses pertaining thereto, including without limitation at the option of the board and as it may from time to time determine:
(a)
The cost of demolishing, removing, or relocating any buildings, structures, or other facilities on land acquired;
(b)
The cost of acquiring any lands to which such buildings, structures, or other facilities may be moved or relocated;
(c)
The cost of equipment for the district, including any project;
(d)
The cost of installing or relocating or installing and relocating water lines, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, and other utility lines and services;
(e)
The costs of restoring any public street, highway, bridge, viaduct, or other public right-of-way, stream of water, watercourse, ditch flume, pipeline, utility transmission line, or other public facilities to their former state of usefulness as nearly as may be;
(f)
Condemnation costs, including all preliminary expenses and other incidental expenses pertaining to any condemnation;
(g)
The cost of preliminary plans, other plans, specifications, studies, surveys, estimates of project cost and of taxes, revenues, and assessments (or any combination thereof), economic feasibility reports, and any other expenses necessary or incident to determining the feasibility or practicability of a project;
(h)
The cost of other estimates, appraising, printing, advice, inspection, and other services rendered by engineers, architects, financial consultants, attorneys-at-law, clerical help, and other employees and agents of the urban district, and other professional costs;
(i)
Court costs and other legal expenses;
(j)
The cost of making, publishing, posting, mailing, and otherwise giving any notice, and of filing and recording instruments;
(k)
The cost of acquiring any real property, including any easement or other right or interest therein, and including the taking of any option;
(l)
The cost of contingencies, operation and maintenance expenses, and other expenses of the district prior to and during the acquisition, improvement, and equipment (or any combination thereof) of any project, and additionally during a period of not exceeding one year after the completion of the project, as may be estimated and determined by the board in any resolution authorizing the issuance of any district securities or other instrument pertaining thereto or in any contract with any public body, the federal government, or otherwise;
(m)
Such provision or reserves or both provision and reserves for working capital, operation and maintenance expenses, replacement expenses, or for payment or security of principal of and interest on any district securities during and after the acquisition, improvement, and equipment (or any combination thereof) of any project, as the board may determine;
(n)
Reimbursements to the federal government, the state, or any other public body or other person of any moneys theretofore expended for the purposes of the district, including such expenditures for or in connection with a project;
(o)
The cost of funding any notes, warrants, or interim debentures as provided in this article;
(p)
The preparation of budgets, including without limitation the procedure preliminary thereto;
(q)
The levy, collection, and disposition of special assessments, including without limitation the preparation of preliminary rolls and assessment rolls;
(r)
The levy, collection, and disposition of taxes;
(s)
The fixing, collection, and disposition of revenues;
(t)
All such other expenses as may be necessary or incident to the financing, acquisition, improvement, equipment, and completion of the facilities, any project, any part thereof, or the placing of the same in operation.
(13)
(a)
"County" means the county in the state of Colorado in which is situated any tract assessed or other property to which the term "county" pertains, including without limitation the city and county of Denver and the city and county of Broomfield; and if such property at any time after June 14, 1969, is located in more than one county, "county" means each county in which the property is located.
(b)
Whenever the term "county" is used in connection with an election held by the urban district, or taxes levied by the district, or otherwise in connection therewith, the term "county" means each county in which the urban district is located, including without limitation the city and county of Denver.
(14)
"County assessor" means the de jure or de facto county assessor of each such county, or his successor in functions, if any.
(15)
"County clerk" means the de jure or de facto county clerk of each such county, or his successor in functions, if any.
(16)
"County treasurer" means the de jure or de facto county treasurer of each such county, or his successor in functions, if any.
(17)
"Director" means a de jure or de facto member of the board.
(18)
"Disposal" or "dispose" means the sale, destruction, razing, loan, lease, grant, transfer, assignment, option to sell, other contract, or other disposition (or any combination thereof) of facilities, other property, or an interest therein, authorized in this article.
(19)
(a)
"District" or "urban district" means the urban drainage and flood control district created by this article.
(b)
"District" or "urban district" does not include the term "corporate district" nor the term "improvement district" as defined in this section.
(20)
"District securities" means bonds, temporary bonds, notes, warrants, and interim debentures evidencing loans to or money due from the urban district and authorized to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this article.
(20.3)
"Election" or "special election" means any election called by the board:
(a)
For the submission of ballot issues as required by and set forth in section 20 of article X of the state constitution, to be held at either the general election or on the first Tuesday in November of odd-numbered years; or
(b)
For any other matter permitted or required in this article 11, which may be held on any Tuesday.
(20.5)
"Elector" or "registered elector" has the same meaning as specified in section
1-1-104 (35)
.
(21)
"Engineer" means any engineer in the permanent employ of the urban district, or any licensed professional engineer, or firm of such engineers, as from time to time determined by the board:
(a)
Who has a wide and favorable repute for skill and experience in the field of designing and in preparing plans and specifications for and supervising the construction of facilities like those which the district is authorized to acquire;
(b)
Who is entitled to practice and is practicing under the laws of the state; and
(c)
Who is selected, retained, and compensated by the board, in the name and on behalf of the district.
(22)
"Equipment" or "equip" means the furnishing of all necessary or desirable, related, or appurtenant machinery, furnishings, apparatus, paraphernalia, and other gear, or any combination thereof, pertaining to any project or other property of the urban district, or any interest therein, authorized in this article, or otherwise relating to the district's facilities.
(23)
(a)
"Executive officer" means the de jure or de facto mayor, chairman of the board, president of the corporate district, or other titular head or chief official of a "public body" as defined in this section, or his successor in functions, if any.
(b)
"Executive officer" does not include a city manager, county manager, or other chief administrator of a public body who is not its titular head.
(24)
(a)
"Facilities" means the drainage and flood control system of the urban district, consisting of all properties, real, personal, mixed, or otherwise, owned or acquired by the district through purchase, construction, or otherwise, and used in connection with such system of the district, and in any way pertaining thereto, whether situated within or without its limits, or both within and without its limits.
(b)
The facilities of the district may, as the board from time to time determines, consist of any natural and artificial watercourses for the collection, channeling, impounding, and disposition of rainfall, other surface and subsurface drainage, and storm and flood waters, including without limitation ditches, ponds, dams, spillways, retarding basins, detention basins, lakes, reservoirs, canals, channels, levees, revetments, dikes, walls, embankments, bridges, inlets, outlets, connections, laterals, other collection lines, intercepting sewers, outfalls, outfall sewers, trunk sewers, force mains, submains, waterlines, sluices, flumes, syphons, sewer lines, pipes, other transmission lines, culverts, pumping stations, gauging stations, stream gauges, rain gauges, engines, valves, pumps, meters, junction boxes, manholes, other inlet and outlet structures, passenger cars, pickups, trucks, and other vehicles, bucket machines, inlet and outlet cleaners, backhoes, draglines, graders, other equipment, apparatus, fixtures, structures, and buildings, flood warning services, and appurtenant telephone, telegraph, radio, and television apparatus, and other water diversion, drainage, and flood control facilities, and all appurtenances and incidentals necessary, useful, or desirable for any such facilities (or any combination thereof), including real and other property therefor.
(25)
"Federal government" means the United States, or any department, agency, instrumentality, or corporation thereof.
(26)
Repealed.
(27)
"Fiscal year" for the purpose of this article means the twelve months commencing on the first day of January of any calendar year and ending on the last day of December of the same calendar year.
(28)
"Governing body" means the city council, city commission, board of commissioners, board of trustees, board of directors, or other legislative body of a public body designated in this article in which body the legislative powers of the public body are vested.
(29)
"Governor" means the de jure or de facto governor of the state of Colorado, or his successor in functions, if any.
(30)
(a)
"Gross revenues" or "gross pledged revenues" means all the revenues derived directly or indirectly from service charges by the urban district from the operation and use of and otherwise pertaining to the facilities, or any part thereof, whether resulting from repairs, extensions, enlargements, betterments, or other improvements to the facilities, or otherwise, and includes all revenues received by the district from the facilities, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all fees, rates, and other charges for the use of the facilities, or for any service rendered by the district in the operation thereof, or otherwise pertaining thereto, as received by the urban district and pledged wholly or in part for the payment of any district securities issued under this article.
(b)
"Gross revenues" or "gross pledged revenues" does not include:
(I)
The proceeds derived from any assessments or taxes;
(II)
Any moneys borrowed and used for the acquisition of capital improvements for or other acquisition of the facilities; and
(III)
Any moneys received as grants, appropriations, or other gifts from the federal government, the state, or other sources, the use of which is limited by the grantor or donor to the construction of capital improvements for or other acquisition of the facilities, except to the extent any such moneys are received as service charges for the use of or otherwise pertaining to the facilities.
(31)
(a)
"Hereby", "herein", "hereinabove", "hereinafter", "hereof", "hereunder", "herewith", or any term of similar import, refers to this article and not solely to the particular portion thereof in which such word is used.
(b)
"Heretofore" means before the adoption of this article.
(c)
"Hereafter" means after the adoption of this article.
(32)
"Holder" or any similar term, when used in conjunction with any coupons, any bonds, or any other designated district securities, means the person in possession and the apparent owner of the designated item if such obligation is registered to bearer or is not registered, or the term means the registered owner of any such security which is registrable for payment if it is at the time registered for payment otherwise than to bearer.
(33)
"Improvement" or "improve" means the extension, enlargement, betterment, alteration, reconstruction, replacement, and other major improvement (or any combination thereof) of the facilities, any property pertaining thereto, any project, or an interest therein, authorized in this article.
(34)
(a)
"Improvement district" means the geographical area within the urban district designated and delineated by the board, in which improvement district are located the facilities or project, or an interest therein, the cost of which is to be defrayed wholly or in part by the levy of special assessments, and in which improvement district is located each tract to be assessed therefor. An improvement district may consist of noncontiguous areas. Improvement districts shall be designated by consecutive numbers or in some other manner to identify separately each such district in the urban district.
(b)
"Improvement district" does not mean the "urban district" as defined in this section.
(35)
(a)
"Mailed notice", "notice by mail", or any phrase of similar import means the giving by the engineer, district secretary, district treasurer, county treasurer, any deputy thereof, or other designated person, as determined by the board or as otherwise provided in this article, of any designated written or printed notice addressed to the last-known owner of each tract assessed or to be assessed or other designated person at his last-known address, by deposit at least twenty days prior to the designated hearing or other time or event, in the United States mails, postage prepaid, as first-class mail. The failure to mail any such notice shall not invalidate any proceedings under this article.
(b)
The names and addresses of such property owners shall be obtained from the records of the county assessor or from such other source or sources as the engineer, district secretary, district treasurer, county treasurer, any deputy thereof, or other person so giving notice deems reliable. Any list of such names and addresses pertaining to any improvement district may be revised from time to time, but such a list need not be revised more frequently than at twelve-month intervals.
(c)
Any mailing of any notice required in this article shall be verified by the affidavit or certificate of the engineer, district secretary, district treasurer, county treasurer, the deputy thereof, or other person mailing the notice, which verification shall be retained in the records of the urban district at least until all assessments and securities pertaining thereto have been paid in full or any claim is barred by a statute of limitations.
(36)
(a)
"Municipality" means an incorporated town, city and county, or city, whether incorporated and governed under general act or special charter.
(b)
"Municipal" pertains to a municipality.
(37)
"Net revenues" or "net pledged revenues" means the gross pledged revenues remaining after the deduction of the "operation and maintenance expenses" as defined in this section.
(38)
"Newspaper" means a newspaper printed in the English language at least once each calendar week.
(39)
(a)
"Operation and maintenance expenses", or any phrase of similar import, means all reasonable and necessary current expenses of the district, paid or accrued, of operating, maintaining, and repairing the facilities, including without limitation, at the district's option (except as by contract or otherwise limited by law):
(I)
Engineering, auditing, reporting, legal, and other overhead expense of the district directly related to the administration, operation, and maintenance of the facilities;
(II)
Property and liability insurance and fidelity bond premiums;
(III)
Payments to pension, retirement, health, and hospitalization funds, and other insurance;
(IV)
The reasonable charges of any paying agent, any copaying agent, and any other depositary bank pertaining to any project, any bonds or other district securities pertaining thereto, or otherwise relating to the facilities;
(V)
Any taxes, assessments, excise taxes, or other charges which may be lawfully imposed on the district or its income or operations of the facilities under its control, or any privilege relating to the facilities or their operation;
(VI)
The costs incurred by the district in the collection of any taxes, assessments, and pledged revenues, and in making refunds of any taxes, assessments, or pledged revenues lawfully due to others;
(VII)
Expenses in connection with the issuance of district securities evidencing any loan to or other obligation of the district;
(VIII)
The expenses and compensation of any trustee, receiver, or other fiduciary under this article or otherwise;
(IX)
Contractual services and professional services, salaries, labor, and the cost of materials and supplies used for current operation, ordinary and current rentals of equipment, or other property; and
(X)
All other administrative, general, and commercial expenses pertaining to the facilities.
(b)
"Operation and maintenance expenses" does not include any allowance for depreciation or any amounts for capital replacements, renewals, major repairs, and maintenance items (or any combination thereof) of a type not recurring annually or at shorter intervals; nor does it include: The costs of extensions, enlargements, betterments, and other improvements (or any combination thereof), or any reserves therefor; any reserves for operation, maintenance, or repair of the facilities; any allowance for the redemption of any bond or other district security evidencing a loan or other obligation of the district, or the payment of any interest thereon, or any reserve therefor; any liabilities incurred in the acquisition or improvement of any properties comprising any project (or any combination thereof) or otherwise pertaining to the facilities, or otherwise; any other grounds of legal liability not based on contract.
(40)
"Ordinance" means the formal instrument by the adoption of which a "governing body" of any "public body" as defined in this section takes formal legislative action, whether such instrument is in the form of an ordinance, resolution, or other type of document.
(41)
(a)
"Person" means a corporation, firm, other body corporate (including the federal government or any public body), partnership, association, or individual, and also includes an executor, administrator, trustee, receiver, or other representative appointed according to law.
(b)
"Person" does not include the "urban district" as defined in this section.
(42)
"Pledged revenues" or "revenues" means all or a portion of the gross pledged revenues. The designated term indicates a source of revenues and does not necessarily indicate all or any portion or other part of such revenues in the absence of further qualification.
(43)
"Project" means such part of the facilities of the district as the board determines to acquire and authorize at one time.
(44)
"Property" means personal property and real property, both improved and unimproved.
(45)
(a)
"Publication" or "publish" means printing one time in one newspaper of general circulation in the district.
(b)
(Deleted by amendment, L. 2018.)
(46)
(a)
"Public body" means the state of Colorado or any agency, instrumentality, or corporation thereof, or any county, municipality, corporate district, housing authority, county revitalization authority, urban renewal authority, other type of authority, the regents of the university of Colorado, the state board for community colleges and occupational education, or any other body corporate and politic and political subdivision of the state.
(b)
"Public body" does not include the "federal government" nor the "urban district" as defined in this section.
(47)
"Real property" means:
(a)
Land, including land under water;
(b)
Buildings, structures, fixtures, and improvements on land;
(c)
Any property appurtenant to or used in connection with land; and
(d)
Every estate, interest, privilege, leasehold, easement, license, franchise, right-of-way, and other right in land, legal or equitable, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, rights-of-way, terms for years, and liens, charges, or encumbrances by way of judgment, mortgage, or otherwise, and the indebtedness secured by such liens.
(48)
"Revenues" means the "pledged revenues" as defined in this section.
(49)
"Secretary" means the de jure or de facto secretary of the board and the urban district, or his successor in functions, if any.
(50)
"Service charges" means the fees, rates, and other charges for the use of the facilities of the district, or for any service rendered by the district in the operation thereof, or otherwise pertaining thereto, as more specifically provided in section
32-11-306
and elsewhere in this article.
(51)
"Special assessments" means "assessment" as defined in this section.
(52)
"State" means the state of Colorado; and, where the context so indicates, "state" means the geographical area comprising the state of Colorado.
(53)
"Taxes", "taxation", or "tax" means general (ad valorem) taxes.
(54)
(a)
"Taxpaying elector" means a registered elector who owns taxable real or personal property within the district; except that, to qualify under this article 11 as a taxpaying elector, a person must also be a resident of the district.
(b)
A person who is obligated to pay taxes under a contract to purchase property in the district shall be considered as such an owner.
(c)
The ownership of any property subject to the payment of a specific ownership tax on a motor vehicle or trailer or of any other excise or property tax other than general (ad valorem) taxes shall not constitute the ownership of property subject to taxation as provided in this article.
(55)
(a)
"Tract" means any lot or other parcel of land for assessment purposes, whether platted or unplatted, regardless of lot or land lines.
(b)
Lots, plots, blocks, and other subdivisions may be designated in accordance with any recorded plat thereof; and all lands, platted and unplatted, shall be designated by a definite description, as provided in section
32-11-659
.
(56)
"Treasurer" means the de jure or de facto treasurer of the board and the urban district, or his successor in functions, if any.
(57)
"Trust bank" means a "commercial bank" as defined in this section, which bank is authorized to exercise and is exercising trust powers, and also means any branch of the federal reserve bank.
(58)
"Urban district" means "district" as defined in this section.
(59)
"United States" means the United States of America.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 387,§ 13, eff. 8/7/2024.
Amended by 2018 Ch. 22, § 1, eff. 3/7/2018.
L. 69: p. 733, § 3. C.R.S. 1963: § 89-21-3. L. 70: p. 298, § 115. L. 77: (10)(a) amended, p. 287, § 61, effective June 29. L. 81: (54)(a) amended, p. 1626, § 35, effective July 1. L. 89: (26) repealed, p. 1135, § 85, effective July 1. L. 94: (54)(a) amended, p. 1643, § 71, effective May 31. L. 96: (11)(a) amended, p. 476, § 18, effective July 1. L. 2001: (13)(a) amended, p. 266, § 5, effective November 15. L. 2004: IP(21) amended, p. 1314, § 64, effective May 28. L. 2018: IP, (45), and (54)(a) amended and (20.3) and (20.5) added, (SB 18-025), ch. 22, p. 274, § 1, effective March 7.
2024 Ch. 387, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.