Opinion ID: 1828678
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Annexation Statute.

Text: Iowa Code chapter 368 governs annexation proceedings and establishes procedures for city development and annexation matters. The board is established by Iowa Code section 368.9, and the procedures for annexation, both voluntary and involuntary, are established by other sections of chapter 368. Proceedings for involuntary annexation are established by Iowa Code sections 368.11 and following. A petition for involuntary annexation may be filed with the board by persons or entities such as cities or boards of supervisors in the area to be annexed. Iowa Code section 368.11 requires notice before filing the petition: At least ten days before a petition for involuntary annexation is filed as provided in this section, the petitioner shall make its intention known by sending a letter of intent by certified mail to the council of each city whose urbanized area contains a portion of the territory, the board of supervisors of each county which contains a portion of the territory, the regional planning authority of the territory involved, each affected public utility, and to each property owner listed in the petition. The written notification shall include notice that the petitioners shall hold a public meeting on the petition for involuntary annexation prior to the filing of the petition. Also, under section 368.11, [b]efore a petition for involuntary annexation may be filed, the petitioner shall hold a public meeting on the petition. Notice of the meeting shall be published in an official county newspaper in each county which contains a part of the territory at least five days before the date of the public meeting. The mayor of the city proposing to annex the area, or that person's designee, shall serve as chairperson of the public meeting. The city clerk of the same city or the city clerk's designee shall record the proceedings of the public meeting. Any person attending the meeting may submit written comments and may be heard on the petition. The minutes of the public meeting and all documents submitted at the public meeting shall be forwarded to the board by the chairperson of the meeting. It is only at the point at which these documents are forwarded to the board that the board becomes involved in the annexation process. At that point, the board has two choices: (1) it may dismiss the petition under section 368.12 because it does not meet the requirements of this chapter or a similar proposal has been rejected within the past two years; or (2) if the board does not dismiss the petition, it is to proceed with the next step: directing the appointment of local representatives to serve with board members as a committee to consider the proposal. Iowa Code § 368.14. (This committee is not given a name in the statute, and parties to this appeal simply call it the committee.) The committee is to be made up of the members of the board and representatives of affected cities and counties. Id. In this case, the board elected not to dismiss the petition but rather take the next step by directing the appointment of the committee members. Under section 368.15, [t]he committee shall conduct a public hearing on a proposal as soon as practicable, serving notice of a hearing to the city council, boards of supervisors, and regional planning authorities affected. In addition, under section 368.15, the committee is to publish notice which includes a brief description of the proposal and a statement of where the petition or plan is available for public inspection. Section 368.15 then provides: Any person may submit written briefs, and in the committee's discretion, may be heard on the proposal. The board may subpoena witnesses and documents relevant to their proposal. (Emphasis added.) After the published notice and hearing, the authority of the committee is closely circumscribed. Section 368.16 provides that [s]ubject to section 368.17 [specific grounds that will bar approval], the committee shall approve any proposal which it finds to be in the public interest. (Emphasis added.) Iowa Code section 368.18, an amendment provision, is the subject of disagreement among the parties. The argument is whether this provision authorizes the committee to amend a petition by correcting the legal description. This section provides: The committee may amend the petition or plan. If a petition or plan is substantially amended, the committee shall continue the hearing to a later date and serve and publish a notice describing the amended petition or plan, as required in section 368.15. The board and city contend this section allows the committee to amend any defect in the petition, including the legal description, so when the board refused to allow the city's amendment, it was not a final decision as to the description. After the final hearing, [t]he committee shall approve or disapprove the petition or plan as amended, within ninety days of the final hearing, and shall file its decision for record and promptly notify the parties to the proceeding of its decision. If a petition or plan is approved, the board shall set a date not less than thirty days nor more than ninety days after approval for a special election on the proposal.... Iowa Code § 368.19 (emphasis added). After the commissioner of elections certifies the result of the election, the board serves and publishes notice of the results and files copies of the proceedings with the Secretary of State and various local entities. Iowa Code § 368.20.