Opinion ID: 1166755
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: The facts of this case are undisputed. In December 1996, Richfield City adopted a resolution proposing to create Richfield City Special Improvement District 1997-1 for repaving and installation of curb and gutter on certain city streets. The City then mailed a notice of intention to each owner of property to be assessed within the SID and published the same in the local newspaper as required by Utah Code Ann. §§ 17A-3-305 and -306. This notice provided that the SID would be created unless protests representing at least 50% of the assessable front footage were filed by January 13, 1997. Both Pappas and the Sevier School District owned property in the proposed SID. Before the expiration of the protest deadline, Pappas filed a protest opposing the creation of the SID. The school district, on the other hand, unanimously passed a resolution that it would not protest the SID. The school district later passed another resolution, which stated in part: RESOLVED that the Board of Education of Sevier School District (District or Board of Education) requests, under § 17A-3-315, U.C.A.1953 that the District be included in the Richfield City Special Improvement District 1997-1 (Special Improvement District) as provided in § 17A-3-16(2) and the Board of Education hereby voluntarily consents to an assessment and the levy of assessments on those properties described hereinafter and in its participation in the Special Improvement District, the Board of Education requests under § 17A-3-315(1) that the services and materials be rendered and supplied by the City of Richfield to the property of the District hereinafter described, the same and as part of the assessments which are to be levied under § 17A-3-307(3)(b)(i). (Emphasis added.) At the expiration of the protest deadline, the total number of filed protests opposing the SID equaled 12,836.53 linear feet. The city engineer determined that there was a total of 28,306.41 linear feet of assessable frontage within the proposed SID. However, this total included 4,138.13 linear feet of property that was owned by the school district. Thus, by including the school district property in the calculation of the total front footage, the protests filed amounted to only 45% of the front footage, not sufficient to defeat the SID. But if the school district property had been excluded from the calculation, then the protests would have equaled 53% of the front footage, more than sufficient to defeat the SID. See Utah Code Ann. § 17A-3-307(3)(b)(i). On the basis of the city engineer's calculations, the City determined that the SID had not been defeated by the protests. Following the creation of the SID, Pappas filed this action alleging that the protests were sufficient to defeat the SID because the school district property was exempt from assessment by the City, and therefore could not be included in the total calculation of assessable front footage. He sought a permanent restraining order enjoining the City from proceeding with the creation of the SID and the assessment. The City answered the complaint contending that the school district property was properly included in the total calculation because the school district had voluntarily consented to the assessment. Both Pappas and the City moved for summary judgment in the court below. After considering the parties' arguments, the court granted the City's motion, holding that the school district property was correctly included in the calculation of assessable front footage and that the creation of the SID was therefore valid. Pappas appeals.