Opinion ID: 2453721
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 19

Heading: Standard of Review and the Statute

Text: This issue involves statutory interpretation and the jurisdiction of the district court. Interpretation of a statute is a question of law over which an appellate court has unlimited review. Double M Constr. v. Kansas Corporation Comm'n, 288 Kan. 268, 271, 202 P.3d 7 (2009). Also, jurisdictional questions are questions of law over which appellate review is unlimited. Harsch v. Miller, 288 Kan. 280, 286, 200 P.3d 467 (2009). When interpreting a statute, an appellate court must first determine the legislature's intent by reviewing the statutory language used and giving ordinary words their ordinary meaning. Double M Constr., 288 Kan. at 271, 202 P.3d 7. `[O]nly if the statute's language or text is unclear or ambiguous [do] we move to the next analytical step, applying canons of construction or relying on legislative history construing the statute to effect the legislature's intent.' Double M Constr., 288 Kan. at 271-72, 202 P.3d 7 (quoting In re K.M.H., 285 Kan. 53, 79, 169 P.3d 1025 [2007], cert. denied ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 36, 172 L.Ed.2d 239 [2008]). We are called on to apply these rules to the following provisions from the KRTA: (b) If the responsible party is not a governmental entity, the responsible party shall file with the county clerk of each county where a portion of the recreational trail is or will be located a bond or proof of an escrow account in a Kansas financial institution, as defined by K.S.A. 16-117 and amendments thereto, payable to the county. The bond or proof of an escrow account shall be filed at the time of transfer of the deed to the responsible party and annually thereafter. The bond or escrow account shall be conditioned on the responsible party's performance, and shall be in an amount agreed upon between the responsible party and the county commission as sufficient to fully cover the annual costs, of: (1) Weed control along the trail, as required by subsection (a)(1); (2) litter control along the trail, as required by subsection (a)(4); (3) maintenance of the trail in a condition that does not create a fire hazard, as required by subsection (a)(5); (4) installation and maintenance of fencing between the trail and adjacent property within the county, as required by subsection (a)(10); and (5) installation and maintenance of signs along the trail, as required by subsections (a)(3), (a)(4) and (a)(11)(C). . . . . (d) The provisions of this section shall apply to all recreational trails, regardless of when approval to enter into negotiations for interim trail use is or was received from the appropriate federal agency. (Emphasis added.) K.S.A. 58-3212(b), (d).