Opinion ID: 1145145
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Authority of the City

Text: It is not questioned that cities have no inherent sovereign power, but only those granted by the legislature. [1] But it must be realized that it is impractical for statutes to spell out to the last detail all of the things city governments must do to perform the functions imposed upon them by law. This Court has in numerous cases recognized this and has held that cities have those powers which are expressly granted and also those necessarily implied to carry out such responsibilities. [2] There are a series of statutes through which the City derives its authority to enact ordinances of the character here in question. Sec. 10-8-84, U.C.A. 1953, grants to cities the authority and the duty ... to preserve the health, safety and good order of the city and its inhabitants. This idea is carried forward and echoed in Section 10-9-1, U.C.A. 1953, which provides that: For the purpose of promoting health, safety, morals and the general welfare of the community the legislative body of cities and towns is empowered to regulate and restrict ... the location and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence or other purposes. Further dealing with that subject and more specific as to the establishment of parks, Section 10-9-3 states that such regulations ... shall be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan designed to ... facilitate adequate provision for transportation, water, sewage, schools, parks and other public requirements. The Municipal Planning Enabling Act [3] empowers a city to have a planning commission which may adopt and certify to the legislative body, a master plan for the physical development of the municipality. [4] Section 10-9-22 states that the planning commission shall have such powers as may be necessary to enable it to perform its functions and promote municipal planning. Significantly, Section 10-9-25 then provides: In exercising the powers granted to it by the act, the planning commission shall prepare regulations governing the subdivision of land within the municipality. A public hearing thereon shall be held by the legislative body, after which the legislative body may adopt said regulations for the municipality. [all emphasis herein added.] If the above statutes are viewed together, and in accordance with their intent and purpose, as they should be, it seems plain enough that the ordinance in question is within the scope of authority and responsibility of the city government in the promotion of the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community. [5] Just how essential and desirable it is that cities have such authority in planning their growth is brought into sharp focus by reflecting, on the one hand, upon the conditions in the slum and ghetto areas of various cities, where there are none, or inadequate, parks and playgrounds and, on the other, upon the enrichment of life which has been conferred on other cities where there are parks, plazas, recreational and cultural areas (some of which are very famous) for the use of the public. In modern times of ever-increasing population and congestion, real estate developers buy land at high prices. From the combined pressures of competition and desire for gain, they often squeeze every lot they can into some labyrinthian plan, with only the barest minimum for tortious and circuitous streets, without any arterial ways through such subdivisions, and with little or no provision for parks, recreation areas, or even for reasonable elbow room. The need for some general planning and control is apparent, and makes manifest the wisdom underlying the delegation of powers to the cities, as is done in the statutes above referred to. As undeveloped land is improved, it is also important that some provision for flood control be made. To the extent that the establishment of subdivisions increases the need for flood control measures or recreational facilities, it is both fair and essential that subdividers be required to contribute to the costs of providing those facilities.