Opinion ID: 2590389
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: The Commercial Development Petition would execute the City's existing plans and ordinances. Under the first guideline, this petition is administrative in character.

Text: Appellants maintain the Commercial Development Petition is legislative because it imposes the first restriction on the City's ability to condemn or rezone property in the protected areas. The City argues the proposed ordinance is administrative because it attempts to restrict the City's existing authority to rezone property or exercise its eminent domain authority. The Commercial Development Petition is not new law. It pertains to a segment of the City's existing development plans and ordinances and would prevent the City's execution of its existing law. Under this first guideline, it should be characterized as administrative. The City authorized its planning commission to make a comprehensive plan for the City's development and redevelopment. Code of the City of Fairway, Kansas, Ordinance 15-2-201 (Fairway City Code 1976). The commission is required to reconsider this plan annually. Ordinance 15-2-205 (Fairway City Code 1976). The plan's purpose is to constitute the basis or guide to insure a coordinated and harmonious development or redevelopment of the City which will best promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity and general welfare of the City as well as wise and efficient expenditure of public funds. Ordinance 15-2-201. The planning commission adopted a comprehensive plan, which details the City's needs and goals for city planning including infrastructure, storm water management, public safety, taxes, residential property, commercial property, and recreational areas. If adopted, the Commercial Development Petition would impact a portion of that existing policy. In this regard, the Commercial Development Petition is analogous to the proposed ordinance in City of Lawrence v. McArdle, 214 Kan. 862, 522 P.2d 420 (1974), where the electors submitted a petition to equalize police and firemen's pay. As discussed above, we held in McArdle that the proposed ordinance was administrative because it dealt with a small segment of the City's personnel issues. 214 Kan. at 866, 871-72, 522 P.2d 420. We stated that [n]o group of employees can be considered in isolation, without regard to the city's overall financial picture. 214 Kan. at 871, 522 P.2d 420. Likewise, zoning issues cannot be considered in isolation but must be considered within an overall plan. Finally, we agree the Commercial Development Petition would be permanent, which is another factor under this guideline. But a proposed ordinance is not legislative just because it is permanent in nature. Instead, the more appropriate characterization under this guideline is to deem the proposed ordinance administrative because it seeks to impact a select portion of the City's overall comprehensive planning.