Opinion ID: 2134903
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Relief Granted by District Court.

Text: Iowa Code section 368.22 allows a court to reverse and remand a decision of the board ... with appropriate directions. Iowa Code § 368.22. Section 368.22 replaced section 17A.19(8) giving the court power to reverse, modify, or grant any other appropriate relief from the agency action, equitable or legal and including declaratory relief.... See id. §§ 17A.19(8), 368.22(3). The district court ordered what it characterized as equitable relief in this case. It held the board's failure to act left Waukee without a remedy. It remanded the case and ordered the CDB to approve Waukee's voluntary application. The CDB claims the court exceeded its jurisdiction by ordering such relief. It contends that in ordering equitable relief the court improperly reached the merits of the controversyexercising original rather than appellate jurisdiction in this matter. Waukee contends the district court was compelled as a matter of law to order the relief it did. See Johnston, 344 N.W.2d at 240. Waukee argues that under Senate File 4 voluntary annexation applications must be approved by the board unless one of three findings enumerated by Senate File 4 are made. Because there is no dispute that the CDB failed to make those findings, Waukee argues the applications must be approved as a matter of law. See id. However, we believe the legislature stopped short of creating a self-executing voluntary annexation application approval process. Senate File 4 does not state that the failure of the board to approve a voluntary application shall result in the automatic approval of the application. See 1991 Iowa Acts ch. 250, § 4. The decision to approve or deny an application must still come from the board. Id. (The board shall approve the application for voluntary annexation....) (emphasis added). In addition, we believe the doctrine of primary jurisdiction compels us to leave the resolution of the merits of this controversy to the CDB. See Rowen, 230 N.W.2d at 909. The legislature, in enacting chapter 368, placed questions involving the annexation of land within the special competence of the CDB. See id.; Iowa Code ch. 368. We believe the legislature intended to insure that in appeals from chapter 368 cases appellate courts do not originally determine the merits of the controversies before them. Reviewing courts are granted the power to reverse and remand with appropriate directions. Iowa Code § 368.22. Our directions on remand are binding on lower tribunals. See Kuhlmann v. Persinger, 261 Iowa 461, 468, 154 N.W.2d 860, 864 (1967); Iowa-Illinois Gas & Elec. Co. v. Gaffney, 256 Iowa 1029, 1040, 129 N.W.2d 832, 838 (1964). Accordingly, we remand this case to the CDB for further action. On remand, the CDB must either approve or deny Waukee's application. It is clear the legislature envisioned the voluntary annexation process to take no longer than ninety days to complete. See 1991 Iowa Acts ch. 250, § 4. That time period elapsed nearly two-and-a-half years ago. Therefore, to ensure a closure of this matter we direct the CDB to make a decision on Waukee's application within sixty days of the date of this order. AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, REMANDED TO CITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD WITH DIRECTIONS.