Kansas Statutes
Article 38 - Industrial Districts
19-3808 Powers of industrial districts; limitations.

19-3808. Powers of industrial districts; limitations. Subject to the prior and superior jurisdiction of the federal, state, county, city and township governments over public roads and their responsibility therefor, and also subject to the prior or superior rights of any public or municipal body or public utility to operate facilities, services and public utilities in the county and state, every industrial district incorporated as provided by this act shall have the following powers in such districts:
(1) To adopt a corporate seal;
(2) to sue and to be sued in its corporate name;
(3) to plan and construct facilities commonly required by industries such as storm and sanitary sewers, sewage disposal systems, steam lines, streets, street lighting, waterworks, water wells, water lines, fire stations and fire fighting apparatus, incinerating plants, dumps for industrial waste, administration offices, shelter stations or any public improvements necessary or conducive to the public health, safety, convenience and general welfare;
(4) to purchase, lease, rent or acquire such real estate and personal property for public purposes as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and objects of the district; and to contract to sell, sell and convey, or otherwise dispose of any such real or personal property upon such terms and conditions as are approved by the directors of the industrial district, in order to carry out the purposes and objects of the district;
(5) to exercise all the rights and powers of eminent domain within the district in the manner set forth in K.S.A. 26-501 to 26-516, inclusive, and amendments thereto;
(6) to levy and collect annually a general tax. Except as provided by subsection (13), such tax shall not exceed five mills on the dollar on all taxable tangible property within the district to create a general fund for the purposes and objects of the district and to expend the same;
(7) to issue general obligation bonds, without an election but in the manner and subject to the limitations provided by this section, to pay the cost of constructing streets, street lighting, storm sewers, fire stations and fire fighting apparatus, administrative offices and any public improvement necessary or conducive to the general health, safety and convenience and general welfare, which will benefit all property situated within the district. General obligation bonds shall not be issued in any case in which the proposed work or improvements is of the character described in subsection (9) of this section unless written consent is given by the land owners of 90% of the total area of land in the district. The total amount of general obligation bonds outstanding shall not exceed 25% of the assessed valuation of the district as shown by the latest assessment rolls unless written consent is given by the land owners of 90% of the total area of the land in the district. General obligation bonds issued by the district for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, enlarging or improving any storm or sanitary sewer system shall not be included for computing the total amount of general obligation bonds outstanding;
(8) to levy taxes for the retirement of the bonds;
(9) to issue and sell revenue bonds in payment of the cost of construction, reconstruction, extension, enlargement, improvement, alteration or repair of industrial waste and sanitary sewers, sewage disposal systems, steam lines, waterworks, water wells, water lines, incinerating plants, or any utility, instrumentality or facility of a revenue producing character, to fix by resolution such rents, fees and charges for the use thereof or services therefrom as may be reasonable and necessary and to provide for the manner of collecting and dispensing of such revenues subject to the provisions and limitations provided by this section;
(10) to accept grants, gifts or donations of land or other property, or the use thereof, for any lawful purpose;
(11) to staff, equip and provide first-aid facilities for persons injured in the district and to build or contract for such hospital facilities as may be deemed necessary;
(12) to employ and fix the compensation of engineers, attorneys and such other employees as may be necessary to administer and carry out the purposes of the district;
(13) to contract with and pay any city, township or fire district in close proximity thereto for auxiliary fire protection and to contract with any county, city, township, drainage district or other public body or any agency thereof on a cooperative basis for services, facilities or improvements and to do such other things that would be to the mutual benefit of the industrial district and any other public body or bodies or any agency thereof. Any industrial district located within Reno county may levy and collect annually a tax in an amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection; such tax shall be in addition to the tax authorized by subsection (6). No such district shall enter into any contract for or permit any privately owned utility, or any person, firm or corporation to furnish, supply or distribute electric energy, water or steam to such district whenever there is a municipally owned water or light plant located in the city adjacent to such industrial district, without the official consent of the governing body of such city and the consent of the board of public utilities of such city where such plant or plants are governed or operated by such board of public utilities;
(14) to establish by resolution of the board of directors reasonable rates or charges for the use of the sewage disposal system or waterworks system of the district and provide for the manner of the making and collection of the same. Sewage disposal system for the purposes of this act shall include the system of sewers and the sewage disposal plant of the district;
(15) to make all contracts and do all other acts in relation to the affairs of the district necessary to the proper exercise of its corporate powers and to the accomplishment of the purpose of its organization; and
(16) to do all other acts that may be necessary to execute the general powers granted by this section, although not specifically enumerated.
History: L. 1957, ch. 196, § 8; L. 1961, ch. 161, § 1; 1963, ch. 234, § 52; L. 1967, ch. 158, § 1; L. 1981, ch. 127, § 3; L. 1982, ch. 126, § 1; L. 1992, ch. 140, § 1; July 1.