To repeal sections 67.457, 67.459 and 67.461, RSMo Supp. 1995, relating to neighborhood improvement districts, and to enact in lieu thereof three new sections relating to the same subject.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI,

AS FOLLOWS:

Section A. Sections 67.457, 67.459 and 67.461, RSMo Supp. 1995, are repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 67.457, 67.459 and 67.461, to read as follows:

67.457. 1. To establish a neighborhood improvement district, the governing body of any city or county shall comply with either of the procedures described in subsection 2 or 3 of this section.

2. The governing body of any city or county proposing to create a neighborhood improvement district may by resolution submit the question of creating such district to all qualified voters residing within such district at a general or special election called for that purpose. Such resolution shall set forth the project name for the proposed improvement, the general nature of the proposed improvement, the estimated cost of such improvement, the boundaries of the proposed neighborhood improvement district to be assessed, and the proposed method or methods of assessment of real property within the district, including any provision for the annual assessment of maintenance costs of the improvement in each year after the bonds issued for the original improvement are paid in full. The governing body of the city or county may create a neighborhood improvement district when the question of creating such district has been approved by the vote of the percentage of electors within such district voting thereon that is equal to the percentage of voter approval required for the issuance of general obligation bonds of such city or county under article VI, section 26 of the constitution of this state. The notice of election containing the question of creating a neighborhood improvement district shall contain the project name for the proposed improvement, the general nature of the proposed improvement, the estimated cost of such improvement, the boundaries of the proposed neighborhood improvement district to be assessed, the proposed method or methods of assessment of real property within the district, including any provision for the annual assessment of maintenance costs of the improvement in each year after the bonds issued for the original improvement are paid in full, and a statement that the final cost of such improvement assessed against real property within the district and the amount of general obligation bonds issued therefor shall not exceed the estimated cost of such improvement, as stated in such notice, by more than twenty-five percent. The ballot upon which the question of creating a neighborhood improvement district is submitted to the qualified voters residing within the proposed district shall contain a question in substantially the following form:

Shall ............ (name of city or county) be authorized to create a neighborhood improvement district proposed for the ............. (project name for the proposed improvement) and incur indebtedness and issue general obligation bonds to pay for all or part of the cost of public improvements within such district, the cost of all indebtedness so incurred to be assessed by the governing body of the ............. (city or county) on the real property benefited by such improvements for a period of ...... years, and, if included in the resolution, an assessment in each year thereafter with the proceeds thereof used solely for maintenance of the improvement?

3. As an alternative to the procedure described in subsection 2 of this section, the governing body of a city or county may create a neighborhood improvement district when a proper petition has been signed by the owners of record of at least two-thirds by area of all real property located within such proposed district. However, if the proposed improvement involves improvements to a county road in an unincorporated area of a second, third or fourth class county, the procedure set forth in this subsection shall be the exclusive manner in which an improvement district may be created except that the petition must be signed by at least three-fourths of the owners of record of property within the proposed district excluding property owned by the state or a political subdivision. The petition, in order to become effective, shall be filed with the city clerk or county clerk. A proper petition for the creation of a neighborhood improvement district shall set forth the project name for the proposed improvement, the general nature of the proposed improvement, the estimated cost of such improvement, the boundaries of the proposed neighborhood improvement district to be assessed, the proposed method or methods of assessment of real property within the district, including any provision for the annual assessment of maintenance costs of the improvement in each year after the bonds issued for the original improvement are paid in full, a notice that the names of the signers may not be withdrawn later than seven days after the petition is filed with the city clerk or county clerk, and a notice that the final cost of such improvement assessed against real property within the district and the amount of general obligation bonds issued therefor shall not exceed the estimated cost of such improvement, as stated in such petition, by more than twenty-five percent.

4. Upon receiving the requisite voter approval at an election or upon the filing of a proper petition with the city clerk or county clerk, the governing body may by resolution or ordinance determine the advisability of the improvement and may order that the district be established and that preliminary plans and specifications for the improvement be made. Such resolution or ordinance shall state and make findings as to the project name for the proposed improvement, the nature of the improvement, the estimated cost of such improvement, the boundaries of the neighborhood improvement district to be assessed, the proposed method or methods of assessment of real property within the district, including any provision for the annual assessment of maintenance costs of the improvement in each year after the bonds issued for the original improvement are paid in full, and shall also state that the final cost of such improvement assessed against the real property within the neighborhood improvement district and the amount of general obligation bonds issued therefor shall not, without a new election or petition, exceed the estimated cost of such improvement by more than twenty-five percent.

5. The boundaries of the proposed district shall be described by metes and bounds, streets or other sufficiently specific description. The area of the neighborhood improvement district finally determined by the governing body of the city or county to be assessed may be less than, but shall not exceed, the total area comprising such district.

6. In any neighborhood improvement district organized prior to August 28, 1994, an assessment may be levied and collected after the original period approved for assessment of property within the district has expired, with the proceeds thereof used solely for maintenance of the improvement, if the residents of the neighborhood improvement district either vote to assess real property within the district for the maintenance costs in the manner prescribed in subsection 2 of this section or if the owners of two- thirds of the area of all real property located within the district sign a petition for such purpose in the same manner as prescribed in subsection 3 of this section.

67.459. The portion of the cost of any improvement to be assessed against the real property in a neighborhood improvement district shall be apportioned against such property in accordance with the benefits accruing thereto by reasons of such improvement. The cost may be assessed [equally per front foot or per square foot against property within the district or] by any [other] reasonable assessment plan determined by the governing body of the city or county which results in imposing substantially equal burdens or share of the cost upon property similarly benefited. The governing body of the city or county may from time to time determine and establish by ordinance or resolution reasonable general classifications and formulae for the methods of assessing the benefits.

67.461. 1. After the governing body has made the findings specified in section 67.457 and plans and specifications for the proposed improvements have been prepared, the governing body shall by ordinance or resolution order assessments to be made against each parcel of real property deemed to be benefited by an improvement based on the revised estimated cost of the improvement or, if available, the final cost thereof, and shall order a proposed assessment roll to be prepared.

2. The plans and specifications for the improvement and the proposed assessment roll shall be filed with the city clerk or county clerk, as applicable, and shall be open for public inspection. Such clerk shall thereupon, at the direction of the governing body, publish notice that the governing body will conduct a hearing to consider the proposed improvement and proposed assessments. Such notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation at least [once] twice with at least one notice being not more than twenty days and not less than ten days before the hearing and shall state the project name for the improvement, the date, time and place of such hearing, the general nature of the improvement, the revised estimated cost or, if available, the final cost of the improvement, the boundaries of the neighborhood improvement district to be assessed, and that written or oral objections will be considered at the hearing. At the same time, the clerk shall mail to the owners of record of the real property made liable to pay the assessments, at their last known post-office address, a notice of the hearing and a statement of the cost proposed to be assessed against the real property so owned and assessed. The failure of any owner to receive such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings.