SCS/SBs 258 & 228 - This act makes the following changes to the Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) law:

(1) The counties of Boone and Clay may, upon voter approval, issue general obligation bonds to finance neighborhood improvement district projects;

(2) Allows for a levy against property in the district to pay maintenance costs prior to the retirement of bonds which were issued for the original improvements. Currently, maintenance costs may only be recouped through an annual assessment after the bonds are retired;

(3) In a city or a county other than Jackson, St. Louis or St. Charles counties, the petition to form an NID must be signed by at least 2/3 of the owners of record in the proposed NID, exclusive of property owned by the State or a political subdivision. In Jackson, St. Louis and St. Charles counties, the owners of record of at least 2/3 by area must sign the petition. The petition shall be the exclusive procedure to form a district which proposes to improve a county road in an unincorporated area of a second, third or fourth classification county except that the county commission may place the issue on the ballot upon receiving a petition signed by 4/7 of the voters in the proposed district;

(4) Requires the notice of the public hearing to be published at least three times with at least one notice being not more than 20 days and not less than 10 days before the hearing. Currently, the notice must be published only once. The NID must reimburse the clerk's office for the cost of the advertisement. Individual notices must still be mailed to all property owners in the proposed district remains at 10 percent for first classification counties. In other counties, the amount is not to exceed 20 cents per 100 dollars assessed valuation;

(5) Allows the option to finance a NID through an annual levy against the assessed valuation of the property in the NID.

(6) Allows county commissions to remove members of boards appointed by the commission for nonattendance, and authorizes counties to adopt orders or ordinances requiring the repair or demolition of buildings. Cities and first classification counties already have this authority. This part of the act is similar to SS/SCS/SBs 723 and 891 (1996).

JOAN GUMMELS