H.B. 616 Summary

• Creates water improvement districts as governmental entities that can be established by county commissioners to facilitate funding, financing, constructing, reconstructing, or repairing water and wastewater projects.

• Each district is governed by a 5-voting-member board of trustees (county sanitary/engineer, four county-appointed members with water management experience) plus one nonvoting regional planning commission member.

• Authorizes districts to issue revenue bonds, levy special assessments on benefiting properties (up to 10% of assessable value), acquire property, and enter intergovernmental agreements with other agencies to operate and maintain projects.

• Establishes water improvement district appeals boards in each county with 11 voting members and 1 nonvoting member to have exclusive original jurisdiction over actions regarding wastewater and water management facilities in that county.

• Bonds issued are not state debt, payable solely from pledged revenues; districts are exempt from state and local taxes; the act takes effect immediately as an emergency measure to promote water projects in rapidly developing areas.