HB 0817

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to Spring Lake Improvement District,
3	Highlands County; providing for codification of special
4	laws relating to the Spring Lake Improvement District, a
5	special tax district; providing legislative intent;
6	codifying, reenacting, and amending chapters 71-669, 77-
7	563, 88-461, and 90-434, Laws of Florida; providing for
8	minimum charter requirements; providing for provision of
9	other laws made applicable; repealing chapters 71-669, 77-
10	563, 88-461, and 90-434, Laws of Florida; providing for
11	severability; providing an effective date.
12
13	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15	Section 1.  Pursuant to chapters 97-255 and 98-320, Laws of
16	Florida, this act constitutes the codification of all special
17	acts relating to the Spring Lake Improvement District, an
18	independent special district and political subdivision of the
19	State of Florida. It is the intent of the Legislature in
20	enacting this law to provide a single, comprehensive special act
21	charter for the district, including all current legislative
22	authority granted to the district by its several legislative
23	enactments and any additional authority granted by this act. It
24	is further the intent of this act to preserve all district
25	authority, including the authority to annually assess and levy
26	against the taxable property in the district.
27	Section 2.  Chapters 71-669, 77-563, 88-461, and 90-434,
28	Laws of Florida, are codified, reenacted, amended, and repealed
29	as herein provided.
30	Section 3.  The Spring Lake Improvement District is re-
31	created, and the charter for the district is re-created and
32	reenacted to read:
33	Section 1.  Minimum charter requirements.--In accordance
34	with section 189.404(3), Florida Statutes, the following are the
35	minimum requirements for the charter of the Spring Lake
36	Improvement District:
37	(1)  The district is organized and exists for all purposes
38	set forth in this act and chapter 298, Florida Statutes, as they
39	may be amended from time to time, except as herein otherwise
40	provided.
41	(2)  The powers, functions, and duties of the district
42	regarding non-ad valorem assessments, bond issuance, other
43	revenue-raising capabilities, budget preparation and approval,
44	liens and foreclosure of liens, use of tax deeds and tax
45	certificates as appropriate for non-ad valorem assessments, and
46	contractual agreements shall be as set forth in chapters 189,
47	197, and 298, Florida Statutes, this act, or any other
48	applicable general or special law, as they may be amended from
49	time to time.
50	(3)  The district was created by the process contained in
51	chapter 298, Florida Statutes.
52	(4)  The district's charter may be amended only by special
53	act of the Legislature.
54	(5)  In accordance with chapter 298, Florida Statutes, the
55	district is governed by a board of supervisors.  The membership
56	and organization of the board shall be as set forth in this act
57	and chapter 298, Florida Statutes, as they may be amended from
58	time to time.
59	(6)  The compensation of board members shall be governed by
60	this act and chapter 298, Florida Statutes, as they may be
61	amended from time to time.
62	(7)  The administrative duties of the board shall be as set
63	forth in this act and chapter 298, Florida Statutes, as they may
64	be amended from time to time.
65	(8)  Requirements for financial disclosure, meeting
66	notices, reporting, public records maintenance, and per diem
67	expenses for officers and employees shall be as set forth in
68	this act and chapters 112, 189, 286, and 298, Florida Statutes,
69	as they may be amended from time to time.
70	(9)  The procedures and requirements governing the issuance
71	of bonds, notes, and other evidence of indebtedness by the
72	district shall be as set forth in this act and chapters 189 and
73	298, Florida Statutes, and applicable general laws, as they may
74	be amended from time to time.
75	(10)  The procedures for conducting district elections and
76	for qualification of electors shall be pursuant to this act and
77	chapters 189 and 298, Florida Statutes, and applicable general
78	laws as they may be amended from time to time.
79	(11)  The district may be financed by any method
80	established in this act, chapters 189 and 298, Florida Statutes,
81	or any applicable general laws, as they may be amended from time
82	to time.
83	(12)  In accordance with this act and chapter 298, Florida
84	Statutes, the district may continue to levy upon all of the real
85	taxable property in the district a special tax each year as
86	maintenance tax.
87	(13)  The method for collecting non-ad valorem assessments,
88	fees, or service charges shall be as set forth in this act and
89	chapters 197 and 298, Florida Statutes, as they may be amended
90	from time to time.
91	(14)  The district's planning requirements shall be as set
92	forth in chapters 189 and 298, Florida Statutes, as they may be
93	amended from time to time.
94	Section 2.  Creation of the district ratified and approved;
95	change of name of district to Spring Lake Improvement
96	District.--The decree of the circuit court of the of the Tenth
97	-The decree of the circuit court of the of the Tenth Judicial
98	Circuit in and for Highlands County, Florida, entered in Case
99	Number 1841, creating and incorporating the Spring Lake Drainage
100	District as a public corporation of this state, and all
101	subsequent proceedings taken in the circuit court concerning
102	that district, are hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved,
103	except that the boundaries of said district shall be as
104	hereinafter described. The drainage district shall henceforth be
105	known by the name of Spring Lake Improvement District, and shall
106	continue to be a public corporation of this state and have
107	perpetual existence. All lawful debts, bonds, obligations,
108	contracts, franchises, promissory notes, audits, minutes,
109	resolutions, and other undertakings of the Spring Lake Drainage
110	District are hereby validated and shall continue to be valid and
111	binding on the Spring Lake Improvement District in accordance
112	with their respective terms, conditions, covenants, and tenor.
113	Any proceeding heretofore begun under chapter 298, Florida
114	Statutes, or any other law, for the construction of any
115	improvements, works, or facilities, for the assessment of
116	benefits and damages or for the borrowing of money shall not be
117	impaired or avoided by this act, but may be continued and
118	completed in the name of the Spring Lake Improvement District.
119	Section 3.  Boundaries.--The boundaries of the district
120	shall be:
121	Spring Lake Improvement District, lying in Township
122	35, South, Range 30 East, in Highlands County,
123	Florida.
124	All that part of Section 18 lying North of the present
125	right of way of U.S. Highway No. 98 (Formerly State
126	Road No. 700) and East of the right of way of the
127	Access Road to Hendricks Field, less and except that
128	parcel thereof conveyed to Roland Droit and Lois
129	Droit, his wife, by deed dated November 1, 1951, and
130	recorded in Deed Book 127, Page 517, Public Records of
131	Highlands County, Florida.
132	All that part of Sections 16 and 17 lying North of the
133	present right of way of said U.S. Highway No. 98;
134	The East half of Section 9;
135	All of Section 10;
136	All that portion of Section 15 lying North of the
137	present right of way of said U.S. Highway No. 98;
138	The South 1/2 of Section 11 less the North 5/8 of the
139	East half of the Southeast 1/4 of said Section 11, and
140	less the East 210 feet of the West 552 feet of the
141	North 210 feet of the South 495 feet of the Southeast
142	1/4 of said Section 11, and less the present right of
143	way of said U.S. Highway No. 98 and less a tract of
144	land in Lot 5, Section 11, recorded in Deed Book 129,
145	Page 553, Public Records of Highlands County, Florida;
146	lying South and West of the Arbuckle Creek, containing
147	one acre, and less a tract of land conveyed by A. J.
148	Duncan and Hattie M. Duncan, his wife, to John C.
149	Thomas and Dorothy Mayer Thomas, his wife, and
150	recorded in Deed Book 128, Page 304, Public Records of
151	Highlands County, Florida, containing one acre;
152	All Government Lots 12 and 13 of Section 12; with the
153	reservation for an outfall ditch easement from Louis
154	H. Alsmeyer and wife, Lottie H. Alsmeyer, to the State
155	of Florida, dated October 30, 1947, recorded in Deed
156	Book 108, Page 517, and conveying a 30 foot strip of
157	land over a portion of said Government Lot 12 in
158	Section 12;
159	All of fractional Section 13;
160	All of fractional Section 14, less present right of
161	way of said U.S. Highway No. 98; and less all that
162	portion of the Subdivision of Spring Lake Section One
163	as recorded in Plat Book 9, Page 23, Public Records of
164	Highlands County, Florida;
165	All those portions of Section 15 lying South and East
166	of said right of way of said U.S. Highway No. 98 and
167	East of the East line of Spring Lake Section One
168	Subdivision, Plat Book 9, Page 23, Public Records of
169	Highlands County, Florida;
170	All that part of fractional Section 22 lying East of
171	the Southerly extension of the West line of Spring
172	Lake Section One Subdivision, Plat Book 9, Page 23,
173	Public Records of Highlands County, Florida;
174	All that part of fractional Section 23 lying Southerly
175	of the Subdivision of Spring Lake Section One, as
176	recorded in Plat Book 9, Page 23, of the Public
177	Records of Highlands County, Florida;
178	All containing 3,359 acres, more or less.
179	which said lands are included within the following
180	described boundaries:
181	Beginning at the Northwest corner of the East Half (E
182	1/2) of Section 9, Township 35 South, Range 30 East;
183	thence South 89°38'30" East along the North line of

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.