HB 1487

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27	Laws of Florida, are codified, reenacted, amended, and repealed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

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