1998 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 694 – Fire protection dist comm, members

HOUSE BILL NO. 694

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H0694...................................................by LOCAL GOVERNMENT
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT - Amends and adds to existing law to authorize the
board of commissioners of a fire protection district to expand from three
to five members; to provide that if that happens and the district
encompasses more than one county, not more than three members shall be from
one county, to provide for subdistricts; and to provide for a five member
board upon consolidation of fire protection districts.

02/13    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/16    Rpt prt - to Loc Gov
02/25    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/26    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/03    3rd rdg - PASSED - 67-0-3
      AYES -- Alltus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bell, Bieter, Bivens,
      Black(15), Black(23), Boe, Bruneel, Callister, Campbell, Chase,
      Clark, Crane, Crow, Cuddy, Deal, Denney, Ellsworth, Field(13),
      Field(20), Gagner, Geddes, Gould, Hadley, Hansen, Henbest, Hornbeck,
      Jaquet, Jones(9), Jones(22), Jones(20), Judd, Kellogg, Kempton,
      Kendell, Kjellander, Kunz, Lake, Linford, Loertscher, Mader, Marley,
      McKague, Meyer, Miller, Mortensen, Newcomb, Pischner, Pomeroy,
      Reynolds, Richman, Ridinger, Sali, Schaefer, Stevenson, Stoicheff,
      Stone, Stubbs, Taylor, Tilman, Tippets, Trail, Watson, Wheeler,
      Zimmermann
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Robison, Wood, Mr Speaker
    Floor Sponsor - Clark
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/04    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Loc Gov
03/10    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/11    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/18    3rd rdg - PASSED - 34-0-1
      AYES--Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron,
      Crow, Danielson, Darrington, Deide, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes,
      Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, King, Lee, McLaughlin, Noh, Parry,
      Richardson, Riggs, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Sorensen, Stennett,
      Sweeney, Thorne, Twiggs, Wheeler, Whitworth
      NAYS--None
      Absent and excused--Hansen
    Floor Sponsor - 34-0-1
    Title apvd - to House
03/19    To enrol - rpt enrol - Sp signed
    Pres signed - to Governor
03/20    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 190
         Effective: 07/01/98

Bill Text


H0694


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                             IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 694

                              BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS; AMENDING SECTION 31-1408,  IDAHO  CODE,
 3        TO  PROVIDE  IF  A  BOARD  IS COMPRISED OF FIVE MEMBERS THAT NOT MORE THAN
 4        THREE OF THE COMMISSIONERS SHALL BE FROM THE SAME COUNTY; AMENDING CHAPTER
 5        14, TITLE 31, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 31-1408A, IDAHO
 6        CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT SUBSEQUENT TO THE CREATION OF A FIRE PROTECTION DIS-
 7        TRICT AND THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FIRST BOARD OF  FIRE  PROTECTION  COMMIS-
 8        SIONERS,  THE  FIRE  PROTECTION BOARD MAY BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF ALL OF THE
 9        FIRE PROTECTION BOARD MEMBERS ELECT TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE  BOARD  TO
10        FIVE MEMBERS, TO PROVIDE FOR TERMS AND TO PROVIDE FOR SUBDISTRICTS; AMEND-
11        ING  SECTION 31-1410, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE AT THE JANUARY MEETING OF THE
12        BOARD OF FIRE PROTECTION COMMISSIONERS PRECEDING ANY  REGULARLY  SCHEDULED
13        ELECTION,  THE SUBDISTRICTS SHALL BE REVISED AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE REVI-
14        SION OF SUBDISTRICTS SHALL NOT DISQUALIFY ANY  ELECTED  COMMISSIONER  FROM
15        THE COMPETITION OF THE TERM FOR WHICH HE OR SHE HAS BEEN DULY ELECTED; AND
16        AMENDING  SECTION  31-1411A, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE IF FIVE MEMBERS ARE ON
17        THE BOARD OF THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, TO PROVIDE  FOR  TERMS  AND  TO
18        MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

19    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

20        SECTION  1.  That  Section 31-1408, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
21    amended to read as follows:

22        31-1408.  FIRE PROTECTION BOARD -- APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS  --  OATH.
23    There  shall  be three (3) fire protection commissioners in each district, who
24    shall constitute the fire protection board. The first fire protection  commis-
25    sioners  of  such fire protection district shall be appointed by the governor.
26    The certificate of such appointment shall be made in triplicate; one (1)  cer-
27    tificate  shall  be  filed in the office of the county recorder of the county;
28    one (1) with the clerk of the board of county commissioners, and one (1)  with
29    the  assessor  and  tax collector of the county. Every fire protection commis-
30    sioner shall take and subscribe the official oath, which oath shall  be  filed
31    in  the  office of the board of fire protection commissioners. If the district
32    is situated in two (2) or more counties, not more than two  (2)  of  the  fire
33    protection  district commissioners shall be from the same county , unless
34    the board is comprised of five (5) members, in which event not more than three
35    (3) of the commissioners shall be from the same county .

36        SECTION 2.  That Chapter 14, Title 31, Idaho Code, be,  and  the  same  is
37    hereby  amended  by  the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION , to be
38    known and designated as Section 31-1408A, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

39        31-1408A.  DECISION TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE BOARD. Subsequent  to  the
40    creation  of a fire protection district and the appointment of the first board
41    of fire protection commissioners, the fire protection board may, by a majority


                                          2

 1    vote of all of the fire protection district board members  elect  to  increase
 2    the size of the board to five (5) members.
 3        If the board of fire protection commissioners elect to expand the board to
 4    five (5) members, the existing board members shall subdivide the district into
 5    five (5) subdivisions as nearly equal in population, area and mileage as prac-
 6    ticable to be known as subdistricts one, two, three, four and five.
 7        At  the first election following the decision of the board of fire protec-
 8    tion commissioners to expand the board from three (3)  to  five  (5)  members,
 9    five  (5)  commissioners  shall be elected. Commissioners from fire protection
10    subdistricts one, three and five shall be elected for terms of four (4)  years
11    and  the commissioners from subdistricts two (2) and four (4) shall be elected
12    for a term of two (2) years.  Thereafter, the term of all commissioners  shall
13    be four (4) years.


14        SECTION  3.  That  Section 31-1410, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
15    amended to read as follows:

16        31-1410.  ELECTION OF COMMISSIONERS. On the first  Tuesday  following  the
17    first Monday of November, following the organization of a fire protection dis-
18    trict,  three  (3)  fire  protection  district commissioners shall be elected.
19    Every alternate year thereafter, one (1) or two  (2)  commissioners  shall  be
20    elected  in  the  manner following: The board of fire protection commissioners
21    shall have power to make such regulations for the conduct of such election  as
22    are  consistent  with  the statutory provisions of chapter 14, title 34, Idaho
23    Code. At their meeting next preceding such election, the board of fire protec-
24    tion commissioners shall divide the district into three (3)  subdivisions
25      subdistricts  as nearly equal in population, area and mile-
26    age as practicable, to be known as fire protection commissioners  subdistricts
27    one,  two  and three. Thereafter , at the January meeting of the board of
28    fire protection commissioners  preceding  any  regularly  scheduled  election,
29      such   subdivisions may   subdistricts shall  be
30    revised but, of the commissioners comprising the board, not more than one  (1)
31    commissioner  shall  be  an  elector of the same fire protection commissioners
32    subdistrict.  The revision  of  subdistricts  shall  not  disqualify  any
33    elected  commissioner  from the completion of the term for which he or she has
34    been duly elected.   At the first election following organization  of  a
35    fire  protection  district commissioners from fire protection subdistricts one
36    and two shall be elected for terms of four (4)  years,  and  the  commissioner
37    from  fire protection subdistrict three shall be elected for a term of two (2)
38    years; thereafter the term of office of all commissioners shall  be  four  (4)
39    years.  Such  elections  and all other elections held under this law, shall be
40    held in conformity with the general laws of the state  including  chapter  14,
41    title 34, Idaho Code.
42        In  any  election  for fire protection district commissioner, if after the
43    deadline for filing a declaration  of  intent  as  a  write-in  candidate,  it
44    appears that only one (1) qualified candidate has been nominated for a subdis-
45    trict  to  be filled, it shall not be necessary for the candidate of that sub-
46    district to stand for election, and the board of the fire protection  district
47    shall declare such candidate elected as commissioner, and the secretary of the
48    district  shall  immediately  make and deliver to such person a certificate of
49    election.
50        The results of any election  for  fire  protection  district  commissioner
51    shall  be certified to the county clerk of the county or counties in which the
52    district is located.


                                          3

 1        SECTION 4.  That Section 31-1411A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is  hereby
 2    amended to read as follows:

 3        31-1411A.  CONSOLIDATION  OF  DISTRICTS -- HEARING -- PROTEST -- ELECTION.
 4    Any fire protection district may consolidate with one  (1)  or  more  existing
 5    fire  protection  districts subject to the following procedure, or pursuant to
 6    an election for consolidation as provided in section 31-1411B, Idaho Code, and
 7    with the following effects:
 8        (a)  If, in the opinion of the board of any fire protection  district,  it
 9    would be to the advantage of said district to consolidate with one (1) or more
10    other  existing  fire  protection  districts, the said board shall cause to be
11    prepared an agreement for consolidation which shall among  other  things  pro-
12    vide:
13        (1)  The name of the proposed consolidated fire protection district.
14        (2)  That  all  property  of the districts to be consolidated shall become
15        the property of the consolidated district.
16        (3)  That all debts of the districts to be consolidated shall  become  the
17        debts of the consolidated district.
18        (4)  That  the  existing commissioners of the districts to be consolidated
19        shall be the commissioners of the consolidated  district  until  the  next
20        election,  said  election  to  be  held  pursuant  to the terms of section
21        31-1410,  Idaho  Code,  at  which  three  (3)   commissioners   shall   be
22        elected  .  , unless the agreement of consolidation estab-
23        lishes a five (5) member board, in which case five (5) commissioners shall
24        be elected.  If the board consists of three (3)  members,     C
25        ommissioners  from fire protection subdistricts one  (1) 
26        and two  (2)  shall be elected for terms of four (4) years, and
27        the commissioner from fire protection subdistrict three   (3)  
28        shall be elected for a term of two (2) years.   If the board consists
29        of five (5) commissioners, commissioners from fire protection subdistricts
30        one,  three and five shall be elected for terms of four (4) years, and the
31        commissioners from fire protection subdistricts  two  and  four  shall  be
32        elected  for  an initial term of two (2) years. Thereafter the term of all
33        commissioners shall be four (4) years. 
34        (5)  That the employees of the consolidated fire protection district shall
35        be selected from the employees of the fire protection districts being con-
36        solidated, which employees shall retain the seniority rights  under  their
37        existing employment contracts.
38        (b)  After approval of said agreement of consolidation by each of the fire
39    protection  district boards involved, the boards of commissioners of each fire
40    protection district shall hold a hearing not less than ten (10) or  more  than
41    thirty (30) days thereafter, and shall cause notice of said hearing, designat-
42    ing  the  time and place, to be published in at least one (1) issue of a news-
43    paper of general circulation within the district not less than five  (5)  days
44    prior  to  such  hearing.  Any person supporting or objecting to such petition
45    shall be heard at such meeting, if in attendance, and at  the  close  of  such
46    hearing  said board shall approve or reject the agreement of consolidation. If
47    each board approves the agreement of consolidation, the agreement shall become
48    effective and the consolidation of said district  complete  thirty  (30)  days
49    after  such  approval unless within such thirty (30) days a petition signed by
50    five per cent (5%) of the qualified electors of one  of  the  fire  protection
51    districts  objecting to such consolidation be filed with the secretary of such
52    district. In the event of such objection, election shall be held  as  provided
53    in   section   31-1405,   Idaho  Code,  except  that  the  question  shall  be
54    "consolidation of .... fire protection district, yes",  or  "consolidation  of


                                          4

 1    ....  fire protection district, no", or words equivalent thereto. If more than
 2    one-half (1/2) of the votes cast are yes, the agreement  shall  become  effec-
 3    tive.  If  more  than  one-half  (1/2) of the votes cast are no, the agreement
 4    shall be void and of no effect; and no new consolidation shall be proposed for
 5    at least six (6) months following the date of the consolidation election.
 6        (c)  Upon the agreement of consolidation becoming effective, the board  of
 7    the  consolidated  fire protection district shall file a certified copy of the
 8    agreement with the county recorder of each county in which  such  district  is
 9    situated,  and shall comply with the provisions of section 63-215, Idaho Code.
10    The consolidated district shall thereafter have the same  rights  and  obliga-
11    tions  as  any  other fire protection district organized under the statutes of
12    this state.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





                            STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
    
                                  RS 08010
    
    The purpose of these amendments is to allow the boards of 
    fire protection commissioners to increase their size from 
    three (3) to five (5) members, at the option of the boards, to 
    provide better representation in districts where there has 
    occurred rapid growth, or an increase in size due to 
    annexation or consolidation of districts.
    
                                FISCAL NOTE
    
    The compensation for additional board members would be 
    paid from the treasury of the district, with no impact on the 
    general fund.
    
    CONTACT:
    Charles B Lempesis
    1-800-644-4529
    
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE
    
    H 694