Chapter 398 — Park Districts; Single and Multicounty

398.01 Park Districts; Single and Multicounty Creates county park districts as bodies corporate and politic, subject to activation by county boards of commissioners. … 398.02 Board of Park District Commissioners Establishes the governing structure for park districts: a board of seven commissioners for single-county districts and … 398.03 Commissioners Provides for appointment of the first board of park district commissioners and sets initial term lengths to create … 398.04 Election of Commissioners Requires park district commissioners to be elected on a nonpartisan basis after the initial appointed terms, with … 398.05 Qualifications of Commissioners Sets qualifications for park district commissioners: must be U.S. citizens, reside within the district, and may not hold … 398.06 Board; Officers, Powers, Meetings Requires the board to elect a chair and vice-chair annually, establishes meeting and quorum rules, and grants the board … 398.07 Primary Duties Defines the primary duty of park districts as acquiring, developing, and maintaining large parks and open spaces of … 398.08 General Powers Grants park districts all rights, powers, and immunities of a municipal corporation, while making them subject to … 398.09 Specific Powers Lists specific powers of park districts, including regulating lake use, acquiring property by condemnation, entering … 398.10 Park Superintendent; Employees Requires the board to elect a park superintendent as chief administrative officer by secret ballot. Also establishes … 398.11 Instruments, Execution Requires all contracts, conveyances, and other written instruments to be signed by the board chair and secretary with … 398.12 Ordinances, Resolutions; Enactment Authorizes the board to enact ordinances after a public hearing with two weeks published notice. Ordinances take effect … 398.13 Ordinances, Enforcement Grants park district boards authority to enforce ordinances and employ police officers and attorneys. Violations are … 398.14 Records, Reports Requires the board to maintain permanent records of all proceedings and to publish reports and information about the … 398.15 Public Highways in Park Districts Addresses public highways that extend into or through park areas, allowing park district boards to cooperate with road … 398.16 Tax Levy, Budget Requires park district boards to prepare annual budgets and levy property taxes, subject to voter-approved levy limits. 398.17 Bonds Authorizes park district boards to issue general obligation bonds under Chapter 475 for park purposes, subject to voter … 398.18 Depositories Requires park district funds to be kept in depositories selected using the same procedures as county fund depositories. 398.19 Plan for Development of Parks; Recording Requires park districts to develop and approve a written development plan within 18 months of activation, to be recorded … 398.20 Park Districts Establishes the process for activating park districts, including boundary determination, county board petitions, voter … 398.21 Enlargement of Districts Provides a procedure for enlarging park district boundaries to include adjacent territory, whether in the same county or … 398.31 Application; Exercise of Powers Establishes the applicability of sections 398.31 through 398.36, which grant county boards direct authority to establish … 398.32 County Parks Authorizes counties to acquire land for parks by purchase, lease, gift, or condemnation, and to establish, improve, and … 398.33 Funds Authorizes counties to levy property taxes and issue bonds for county park purposes, with specific levy and bonding … 398.34 Ordinances Authorizes county boards to enact and enforce park ordinances, with violations punishable as petty misdemeanors carrying … 398.35 Personnel Authorizes counties to appoint park superintendents and other personnel to manage county parks. 398.36 County Park Commission Authorizes county boards to create county park commissions and delegate park management authority to them. 398.37 Provisions Are Supplementary Declares that the county park provisions in sections 398.31 to 398.36 are supplementary to and do not repeal existing …