HS HCS HB 686 -- RECREATIONAL SYSTEMS OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
(Murray)

This substitute allows for the creation of a Metropolitan Park
and Recreation District.  The district may include and is
limited to St. Louis County or any county within the St. Louis
standard metropolitan statistical area.  A county may be
included in a district if approved by the voters of the county.
The primary duty of the district is the development, operation,
and maintenance of a public system of interconnecting trails and
parks throughout the counties forming the district.  Any
recreational system or public park system that exists within a
metropolitan district will remain in the district and will not
cease to exist.  The trails and parks controlled and maintained
by a district in St. Charles County will be operated by the
county parks department.

A governing body of a county located within a district may
impose by ordinance a one-tenth of one cent sales tax on all
retail sales to create and fund the district.  The tax must
receive voter approval and is subject to allocation provisions
specified in the substitute.  The executive of a county or
executives of each county with the advice and consent of the
governing body of a county or counties organizing the district
must appoint a board of directors for the district.
Qualifications, terms, and duties for board members are
outlined, including procedures for appointing board members from
one county or more than one county before January 1, 2012, and
thereafter.

The district has the power to issue bonds, notes, or other
obligations and to contract with public and private entities or
individuals.  Other powers and limitations are outlined in the
substitute, including provisions pertaining to alterations of
roadways which extend into the district and the purchase of
materials used for the construction and maintenance of grounds
and facilities in the metropolitan park and recreation district
which are manufactured in Missouri.  The district does not have
the power of eminent domain.

The substitute also makes several changes to Regional
Recreational Districts.  The substitute:

(1)  Deletes language restricting regional districts from
including certain territories within a recreational system or
territories with a public park system;

(2)  Allows voters in municipalities or territories the option
to vote to be included in the district;

(3)  Prohibits St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson counties
and the City of St. Louis from being included in a regional
recreational district.  Recreational systems or public park
systems in existence in regional recreational districts may
remain in existence;

(4)  Requires a district proposal petition to be filed with the
county clerk where the greater part of the proposed district's
population resides;

(5)  Requires the petition for additions to a district to
include the type and rate of tax proposed to be levied;

(6)  Allows, upon voter approval, areas contiguous to a district
to be included in the district after following established
procedures;

(7)  Allows the governing body of any county otherwise eligible
to pass an ordinance to create a district, without the
submission of a petition.  The district must be approved by
voters within the proposed district.  If the district is
supported by a sales tax, it must be approved by the voters of
the entire county;

(8)  Adds new qualifications for the board of directors of a
district and specifies their duties;

(9)  Replaces the election of board members with an appointment
procedure;

(10)  Allows the board to issue debt, including bonds, for the
district;

(11)  Allows a district, upon voter approval, to impose an
annual property tax for the establishment and maintenance of
public parks and recreational facilities and grounds within the
boundaries of the regional recreational district.  The annual
property tax will not exceed 60 cents per year on each $100 of
assessed valuation on all property within the district, subject
to voter approval.  The district is also allowed to impose a tax
not to exceed one-half of one cent on all retail sales for the
creation, operation, and maintenance of recreational facilities
and grounds within the boundaries of the district, subject to
voter approval; and

(12) Specifies procedures for the purchase of materials used in
the construction or maintenance of grounds and facilities in the
regional recreational district which are in excess of $10,000.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds.

HCS HB 686 -- RECREATIONAL SYSTEMS OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

SPONSOR:  Shelton (Murray)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Municipal
Corporations by a vote of 13 to 1.

This substitute allows for the creation of a Metropolitan Park
and Recreation District.  The district may include and is
limited to St. Louis County or any county within the St. Louis
standard metropolitan statistical area.  A county may be
included in a district if approved by the voters of the county.
The primary duty of the district is the development, operation,
and maintenance of a public system of interconnecting trails and
parks throughout the counties forming the district.  Any
recreational system or public park system that exists within a
metropolitan district will remain in the district and will not
cease to exist.  The trails and parks controlled and maintained
by a district in St. Charles County will be operated by the
county parks department.

A governing body of a county located within a district may
impose by ordinance a one-tenth of one cent sales tax on all
retail sales to create and fund the district.  The tax must
receive voter approval and is subject to allocation provisions
specified in the substitute.  The governing body of a county or
counties organizing the district must appoint a board of
directors for the district.  Qualifications, terms, and duties
for board members are outlined, including procedures for
appointing board members from more than one county before
January 1, 2012, and thereafter.

The district has the power to issue bonds, notes, or other
obligations and to contract with public and private entities or
individuals.  Other powers and limitations are outlined in the
substitute, including provisions pertaining to alterations of
roadways which extend into the district and the purchase of
materials and products manufactured in Missouri.  The district
does not have the power of eminent domain.

The substitute also makes several changes to Regional
Recreational Districts.  The substitute:

(1)  Deletes language restricting regional districts from
including certain territories within a recreational system or
territories with a public park system;

(2)  Allows voters in municipalities or territories the option
to vote to be included in the district;

(3)  Prohibits St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson counties
and the City of St. Louis from being included in a regional
recreational district.  Recreational systems or public park
systems in existence in regional recreational districts may
remain in existence;

(4)  Requires a district proposal petition to be filed with the
county clerk where the greater part of the proposed district's
population resides;

(5)  Requires the petition for additions to a district to
include the type and rate of tax proposed to be levied;

(6)  Allows, upon voter approval, areas contiguous to a district
to be included in the district after following established
procedures;

(7)  Allows the governing body of any county otherwise eligible
to pass an ordinance to create a district, without the
submission of a petition.  The district must be approved by
voters within the proposed district.  If the district is
supported by a sales tax, it must be approved by the voters of
the entire county;

(8)  Adds new qualifications for the board of directors of a
district and specifies their duties;

(9)  Replaces the election of board members with an appointment
procedure;

(10)  Allows the board to issue debt, including bonds, for the
district; and

(11)  Allows a district, upon voter approval, to impose an
annual property tax for the establishment and maintenance of
public parks and recreational facilities and grounds within the
boundaries of the regional recreational district.  The annual
property tax will not exceed 60 cents per year on each $100 of
assessed valuation on all property within the district, subject
to voter approval.  The district is also allowed to impose a tax
not to exceed one-half of one cent on all retail sales for the
creation, operation, and maintenance of recreational facilities
and grounds within the boundaries of the district, subject to
voter approval.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that subject to voter approval, this
bill would allow for the creation of a metropolitan park and
recreational district for the purpose of developing and
maintaining a public system of interconnected trails and parks
throughout the counties forming the district.  The bill also
proposes changes to the establishment of regional recreational
districts.  The board of the regional recreational district can
adopt rules and regulations pertaining to the government of
parks and neighborhood trails.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Murray; Gateway
Parks and Trails 2004; Buzz Westfall, St. Louis County
Executive; 2004; Clarence Harmon, Mayor, City of St. Louis;
Missouri Park & Recreation Association; Missouri Botanical
Garden; Trailnet Incorporated; Confluence Greenway Project; St.
Louis Regional Commerce & Growth Association; St. Louis Economic
Council; St. Charles Parks & Recreation Board; Schmitz, Kopman,
Schreiber & Kaveney, P.C.; Forest Park Forever; St. Louis
Cardinals; Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District; Tower Grove
Park; St. Louis County Government; and Missouri Coalition for
the Environment.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the bill.

Joseph Deering, Legislative Analyst

HB 686 -- Recreational Systems of Political Subdivisions

Co-Sponsors:  Murray, Hilgemann, McClelland, Ostmann, Carter,
Hollingsworth

This bill allows the creation of a Metropolitan Park and
Recreation District.  The district may include and is limited to
St. Louis County or any county within the same standard
metropolitan statistical area.  A county may be included in a
district if approved by the voters of the county.  The primary
duty of the district is the development, operation, and
maintenance of a public system of interconnecting trails and
parks throughout the counties forming the district.  Any
recreational system or public park system that exists within a
metropolitan district will remain in the district and will not
cease to exist.  The trails and parks controlled and maintained
by a district in St. Charles County will be operated by the
county parks department.

A county located within a district may impose by ordinance a
one-tenth of one cent sales tax on all retail sales to create
and fund the district.  The tax must receive voter approval.
The governing body of a county or counties organizing the
district must appoint a board of directors for the district.
Qualifications, terms, and duties for board members are
outlined, including procedure for appointing board members from
more than one county.

The district has the power to issue bonds, notes, or other
obligations and contract with public and private entities or
individuals.  Other powers and limitations are also outlined in
the bill.  The district does not have the power of eminent
domain.

The bill also makes several changes in Regional Recreational
Systems.  The bill:

(1)  Deletes language restricting regional districts from
including certain recreational systems and territory within an
incorporated area with a public park system;

(2)  Allows voters in a proposed addition to a recreational
district to vote to be included in the district;

(3)  Prohibits St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson Counties
and the City of St. Louis from being included in a regional
recreational district.  Districts or park systems in existence
in these areas may remain in existence;

(4)  Allows districts to issue general revenue bonds;

(5)  Requires district proposal petitions to be filed with the
county clerk in which the greater part of the proposed
district's population reside;

(6)  Requires the petition for additions to a district to
include the type and rate of tax proposed to be levied;

(7)  Allows, upon voter approval, areas contiguous to a district
to be included in the district after following established
procedures;

(8)  Allows the governing body of any county otherwise eligible
to pass an ordinance to create a district, without the
submission of a petition.  The district must be approved by
voters within the proposed district.  If the district is
supported by a sales tax, it must be approved by the voters of
the entire county;

(9)  Adds new qualifications for the board of directors of a
district;

(10)  Replaces the election of board members with an appointment
procedure;

(11)  Allows the board to issue debt, including bonds, for the
district; and

(12)  Allows a district, upon voter approval, to impose a tax
not to exceed one-half of one cent on all retail sales for the
creation, operation, and maintenance of recreational facilities
within the boundaries of the district.