(a)   There is hereby created a Recreation Commission for the city of Overbrook, Kansas, for the purpose of maintaining and conducting recreation facilities and programs within the city. Such facilities shall initially include the city pool, the city lake, the city playgrounds and athletic fields and related buildings and facilities. The Recreation Commission shall be organized and governed pursuant to K.S.A. 12-1926 through K.S.A. 12-1935.

(b)   The recreation commission shall be composed of seven (7) members. The governing body of the city shall appoint three persons who are residents of the city to serve as members of the recreation commission, the first appointee to serve for four years, the second for three years, and the third for two years. The fourth member, with a term of one year, the fifth member with a term of four years shall be appointed by the three appointee members of such commission. The sixth member and the seventh member, each with a term of four years, shall be appointed by the initial five members off the commission, and all of such persons shall constitute the recreation commission.

(Ord. 326; Ord. 331; C.O. No. 15; Code 2018)

(a)   The recreation commission shall prepare an annual budget for the operation of the recreation system. Prior to the certification of its budget to the city, the recreation commission shall meet for the purpose of answering and hearing objections of taxpayers relating to the proposed budget and for the purpose of considering amendments to such proposed budget. The recreation commission shall give at least 10 days’ notice of the time and place of the meeting by publication in a weekly or daily newspaper having a general circulation in the taxing district. Such notice shall include the proposed budget and shall set out all essential items in the budget except such groupings as designated by the director of accounts and reports on a special publication form prescribed by the director of accounts and reports and furnished with the regular budget form. The public hearing required to be held herein shall be held not less than 10 days prior to the date on which the recreation commission is required to certify its budget to the city or school district. After such hearing the budget shall be adopted or amended and adopted by the recreation commission. In order to provide funds to carry out the provisions of this act and to pay a portion of the principal and interest on bonds issued pursuant to K.S.A. 12-1774, and amendments thereto, the recreation commission shall annually, not later than August 1 of any year, certify its budget to such city which shall levy a tax sufficient to raise the amount required by such budget on all the taxable tangible property within the taxing district. Each year a copy of the budget adopted by the recreation commission shall be filed with the city clerk. A copy of such budget also shall be filed with the county clerk of the county in which the recreation system is located. The city shall not be required to levy a tax in excess of the maximum tax levy set by the city or school district by current resolution. In the case of a new recreation commission established under the provisions of this act, such levy shall not be required to exceed one mill. Whenever the recreation commission determines that the tax currently being levied for the commission, as previously established by the city, is insufficient to operate the recreation system and the commission desires to increase the mill levy above the current levy, the commission shall request that the city authorize an increase by adopting a resolution declaring it necessary to increase the annual levy. The city may authorize the increase by resolution, but such increase shall not exceed one mill per year. The maximum annual mill levy for the recreation commission general fund shall not exceed a total of four mills.

(b)   Any resolution adopted under subsection (a) shall state the total amount of the tax to be levied for the recreation system and shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official newspaper of the city. Whereupon, such annual levy in an amount not to exceed the amount stated in the resolution may be made for the ensuing budget year and each successive budget year unless a petition requesting an election upon the proposition to increase the tax levy in excess of the current tax levy, signed by at least 5% of the qualified voters of the taxing district, is filed with the county election officer within 30 days following the date of the last publication of the resolution. In the event a valid petition is filed, no such increased levy shall be made without such proposition having been submitted to and having been approved by a majority of the voters of taxing district voting at an election called and held thereon. All such elections shall be called and held in the manner provided by the general bond law, and the cost of the election shall be borne by the recreation commission. Such taxes shall be levied and collected in like manner as other taxes, which levy the city shall certify, on or before August 25 of each year, to the county clerk who is hereby authorized and required to place the same on the tax roll of the county to be collected by the county treasurer and paid over by the county treasurer to the ex officio treasurer of the recreation commission.

(c)   The tax levy provided in this section shall not be considered a levy of such city under any of the statutes of this state, but shall be in addition to all other levies authorized by law.

(d)   Reduction of tax levy; revocation of authority.

(1)   At any time after the making of the first tax levy pursuant to this act, the amount of such tax levy may be reduced by a majority of the voters of the taxing district voting at an election called pursuant to a petition and conducted in the same manner as that prescribed by subsection (b). The authority of any recreation commission in existence on the effective date of this act or any recreation commission established under the provisions of this act to operate and conduct its activities may be revoked in any year following the third year of its operation by a majority of the voters of the taxing district voting at an election called pursuant to a petition and conducted in the same manner as that prescribed by subsection (b). If the petition submitted is for the purpose of reducing the mill levy, it shall state the mill levy reduction desired. Upon revocation, all property and money belonging to the recreation commission shall become the property of the taxing authority levying the tax for the commission, and the recreation commission shall be dissolved. In the event the authority of a recreation commission is revoked pursuant to this subsection, the taxing authority may continue to levy a tax in the manner prescribed by the petition language for the purpose of paying any outstanding obligations of the recreation commission which exist on the date such authority is revoked. The authority to levy a tax for this purpose shall continue only as long as such outstanding obligations exist.

(2)   If the recreation district whose authority is revoked owns any real property at the time of such revocation, title to such real property shall revert to the taxing authority.

(e)   All financial records of the recreation commission shall be audited as provided in K.S.A. 75-1122, and amendments thereto, and a copy of such annual audit report shall be filed with the governing body of the city. A copy of such audit also shall be filed with the county clerk of the county in which the recreation system is located. The cost of each audit shall be borne by the recreation commission.

(Ord. 326; Code 2018)

The recreation commission shall have the following powers and duties:

(a)   Make and adopt rules and regulations for the operation of the recreation system;

(b)   conduct the activities of the recreation system on any property under its custody and management, or, with proper consent, on any other public property and upon private property with the consent of the owners;

(c)   receive any gift or donation from any source;

(d)   receive, accept and administer any money appropriated or granted to it by the state or federal government or any agency thereof;

(e)   purchase insurance. The city to which the recreation commission certifies its budget shall levy an annual tax upon all taxable tangible property within the taxing district in an amount necessary to pay for insurance purchased for those purposes authorized by K.S.A. 75-6111, and amendments thereto, and to pay a portion of the principal and interest on bonds issued pursuant to K.S.A. 12-1774, and amendments thereto, except that no levy shall be made under this subsection which, when coupled with any levy made pursuant to subsection (j), is in excess of one mill without the approval of the city or school district. Taxes levied pursuant to this subsection shall be in addition to all other taxes authorized or limited by K.S.A. 12-1927, and amendments thereto, or any other provisions of law;

(f)    sue and be sued;

(g)   enter contracts;

(h)   enter lease agreements for real and personal property. The term of any such lease shall not exceed 10 years. Any such lease agreement shall be subject to the approval of the city or school district to which the recreation commission certifies its budget;

(i)    employ a superintendent of recreation and any other employees which may be necessary for proper operation of the recreation system;

(j)    create and establish employee benefits contribution funds for the purpose of paying the employer’s share of any employee benefits, exclusive of any salaries, wages or other direct payments to such employees, as may be prescribed in the resolution creating such funds. The recreation commission may receive and place in such funds any moneys from any source whatsoever which may be lawfully utilized for the purposes stated in the resolution creating such funds, including the proceeds of tax levies authorized by law for such purposes. The city to which is certified the budget of any recreation commission which has established employee benefits contribution funds pursuant to this subsection shall levy an annual tax upon all taxable tangible property within the taxing district in an amount determined by the recreation commission to be necessary for the purposes for which such funds were created and to pay a portion of the principal and interest on bonds issued pursuant to K.S.A. 12-1774, and amendments thereto, except that no levy shall be made under this subsection which, when coupled with any levy made pursuant to subsection (e), is in excess of one mill without the approval of the city. Taxes levied pursuant to this subsection shall be in addition to all other taxes authorized or limited by K.S.A. 12-1927. and amendments thereto. or any other provisions of law. For the purposes of this subsection, employee benefits shall include social security as provided by subsection (c) of K.S.A. 40-2305, and amendments thereto, workers’ compensation as provided by K.S.A. 44-505c, and amendments thereto, unemployment compensation as provided by K.S.A. 44-710a, and amendments thereto, health insurance and retirement benefits;

(k)   acquire title to personal property by purchase, bequest, gift or other donation and acquire title to real property by devise, gift or other donation. Whenever property owned by a recreation commission is sold, the proceeds shall be used for recreation purposes;

(l)    make improvements for recreation system purposes; and

(m)  perform any other acts necessary to carry out.

(Ord. 326; Code 2018)