C.R.S.
Section 37-44-104
Presentation and allowance of petitions
(1)
Intentionally left blank —Ed.(a)
When such petition is presented and it appears that the notice of presentation of said petition has been given, as required by section 37-44-102, and that said petition has been signed by the requisite number of petitioners, the district court in which said petition is presented shall proceed to define the boundaries of such proposed district, from the petition and from such application for the exclusion of lands from and inclusions of lands therein as may be made in accordance with the provisions of this article.(b)
Any owner of land included in the proposed district who is not a signer of said petition may file with said court, on or before the day fixed by said notice for the presentation of said petition, a protest against the inclusion of lands so owned by him in the proposed district and petition for its exclusion. Said protest and petition shall set out the facts and conditions by reason of which such owner seeks to have his lands excluded from said proposed district. As many different owners as desire to do so may join in the same petition.(c)
Owners of lands not included in said proposed district, in like manner, may petition for the inclusion of their lands therein.(2)
On the day fixed for such hearing, the court shall proceed to examine the petition for the formation of said district and shall determine whether the same is in proper form and signed by the requisite number of petitioners. Certificates from several county assessors as to the ownership of lands in said proposed district, if the same appear upon the last assessment rolls of their respective counties, shall be prima facie evidence of the ownership of the lands therein mentioned; but strict proof of such ownership may be required by the court in regard to any lands, the ownership of which is called in question by any interested parties.(3)
When it appears to the court that the required notice of such hearing has been given, and that such petition is in proper form and signed by the required number of landowners, the court shall proceed to hear the same and all applications for inclusion and exclusion of lands theretofore filed with the clerk of said court. In such hearing, the court may consider:(a)
The physical condition and location of any lands for the inclusion or exclusion of which a petition has been filed;(b)
Its adaptability for agricultural use; and the sufficiency of any water supply already available for its irrigation and the need for any additional supply;(c)
The location and condition of said land with reference to other lands to be included in the proposed district;(d)
The cost and practicability of applying the proposed water supply to the irrigation of said lands, and the necessity and practicability of flood protection for said lands, if the same is sought to be included for flood protection purposes;(e)
The necessity and practicability of draining lands, either within or without the boundaries of said district;(f)
In general, any other matters which will enable the court to determine the question of whether such land should be included or excluded from said district. Lands which will not be benefited by the works of any such proposed district or lands already provided with adequate water supply for irrigation, where it is proposed to irrigate such lands, in whole or in part, from the works of such proposed district, or lands already provided with drainage, where it is proposed to drain such lands, in whole or in part, by the works to be constructed by such proposed district, shall not be included in said district or assessed for district purposes, except upon the written consent of the owner thereof, including all encumbrances, duly acknowledged in the manner provided by law for the acknowledgment of deeds.(4)
If, in the judgment of the court, the matters to be heard in connection with said petition can best be determined by reference of such matters, or any thereof to a magistrate, reference thereof may be ordered by said court and such order of reference shall expressly state what question shall be heard by said magistrate, when and where such hearing will be held, and the date on which the magistrate’s report and findings shall be received and considered by the court. Said court may adjourn such hearing from time to time. If the court finds and determines that the organization of the proposed district is not in the best interests of the lands proposed to be included therein, the petition shall be denied and the proceedings dismissed. If the court finds that the formation of the district is meritorious and in the best interests of the lands to be included therein, the court by final order duly entered, shall define and establish the boundaries of such proposed district. When the boundaries of any proposed district have been examined and defined, the district court shall forthwith make an order allowing the prayer of said petitions defining and establishing the boundaries and designating the name of such proposed district.(5)
Thereupon said district court by order duly entered in said court shall call an election of all qualified electors of said district to be held for the purpose of determining whether such district shall be organized under provisions of this article and by such order shall submit the names of two or more persons from each of the five divisions of said district, who may be voted for as directors therein. For the purposes of said election the court shall divide said district into five divisions as nearly equal in size as may be practicable and shall provide that a qualified elector of each of said five divisions shall be elected as a member of the board of directors of said district by the qualified electors of the whole district. Each of said divisions shall constitute an election precinct and three qualified electors shall be appointed in each of said precincts, who shall act as judges to conduct the election in said precinct, one of whom shall act as clerk of said election.
Source:
Section 37-44-104 — Presentation and allowance of petitions, https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-37.pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).
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