Kansas Attorney General Opinions

August 21, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81- 194 Dale W. Bell City Attorney 519 Commercial P. 0. Box 921 Emporia, Kansas 66801 Re: Insurance -- Fireman's Relief Fund -- Distribution of Moneys; Vested Pension Rights Synopsis: K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 40-1707 provides for the payment …

August 18, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81-193 Mr. Phillip M. Fromme Coffey County Attorney County Courthouse Burlington, Kansas 66839 Re: Militia, Defense and Public Safety -- Emergency Preparedness for Disasters -- Forced Evacuations State Departments; Public Officers, Emp…

August 14, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81-192 The Honorable Jack H. Brier Secretary of State 2nd Floor - Capitol BUILDING MAIL Re: Elections -- Voting Machines and Electronic or Electromechanical Voting Systems -- Acquisition by Counties Synopsis: The provisions of K.S.A. 1…

A municipal ordinance which increases rates for electricity furnished by a municipal utility may not be applied retroactively, since such action violates federal and state constitutional prohi- bitions against laws impairing the obligation of contract.

There is no legal basis for a county sheriff to receive any remuneration in connection with providing meals for county prisoners over and above the actual and reasonable expenditures made by the sheriff in providing such meals.

Those provisions of K.S.A. 17-2015 which require the state banking board's approval of a trust company's change in location are applicable to a trust company wherein moneys are currently on de- posit. Accordingly, since Colonial Trust Company in Abilene, Kansas has current savings and time deposits, that company's proposed move to Great Bend, Kansas is subject to approval by the state banking board.

A board of education may appoint a deputy clerk to record the minutes of school board meetings. Once the minutes have been prepared, they should be reviewed for accuracy by the board of education. After the minutes have been reviewed and approved by the board, the clerk is required to maintain and preserve those minutes as a journal of the pro- ceedings of the board of education.

In determining the assessment of real property under K.S.A. 79-417, the county clerk should seek assistance from the county appraiser.

A county attorney's regular duties include handling cases air his county in the courts of his own county. For work on cases on behalf of the county in other courts, the county attorney is entitled to charge and receive from the county all usual and reasonable fees as additional compensation, regardless of the physical presence of the county attorney in the county when the work was performed.

August 11, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81-185 Honorable Elwaine F. Pomeroy State Senator, Eighteenth District 1415 Topeka Avenue Topeka, Kansas 66612 Re: Schools--Teachers' Contracts--Communications between Professional Employees and the Board of Education Synopsis: When a …

K.S.A. 12-709, which prohibits zoning ordinances from applying to the existing use of any building or land, will not prevent .a city from requiring owners of parking lots to designate certain parking spaces for handicapped persons because such designation does not involve a change in "use."

Neither the Pharmacy Act of the State of Kansas, nor the Kansas Healing Arts Act, permits a physician to delegate the authority to dispense prescription-only drugs to his or her patients. Kansas Attorney General Opinion No. 80-208 is affirmed.

The provisions of K.A.R. 49-27-la allow the Secretary of Human Resources to determine whether a party to impasse resolution proceedings has complied with the time limit prescribed in K.S.A. 72-5427 to request the appointment of a fact-finding board. If a request for the appointment of a fact-finding board is not filed timely, the request is not filed in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 72-5427(c), and, thus, the secretary has no authority to appoint a fact- finding board under the provisions of K.S.A. 72-5428.

A board of trustees of a community college may not vote by secret ballot to appoint a person to fill a vacancy on the board. The taking of such binding action by secret ballot is prohibited by the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

Upon a finding by a district court that a cemetery is "abandoned," as defined by K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 17-1366(a), the cemetery corporation holding title to same is dissolved, with title vesting in the municipality in which the cemetery is located. The obligation on the part of the municipality to care for and maintain the property thereafter is a continuing one, and may not be contracted away, nor may the municipality divest itself of title to the property.

July 28, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81-180 Paul D. Handy Finney County Attorney Box M, Finney County Courthouse Garden City, Kansas 67846 Re: Taxation -- Mortgage Registration Fee -- Instru- ments Subject Thereto Synopsis: A register of deeds may refuse to file a document …

A board of education is not authorized, under the provisions of K.S.A. 72-8414, 72-8415a or 72-8415b, to establish a trust fund or execute a trust agree- ment in connection with the provision of insurance benefits or health care services to the employees of the school district.

In a city of the third class with a mayor-council form of government, the existence of an ordinance creating the municipal office of police commis- sioner is a condition precedent to the appointment of an officer to fill that position. However, the doctrine of incompatibility of offices precludes a council member from concurrently serving as police commissioner in the event such office has been lawfully established.

Bonds issued for the purpose of paying the costs of constructing a long-term care facility pursuant to K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 19-1815e, as amended by sec- tion 1 of 1981 Senate Bill No. 213, are not subject to the bonded debt limits contained in K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 19-1869.

Sections 1 and 2 of 1981 Senate Bill No. 403 (L. 1981, ch. 157) prescribe procedures by which the State of Kansas may seek recoupment of defense funds extended to indigent criminal defendants. The method of recoupment satisfies constitutional requirements enumerated in recent federal decisions, construing and invalidating prior provisions of Kansas recoupment statutes.

The common law doctrine of incompatibility of offices precludes a school board member from simultaneously holding the office of county com- missioner or the office of mayor of a third class city with a mayor-council form of government.

Where a company that is regularly engaged in a wholesale business accepts money on deposit from its employees, such company is engaged in a bank- ing business, as provided in K.S.A. 9-702. Accord- ingly, such company is subject to the requirements of the state banking code.

Since state law has not determined whether grey- hound operations, i.e., raising, breeding and training greyhounds to be sold for racing purposes, constitute "agriculture" for zoning purposes, a county may establish its own zoning classification pursuant to its zoning authority.

A county is empowered by K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 19-4007 to contract with one or more non-profit corporations for the providing of services to the mentally retarded, and to fund such contracts from the proceeds of the tax levied pursuant to K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 19-4004. The payment of such moneys is not limited by the provisions of K.S.A. 19-4009, which proscribes the imposition of a tax levy for such purposes only in the situation where the county has established a mental health center, as opposed to contracting for mental retardation services.

A plan whereby retail merchants in a given area pay an advertising agency to print their coupons on the reverse side of cash register tapes, which tapes are then sold at. a discount to grocery store chains in the same area, and shoppers at the grocery stores can then redeem the coupons from the retail merchants for discounts on items which these merchants stock and sell, is exempted from coverage under the Kansas Trading Stamp Act and not violative of the same.

July 17, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81- 170 The Honorable Marvin Wm. Barkis State Representative - Fifteenth District 510 East Wea Paola, Kansas 66071 Re: State Departments; Public Officers, Employes -- Public Officers and Employees -- Conflicts of Interest Synopsis: An at…

Real estate leases entered into by state agencies need not be contracted for by competitive bids as such leases are not "contracts for services" with- in the meaning of K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 75-3739.

July 17, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81-168 James L. Wisler Linn County Attorney Judicial Building Mound City, Kansas 66056 Re: Taxation--Aggregate Tax Levy Limitations-- Exemption of County From Said Limitations Synopsis: A county, through the exercise of its statutory hom…

K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 17-1330(a) provides that a ceme- tary district may be established by a board of county commissioners following the receipt of a petition signed by not less than 51% of the elec- tors residing in the proposed district. However, as the statute contains provisions which render it non-uniformly applicable to all counties, a county may exercise its home rule powers, pursu- ant to K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 19-101a, and exempt it- self from the operation of said statute through the enactment of a resolution, pursuant to K.S.A. 19-101b, establishing different procedures for the creation of s

K.S.A. 12-708 provides that the governing body of a city may supplement, change or generally revise a zoning ordinance, providing that specified notice and hearing procedures are followed. While the statute does not specifically set forth different procedures to be used in repealing a zoning ordin- ance in its entirety, given the legislative intent to provide notice and hearing before a change in land-use policy may be made, it may be concluded that the completion of these procedures is neces- sary prior to a valid repeal of a zoning ordinance by the governing body of a city.

A local board of education may be compelled, through appropriate legal action, to comply with a decision made by the State Board of Education in accordance with subsection (b) of K.S.A. 72-974. The State Board possesses the authority, but is not required by law, to seek judicial enforcement of its decisions and orders.

Neither the provisions of K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 19-1803, nor the common law doctrine of incompatibility of offices, precludes a person from concurrently serving on the board of trustees of a county hospital and on the board of education of a local school district.

The providing of a home protection plan by a real estate broker constitutes a gift or gratuity which is contingent upon a client's listing, purchasing or leasing property, and such action by a broker is a violation of K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 58-3062(a)(12).

A county attorney has no duty to act on behalf of a township board and seek vacation or closure Of a township road pursuant to K.S.A. 68-102. Cited herein: K.S.A. 68-102, 80-304, 80-306.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Real Estate Brokers' and Salespersons' License Act, K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 58-3034 et seq., any person, in the absence of all applicable exemption, must be licensed as a real estate broker, associate broker, or salesperson in order to auction real estate as an employee of or on behalf of the owner of real estate. - Although subsection (d) of K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 58-3037 exempts the executor of an estate from the licensure require- ment, said exemption statute does not exempt unlicensed auctioneers employed by the executor, and such non- exempt, unlicensed auctioneers

The city of Newton may, pursuant to the home rule powers set forth in Article 12, §5 of the Kansas Constitution, become a limited partner (with no right or obligation to share in partnership profits or losses) in a limited partnership which proposes to construct a wind turbine system and sell electricity to the city of Newton (for use in operating the city's water supply facility) at a rate less then it now pays to a privately-owned electric utility.

A special interest group cannot be deemed to be making improper threats against the city council by advertising its intent to make public the actions and attitudes of the city council which are contrary to the goals of the group. Cited herein: K.S.A. 21-3419, U.S. Const., Amend. I.

Where a customer of a bank contracts with an in- dependent armored car service to transport the customer's money to the bank for deposit therein, the bank's reimbursement of the customer for the costs of such service does not constitute "branch banking" within the prohibitions thereof in the state banking code.

K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 19-425 requires the consent and approval of the board of county commissioners at the time the appraiser makes the appointment of assistants. Approval of the budget which includes compensation for assistant appraisers does not constitute such consent.

The office of county attorney and city attorney are not incompatible as a matter of law. However, should a situation develop where an attorney holding both offices is confronted by a conflict of interest in representing both municipalities, such offices would be incompatible, and the attorney would be precluded as a matter of law from serving simul- taneously in both positions. Attorney General Opinion No. 79-25 is affirmed. A currently serving city attorney is entitled, in the absence of constitutional or statutory provisions to the contrary, to hold over indefinitely until his successor is c

Student rentals and fees collected pursuant to K.S.A. 76-6a05 and delivered to the custody of the State Treasurer pursuant to K.S.A. 76-6a06 are custodial moneys within the meaning of the State Moneys Law, K.S.A. 75-4201 et seq. As such, these moneys are to be placed in custodial bank accounts arranged for by the Pooled Money Investment Board pursuant to K.S.A. 75-4213.

Children who are enrolled in and attend public schools on a part time basis are "pupils," as that term is defined in K.S.A. 72-7033, as amended by L.1981, ch. 287, §1. If transportation is provided for such children by the public school district, such children are to be considered in determining a school district's "per-pupil cost of transportation," under the provisions of K.S.A. 72-7039(a).

Moneys derived from a tax levy imposed by the county are the property of the county. The county, pursuant to K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 12-1675, may invest any such moneys not immediately required for the purposes for which the moneys were collected or received. Under the provisions of K.S.A. 12-1677, all moneys earned and collected from investments by counties are required to be credited to the general fund of the county.

Trustees of the Sedgwick County hospital, which has ceased to render professional services, qual- ify under the Health Care Provider Insurance Avail- ability Act as "inactive health care providers." We advise further that such protection is extended only to claims arising from the rendering or fail- ure to render professional services. Claims aris- ing from injuries not the result of the delivery or failure to deliver professional health care services are matters to be determined under the Kansas Tort Claims Act, K.S.A. 1980 Supp. 75-6101 et seq.

July 2, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81-158 Roy P. Britton State Bank Commissioner Suite 600 818 Kansas Avenue Topeka, Kansas 66612 Re: Contracts and Promises -- Interest and Charges -- Extension of Most Favored Lender Doctrine to State Banks Synopsis: The "most favored lend…

July 2, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81 -150 The Honorable Kerry Patrick 10009 Howe Drive Leawood, Kansas 66206 Re: Kansas Constitution -- Banks -- Establishment of Banks Pursuant to General Banking Laws Synopsis: Prior to its revision at the general election. in November, 1…

June 30, 1981 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 81- 148 Edward C. Redmon State Fire Marshall 109 West Ninth, Suite 203 Topeka, Kansas 66612 Re: Townships -- Fire Protection -- Color of Fire Fighting Vehicles Synopsis: Two statutes concerning fire departments in town- ships, K.S.A. 80-…