Kansas AG Opinions — 1976

The word "substantially,': as used in K.S.A. 72- 7108 relative to the transfer of territory between unified school districts, must be defined to be the equivalent of a majority of the physical acreage. In other words, the state board of education is prohibited from considering or receiving a petition for transfer of territory if more than half of the territory sought to be transferred in the later petition has been considered in another petition for transfer by the state board within the preceding two years.

The reimbursement liability of the county extends to the reimbursement of the total costs of furnishing ambulance service incurred by the taxing subdivision, regardless of recoupment of all or any portion of those costs through service charges, in the proportion man- dated by the statute. •

The verdict of a coroner's jury requires unanimity among the jurors on the verdict. * * *

Individuals in this state not licensed pursuant to the Kansas Veterinary Practice Act are prohibited from testing for and diagnosing the state of preg- nancy in livestock and domestic animals unless they are the owners of said animals.

The governing body of a Kansas county, unified school district, and community junior college, may provide for the keeping of its active public funds in both checking and savings accounts, in the manner described in earlier Opinion No. 75-448.

The county election officer has no authority to pass upon and determine the qualifications of persons who make timely filings of candidacy for elective posi- tions, including the position of precinct committee- man and committeewoman.

A county under K.S.A. 19-261 must reimburse a city which provides ambulance service in such county its proportionate share of the county general fund budgeted for ambulance services within the county, to be based on the amount that the assessed tangible taxable valuation of the tax- ing district bears to the total taxable tangible valua- tion of the county.

Contracts for the improvement of an existing county jail to comply with standards promulgated by the Secretary of Corrections are not contracts for the erection of a county jail, and are not subject to the requirements of K.S.A. 19-214 and -215. *

Under K.S.A. 84-2-509 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the buyer and seller may contractually agree that the risk of loss shall not pass to the buyer upon delivery, but may agree that the risk shall be borne by the seller until a date certain agreed upon in said contract. Thus, the risk of loss of goods delivered to a school district pur- suant to a cancelable purchase order may remain with the seller until a date certain, despite earlier delivery of the goods to the buyer.

July 7, 1976 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 76-208 Mr. 0. D. Turner Secretary of Transportation Kansas Department of Transportation State Office Building Topeka, Kansas 66612 RE: Motor Vehicles - Motorcycles - Safety Helmets SYNOPSIS: Effective July 1, 1976, operators and riders of…

A court may assess a fine in excess of that amount written on the notice to appear when a guaranteed arrest bond certificate is posted. * * 4 Dear Mr. Adkins:

The defense of governmental immunity would be available to the state in actions arising out of authorized use of the Forbes Field Firearms Range by state officers and employees.

There is no precedent or authority for the assessment of delinquent county solid waste collection charges against personal property, and collection of such delinquent charges in the manner of unpaid personal property taxes. The county may lawfully make violation of its solid waste resolutions, rules and regulations a misdemeanor, and prescribe a penalty therefor. A late charge to be added to such service charges is not clearly prohibited by Kansas law, and has been upheld for various utilities by the Kansas Corporation Commis- sion; accordingly, a similar late charge to be assessed by the coun

A practitioner of the healing arts who is licensed by the State Board of Healing Arts may not sell or other- wise dispense hearing aids unless licensed to do so by the State Board of Hearing Aid Examiners. *

Under K.S.A. 19-202, as amended by ch. 121, § 2, L. 1976, a person elected to the office of county commissioner may not qualify and assume the duties of that office unless and until that person establishes residence in the commis- sioner district which such person is elected to represent. Residence in the commissioner district need not exist at the time of filing of candidacy, or nomination or election, however. * *

An orderly and timely system of assessment is imperative to the successful operation of government. There is an unyielding mandate of the Kansas Legislature to assess property at 30% of fair market value. Where a discrimin- ation of assessment is found to exist, and the time for action by the County Board of Equalization has passed, there still exists relief from the Director of Property Valuation. Dear County Attorney Ehrlich:

The costs of an official survey must be assessed equi- tably against the landowners whose lands are adjacent to the boundary line involved, unless the county falls within certain narrow population and assessed valuation categories of K.S.A. 19-1427, in which instance the board of county commissioners has the additional discretion to assess the costs against only the party requesting the survey. * *

A city may construct a day care center and issue general obligation bonds for that purpose pursuant to K.S.A. 12-1737 et seq., and an election is not required for that purpose under K.S.A. 12-1737(h).

The provisions of the Kansas' Liquor Control Act which provide for the determination of minimum liquor prices by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board of Review, which cannot be characterized as fair trade legislation, were not affected by the recent amendment of the Sher- man Antitrust Act concerning fair trade laws.

An elected county official may, in the performance of the duties of his or her office, publish required legal notices in any newspaper which meets the require- ments of K.S.A. 64-101 and any other statutory require- ments which may be specially applicable to particular notices, and is not restricted to a newspaper designated as the official county newspaper by formal action of the board of county commissioners. However, in the exercise of county home rule powers, the board of county commissioners might prohibit the expenditure of county funds for the publication of any legal notice in any news

A unified district court may establish a court-admini- stered process service office, and employ therein per- sons presently employed by the marshal of a magistrate court in said county, for the service of process under the code of civil procedure, as of January 10, 1977. However, executions against judgment debtors in civil actions, arrest and search warrants and other criminal process, and process in actions under the code of civil procedure for limited actions are required by express statutory provisions to be executed by and under the authority of the sheriff.

The reduced security requirements of K.S.A. 9-1403 apply to all deposits of public moneys, including not only active accounts but moneys deposited in interest- bearing investments under K.S.A. 1975 Supp. 12-1675. * *

The county clerk may not, in the exercise of authority under K.S.A. 1975 Supp. 79-1965 and K.S.A. 1975 Supp. 79-5004, make adjustments in revenue estimates, esti- mates of balances carried forward, and budget authority for expenditures which may be satisfied by the taxing subdivision from non-property tax sources. *

The Director is without authority to approve as a bonded warehouse of the State of Kansas, to which alcoholic liquor can be consigned, a warehouse, which is located within the state, maintained by a non-licensed supplier (importer), whether a Kansas corporation or otherwise.

A meeting of the city governing body to conduct a hearing and consider suspension or revocation of a cereal malt beverage license is subject to the Kansas open meeting law, K.S.A. 1975 Supp. 75-4317 et seq.

Under K.S.A. 1975 Supp. 65-4320(c) any vehicle in use as of July 1, 1975, as an emergency ambulance vehicle is exempt from the vehicle and equipment requirement adopted by the Secretary of Health and Environment. Any such vehicle does not lose its exemption by a transfer of ownership to a different operator after July 1, 1975.

The conclusions set forth in Opinion No. 74-199 are not altered by the 1975 amendments to K.S.A. 65-1113 et seq. Those amendments provide no basis for a cate- gorical determination, purely as a question of law, that the administration of medication in each and every circumstance is a task reserved only to regis- tered professional nurses. *

A Kansas municipality may adopt additional requirements, supplementing the Kansas Act Against Discrimination, which must be met by persons contracting with the city, in order to implement the declared state policy of assuring equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race. Kansas cities may adopt and enforce conditions and requirements in its contracts, in addition to those required by the Kansas Act Against Discrimination, which require the contracting party to demonstrate compliance with policies of the city designed to alleviate racial discrimination and stimulate equal employment opp

When the mortgage or contract offered for recording states a specific sum as being the current obligation or debt, but contains an agreement that in the future additional loan advances will be made not exceeding a second and larger specific sum, the mortgage registra- tion fee shall be based on such second and larger sum. *

June 24, 1976 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 76-190 Mr. William R. Hale Secretary-Treasurer Kansas State Registration and Examining Board of Architects 535 Kansas Avenue - 12th Floor Topeka, Kansas 66603 Re: State Boards--Board of Technical Professions--Powers and Duties Synopsis: …

January 19, 1976 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 76- 19 Gary L. Nafziger Jefferson County Attorney Jefferson County Courthouse Oskaloosa, Kansas 66066 RE: Counties -- Charter Resolution Petitions SYNOPSIS: A petition filed pursuant to K.S.A. 19-101b(c) to require an election on a pr…

The city may convey unimproved real property to which it holds fee simple title in the exercise of its corporate powers under K.S.A. 12-101.

The board of education may not lease or contract to provide transportation to non-senior citizen groups or organizations in district-owned or operated school buses.

Residence in the county is not a qualification for filing, nomination or election to the office of county attorney.

June 21, 1976 ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 76- 186 Mr. Granville M. Bush City Attorney 124 South Broadway Sterling, Kansas 67579 Re: Cities--Hospitals--Management Synopsis: Proceeds of ad valorem levies for the operation of a city hospital in a city of the second class may not be…

Under K.S.A. 14-440, when an engineering estimate is obtained and bids solicited and received, no contract may be let unless the amount of the contract does not exceed the estimate. It does not prohibit review and revision of such estimate subsequent to opening of bids but prior to acceptance of one of such bids. If the revised estimate exceeds any of the bids presently pending at the time of such revision such bid may be accepted. * *

The qualifications governing eligibility for family planning services prescribed by K.S.A. 23-501 apply only to services offered by family planning centers established and maintained by the State Department of Health and Environment, and not to services and programs offered by county health departments, other public agencies, or under private auspices.

Under section 43(c) of 1976 House Bill 2729, and sec- tion 1 of 1976 House Bill No. 3153, the board of county commissioners is given discretionary power in each in- stance to approve or disapprove all or any part of the amount fixed by the administrative district judge to be paid from the county general fund as compensation to associate district judges, district magistrates, and clerks of the district court.

Funds in members' accumulated contribution accounts are not subject to the claims of creditors of employees, including participating employers who have advanced sums to the System to settle arrearages of employees' contri- butions. No deduction or adjustment may be made in a member's accumulated contribution account to prevent withdrawal of the entire sum duly credited thereto, in order to permit an employer to recover or recoup an in- debtedness outstanding from the employee to the employer on account of any monies advanced to the System by the employer to settle such employee's arrearage.

A candidate for the position of associate district judge in any county, except those enumerated in sub- section 17(b) of 1976 House Bill 2729, in which there is one associate district judge position must possess the same qualifications as the incumbent judge of the court of limited jurisdiction in such county. As to counties with a population of less than 24,000, there is no residence requirement, durational or otherwise, as a qualification for nomination or election. Any person elected to such position must be a resident of the county from and after January 10, 1977, in which the associate di

Charges assessed by the board of county commissioners under K.S.A. 1975 Supp. 65-3410 may be assessed against any property within any solid waste service area fixed by the board, including that property owned by any city, other political subdivision or state agency.

Under the due process procedure set out at K.S.A. 1974 Supp. 72-5436 et seq., as amended by Chapter 373 of the 1975 Session Laws, both the justification for and order of discharge of faculty members subject to the protection, absent a bargaining agreement stipulating otherwise, is left entirely to the sound discretion or policy guidelines of the school board.

Senate Bill 851, enacted by the 1976 Legislature, does not alter the authority of Kansas cities to hold and manage municipal funds as described in Opinion No. 75-448. *

Under K.S.A. 19-436, all costs incurred by the county in complying with K.S.A. 19-430 are permitted to be exempted from the aggregate levy limitation of the county prescribed by K.S.A. 1975 Supp. 79-5001 et seq., and not merely those additional costs incurred by com- pliance which exceed costs of the office of assessor borne in those fiscal years prior to the effective date of K.S.A. 19-430 et seq.

Adult care homes licensed by the Secretary of Health and Environment are not included in the definition of health care providers in section 1(f) of 1976 Senate Bill No. 646.

The governing board of a center or facility established under K.S.A. 19-4001 et seq. is vested with final autho- rity concerning the acquisition of property for estab- lishment and operation of the facility or center and its programs. Title to property so acquired is vested in the board of county commissioners, when the center is operated by one county only, and title is vested in the governing board when the center or facility is established by more than one county.

Operators of producing oil and gas leases must annually file a full and complete statement, on prescribed forms, giving all of the necessary information requested. Where an inadequate return is filed, the assessor should demand a new state- ment and has power to inve s tigate, examine persons under oath, audit books and records, and then appraise and assess such oil properties, adding thereto a 50% penalty for refusal to list.

A municipal court is vested with broad discretion to prescribe conditions of release after imposition of a sentence consisting of a fine, which conditions might well include the rendition of prescribed services in the public interest for the city. * Dear Mr. Stakes: You inquire concerning disposition and sentencing permitted under the Kansas Code of Procedure for Municipal Courts.

A merchant cannot charge the maker of a worthless check the cost incurred by the merchant to notify the maker by a certified letter in addition to the three dollar ($3.00) service charge allowed by K.S.A. 21-3707(2). *

Senate Bill 994 provides that the date of participation in the regent's plan for all individuals so electing is August 18, 1976, and that no matching amounts will be provided for lump sum payments to KPERS.