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RESOLUTION NO. 2001-15 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF MOSCOW, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF IDAHO, ESTABLISHING A POLICY REGARDING ANNEXATION OF PROPERTY WITHIN THE AREA OF CITY IMPACT OF THE CITY OF MOSCOW, REPLACING RESOLUTION NO. 2001-08 WHEREAS, City Council has reconsidered its policy regarding annexation established in Resolution No. 2001-08; and WHEREAS, the City of Moscow is desirous of developing a policy regarding the annexation of land located within the Area of City Impact which promotes public health and safety within the community and results in the provision of City services being provided in an economical and efficient manner consistent with the goals and policies established in the City of Moscow's Comprehensive Plan; and WHEREAS, annexation refers to the process by which a city can extend its services, laws, voting privileges, and taxing authority to new territory; and \VHEREAS, Idaho Code recognizes that annexation is necessary to promote and ensure the efficient extension of services and to promote the general well being of cities; and WHEREAS, proper annexation of areas adjacent to cities is often crucial to establishing and maintaining urban order and efticient government; and WHEREAS, citizens, and business, professional and community leaders who live in the fringe area can have a more direct role in city affairs by being elected or appointed to public office in the city; and WHEREAS, annexation leads to a unified community and can prevent the fragmentation of local governmental authority; and WHEREAS, interruption of city limits boundaries result in unnecessary difficulty for the providers of emergency services to ascertain their jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, property owners should pay for services provided to their property; and WHEREAS, the challenge with annexation is to extend city services to annexed properties where such services are much needed without eroding the service levels currently enjoyed by long-time city residents. NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by Mayor and Council of the City of Moscow, Idaho, as follows: 1. Property located adjacent to the City shall he annexed when either of the following occurs: a. The property is completely surrounded by the City. The City Council in its discretion upon application of the property owner may consider an exemption from this policy where the property is used exclusively for agricultural purposes and there are no structures on or associated with the property or with the exclusive agricultural use. Any construction or placement of a structure of any nature, installation of a well or a sewer system, or like development on any portion of a property exempted under this subsection shall require annexation of the entire exempted property. b. The property is served by City water and/or City sewer and the property has a structure located on it or associated with it. 2. The City of Moscow will consider annexation whenever the property owner requests annexation but will not automatically annex. Decision regarding annexation will be evaluated on the ability Resolution Regarding Annexation Policy ---PAGE BREAK--- of the City to provide public services, including but not limited to, water, sewer, police, fire, parks and recreation, and planning and zoning, in an efficient manner that would not result in the eroding of service levels enjoyed throughout the City. 3. Costs relating to the extension of City water and/or sewer services to annexed properties shall be based on the provisions of Resolution No. 95-16. 4. Any annexation shall include all portions of highway, street or road rights-of-way located within or adjacent to the property being annexed. 5. A request for annexation shall include a survey of the property proposed for annexation whenever the property is concurrently being considered for subdivision or lot division approval. 6. A property owner requesting annexation shall request annexation of the entire parcel of land unless the owner can demonstrate that a lesser area of annexation makes more sense in terms of provision of City services to the property. 7. Nothing in this policy shall limit or affect the ability of the City of Moscow to annex property pursuant to applicable law. 8. No exemption to the policy established herein granted by the City Council shall establish a precedent to be applied to any other property. Resolution Regarding Annexation Policy