City of Norwalk, CT Designation Procedure

§ 100-1 Applicability.

The provisions of this article shall apply to such areas within the City of Norwalk which the Common Council shall from time to time designate by resolution as "Special Services Districts" in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 105a of the Connecticut General Statutes. For the purposes of such designation, resolutions approved under this article shall be treated as ordinances and shall be adopted according to the procedures of § 1-191.1 of the Norwalk Code.

§ 100-2 Eligibility.

Any group of taxpayers of the City of Norwalk may apply for designation of a contiguous area (within which their real property is situated) as a Special Services District under this article, if the area meets the requirements of this article. Said requirements are that the area:

Does not receive some or all of the municipal services provided to other areas of the City;

Desires to organize to provide such services to its residents; and

Does not overlap the territory of any other Special Services District established under the provisions of this article.

§ 100-3 Application procedure.

Any group wishing to apply for designation as a Special Services District under this article shall submit an application to the City Clerk on forms to be prepared by said City Clerk. Said applications shall include the following information:

The name and mailing address of every owner of real property within said proposed district.

A map showing the exact boundary lines of the proposed district.

The taxing district, block and lot numbers for each parcel of real property within said proposed district, and the assessed value, according to the latest grand list for the City of Norwalk, of each parcel within said proposed district.

A precise statement of the powers requested by the proposed district under Chapter 105a of the Connecticut General Statutes.

§ 100-4 Public hearing.

The City Clerk shall submit the application received under § 100-3 to the Ordinance Committee of the Common Council for consideration. Said Committee shall hold a public hearing according to the provisions of § 1-191.1 of the Norwalk Code, and then vote on whether to accept or reject said application. Said Committee shall then submit a resolution containing its recommendation on said application to the full Common Council for action.

The resolution adopted under § 100-4A (and to be considered under § 100-5) shall delineate all the powers of said proposed district, which shall have no powers not specifically so delineated (unless so required by state law), and no powers granted under this article to said district (should such district lie partially or entirely within the boundaries of the First, Second, Third or Sixth Taxing Districts of the City of Norwalk) shall conflict with the powers of the First, Second, Third or Sixth Taxing Districts of the City of Norwalk, unless with the consent of the appropriate taxing district's Board of Commissioners.

§ 100-5 Action by Common Council.

If said application is approved by the Common Council, and a resolution adopted as provided by § 100-1, then the City Clerk shall conduct a referendum among all the holders of record of taxable interests in real property within the proposed district on the question of whether such ordinance shall take effect. Such referendum shall be conducted under the provisions of § 7-339(p) of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Said referendum shall be conducted by mail or by roll-call vote, whichever is, in the opinion of the City Clerk, more convenient. If by roll-call vote, then at a place convenient for such vote in or nearby said proposed district, said vote being at a meeting announced by certified mail to each holder of record and by legal advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in said proposed district. If by mail, by ballot sent by certified mail to each holder of record, and returned within the period permitted by § 7-339(p) of the Connecticut General Statutes. The name and vote of each holder of record shall be a public record, and no such vote shall be counted by the City Clerk unless the name of the entity casting said vote accompanies the vote.

§ 100-6 Results of referendum.

The results of such referendum shall be calculated according to the terms of § 7-339(p) of the Connecticut General Statutes. Said results shall then be published in a newspaper of general circulation in such proposed district within 10 days of such referendum. If said referendum question has been approved, said proposed district shall become a Special Services District upon the publication of such notice and the recordation upon the Land Records of the City of Norwalk of a copy of the resolution and any accompanying documents approved by the Common Council under § 100-5 of the Norwalk Code.

§ 100-7 Construal; additional powers.

This article shall not be construed to limit the City of Norwalk in the exercise of any rights granted in any nonreferenced sections of Chapter 105a of the Connecticut General Statutes.

No Special Services District formed under these provisions shall have any home rule powers except as specifically granted by the resolution of the Norwalk Common Council.