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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
COMMITTEE REPORT
February 24, 1999
S. 226
S. Printed 2/24/99--S.
Read the first time January 12, 1999.
To whom was referred a Bill (S. 226), to amend Section 5-1-30, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to the prerequisites to issuance of a corporate certificate to a proposed municipality, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, page 2, beginning on line 4, in Section 5-1-30 (A)(4), as contained in SECTION 1, by striking item (4) in its entirety and inserting therein the following:
/(4) that the area proposed to be incorporated is contiguous. Contiguity is not destroyed by an intervening marshland located in the tidal flow or an intervening publicly-owned waterway, whether or not the marshland located in the tidal flow or the publicly-owned waterway has been previously incorporated or annexed by another municipality. The incorporation of a marshland located in the tidal flow or a publicly-owned waterway does not preclude the marshland located in the tidal flow or the publicly-owned waterway from subsequently being used by any other municipality to establish contiguity for purposes of an incorporation provided that the distance from highland to highland of the area being incorporated is not greater than one-half mile./
Amend title to conform.
ADDISON G. WILSON, for Committee.
TO AMEND SECTION 5-1-30, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PREREQUISITES TO ISSUANCE OF A CORPORATE CERTIFICATE TO A PROPOSED MUNICIPALITY, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE AREA SEEKING TO BE INCORPORATED TO BE CONTIGUOUS, AND PROVIDE THAT CONTIGUITY IS NOT DESTROYED BY AN INTERVENING NAVIGABLE WATERWAY, MARSHLAND, OR LOWLAND WHETHER OR NOT IT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY INCORPORATED OR ANNEXED, AND PROVIDE THAT THE NAVIGABLE WATERWAY, MARSHLAND, OR LOWLAND DOES NOT PRECLUDE IT FROM BEING USED BY ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY TO ESTABLISH CONTIGUITY FOR PURPOSES OF AN INCORPORATION OR ANNEXATION PROVIDED THE DISTANCE FROM HIGHLAND TO HIGHLAND OF THE AREA BEING INCORPORATED OR ANNEXED IS NOT GREATER THAN ONE MILE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 5-1-30 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 7 of 1991, is further amended to read:
"Section 5-1-30. (A) Before issuing a corporate certificate to a proposed municipality, the Secretary of State shall first determine:
(1) that the area seeking to be incorporated has a population density of at least three hundred persons a square mile according to the latest official United States Census;
(2) that no part of the area is within five miles of the boundary of an active incorporated municipality; and
(3) that an approved service feasibility study for the proposed municipality has been filed with and approved by the Secretary of State; and
(4) that the area proposed to be incorporated is contiguous. Contiguity is not destroyed by an intervening navigable waterway, marshland, or lowland, whether or not the navigable waterway, marshland, or lowland has been previously incorporated or annexed by another municipality. The incorporation or annexation of a navigable waterway, marshland, or lowland does not preclude the navigable waterway, marshland, or lowland from subsequently being used by another municipality to establish contiguity for purposes of an incorporation or annexation provided that the distance from highland to highland of the area being incorporated or annexed is not greater than one mile.
(B) When an area seeking incorporation has petitioned pursuant to Chapter 17 the nearest incorporated municipality to be annexed to the municipality, and has been refused annexation by the municipality for six months, or when the population of the area seeking incorporation exceeds fifteen thousand persons, then the provision of the five-mile limitation of this section does not apply to the area.
(C) The five-mile limit does not apply when the boundaries of the area seeking incorporation are within five miles of the boundaries of two different incorporated municipalities in two separate counties other than the county within which the area seeking incorporation lies, and when the boundaries of the proposed municipality are more than five miles from the boundaries of the nearest incorporated municipality that lies within the same county within which the proposed municipality lies, and when the land area of the territory seeking incorporation exceeds one-fourth of the land area of the nearest incorporated municipality.
(D) The population requirements do not apply to areas bordering on and being within two miles of the Atlantic Ocean and to all sea islands bounded on at least one side by the Atlantic Ocean, both of which have a minimum of one hundred fifty dwelling units and at least an average of one dwelling unit for each three acres of land within the area and for which petitions for incorporation contain the signatures of at least fifteen percent of the freeholders and fifty of the electors of the respective areas seeking incorporation. The freeholders and electors need are not required to be all different persons.
(E) This section does not apply to those areas which have petitioned to the Secretary of State before June 25, 1975, or which may be under adjudication in the courts of this State. The five-mile limit does not apply to counties with a population according to the latest official United States Census of less than fifty-one thousand."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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