Montana § 76-25-413 - Public Improvements And Extension Of Capital Facilities

§ 76-25-413. Public Improvements And Extension Of Capital Facilities

Public improvements and extension of capital facilities. (1) Except as provided in subsections (1)(a) and (1)(c), the governing body shall require the subdivider to complete required improvements within the proposed subdivision prior to the approval of the final plat. (a) (i) In lieu of the completion of the construction of any public improvements prior to the approval of a final plat, the governing body shall, at the subdivider's option, allow the subdivider to provide or cause to be provided a bond or other reasonable security, in an amount and with surety and conditions satisfactory to the governing body, providing for and securing the construction and installation of the improvements within a period specified by the governing body and expressed in the bonds or other security. The governing body shall reduce bond or security requirements commensurate with the completion of improvements. Failure of the local government to require the renewal of a bond does not waive the subdivider's responsibility to complete the required improvements prior to the approval of the final plat. (ii) In lieu of requiring a bond or other means of security for the construction or installation of all the required public improvements under subsection (2)(a)(i), the governing body may enter into a subdivision improvements agreement with the subdivider that provides for an incremental payment, guarantee plan, or other method of completing the necessary improvements to serve the development as set forth in the preliminary plat approval. (b) Approval by the governing body of a final plat prior to the completion of required improvements and without the provision of the security required under subsection (1)(a) is not an act of a legislative body for the purposes of 2-9-111 . (c) The governing body may require a percentage of improvements or specific types of improvements necessary to protect public health and safety to be completed before allowing bonding, other reasonable security, or entering into a subdivision improvements agreement for purposes of filing a final plat. The requirement is applicable to approved preliminary plats. (2) (a) A local government may require a subdivider to pay or guarantee payment for part or all of the costs of extending capital facilities related to public health and safety, including but not limited to public roads, sewer lines, water supply lines, and storm drains to a subdivision. The costs must reasonably reflect the expected impacts directly attributable to the subdivision. A local government may not require a subdivider to pay or guarantee payment for part or all of the costs of constructing or extending capital facilities related to education. (b) All fees, costs, or other money paid by a subdivider under this subsection (2) must be expended on the capital facilities for which the payments were required.