Ohio § 709.023

§ 709.023.

(A) A petition filed under section 709.021 of the Revised Code that requests to follow this section is for the special procedure of annexing land

into a municipal corporation when, subject to division (H) of this section, the land

also is not to be excluded from the township under section 503.07 of the Revised Code .  The owners who sign this petition by their signature expressly waive their right

to appeal in law or equity from the board of county commissioners' entry of any resolution

under this section, waive any rights they may have to sue on any issue relating to

a municipal corporation requiring a buffer as provided in this section, and waive

any rights to seek a variance that would relieve or exempt them from that buffer requirement. The petition circulated to collect signatures for the special procedure in this section

shall contain in boldface capital letters immediately above the heading of the place

for signatures on each part of the petition the following:  “WHOEVER SIGNS THIS PETITION

EXPRESSLY WAIVES THEIR RIGHT TO APPEAL IN LAW OR EQUITY FROM THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS'

ENTRY OF ANY RESOLUTION PERTAINING TO THIS SPECIAL ANNEXATION PROCEDURE, ALTHOUGH

A WRIT OF MANDAMUS MAY BE SOUGHT TO COMPEL THE BOARD TO PERFORM ITS DUTIES REQUIRED

BY LAW FOR THIS SPECIAL ANNEXATION PROCEDURE.” (B) Upon the filing of the petition in the office of the clerk of the board of county

commissioners, the clerk shall cause the petition to be entered upon the board's journal

at its next regular session.  This entry shall be the first official act of the board on the petition.  Within five days after the filing of the petition, the agent for the petitioners

shall notify in the manner and form specified in this division the clerk of the legislative

authority of the municipal corporation to which annexation is proposed, the fiscal

officer of each township any portion of which is included within the territory proposed

for annexation, the clerk of the board of county commissioners of each county in which

the territory proposed for annexation is located other than the county in which the

petition is filed, and the owners of property adjacent to the territory proposed for

annexation or adjacent to a road that is adjacent to that territory and located directly

across that road from that territory.  The notice shall refer to the time and date when the petition was filed and the

county in which it was filed and shall have attached or shall be accompanied by a

copy of the petition and any attachments or documents accompanying the petition as

filed. Notice to a property owner is sufficient if sent by regular United States mail to

the tax mailing address listed on the county auditor's records.  Notice to the appropriate government officer shall be given by certified mail, return

receipt requested, or by causing the notice to be personally served on the officer,

with proof of service by affidavit of the person who delivered the notice.  Proof of service of the notice on each appropriate government officer shall be filed

with the board of county commissioners with which the petition was filed. (C) Within twenty days after the date that the petition is filed, the legislative authority

of the municipal corporation to which annexation is proposed shall adopt an ordinance

or resolution stating what services the municipal corporation will provide, and an

approximate date by which it will provide them, to the territory proposed for annexation,

upon annexation.  The municipal corporation is entitled in its sole discretion to provide to the territory

proposed for annexation, upon annexation, services in addition to the services described

in that ordinance or resolution. If the territory proposed for annexation is subject to zoning regulations adopted

under either Chapter 303. or 519. of the Revised Code at the time the petition is

filed, the legislative authority of the municipal corporation also shall adopt an

ordinance or resolution stating that, if the territory is annexed and becomes subject

to zoning by the municipal corporation and that municipal zoning permits uses in the

annexed territory that the municipal corporation determines are clearly incompatible

with the uses permitted under current county or township zoning regulations in the

adjacent land remaining within the township from which the territory was annexed,

the legislative authority of the municipal corporation will require, in the zoning

ordinance permitting the incompatible uses, the owner of the annexed territory to

provide a buffer separating the use of the annexed territory and the adjacent land

remaining within the township.  For the purposes of this section, “ buffer ” includes open space, landscaping, fences, walls, and other structured elements;

 streets and street rights-of-way;  and bicycle and pedestrian paths and sidewalks. The clerk of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation to which annexation

is proposed shall file the ordinances or resolutions adopted under this division with

the board of county commissioners within twenty days following the date that the petition

is filed.  The board shall make these ordinances or resolutions available for public inspection. (D) Within twenty-five days after the date that the petition is filed, the legislative

authority of the municipal corporation to which annexation is proposed and each township

any portion of which is included within the territory proposed for annexation may

adopt and file with the board of county commissioners an ordinance or resolution consenting

or objecting to the proposed annexation.  An objection to the proposed annexation shall be based solely upon the petition's

failure to meet the conditions specified in division (E) of this section. If the municipal corporation and each of those townships timely files an ordinance

or resolution consenting to the proposed annexation, the board at its next regular

session shall enter upon its journal a resolution granting the proposed annexation.  If, instead, the municipal corporation or any of those townships files an ordinance

or resolution that objects to the proposed annexation, the board of county commissioners

shall proceed as provided in division (E) of this section.  Failure of the municipal corporation or any of those townships to timely file an

ordinance or resolution consenting or objecting to the proposed annexation shall be

deemed to constitute consent by that municipal corporation or township to the proposed

annexation. (E) Unless the petition is granted under division (D) of this section, not less than

thirty or more than forty-five days after the date that the petition is filed, the

board of county commissioners shall review it to determine if each of the following

conditions has been met: (1) The petition meets all the requirements set forth in, and was filed in the manner

provided in, section 709.021 of the Revised Code . (2) The persons who signed the petition are owners of the real estate located in the

territory proposed for annexation and constitute all of the owners of real estate

in that territory. (3) The territory proposed for annexation does not exceed five hundred acres. (4) The territory proposed for annexation shares a contiguous boundary with the municipal

corporation to which annexation is proposed for a continuous length of at least five

per cent of the perimeter of the territory proposed for annexation. (5) The annexation will not create an unincorporated area of the township that is completely

surrounded by the territory proposed for annexation. (6) The municipal corporation to which annexation is proposed has agreed to provide to

the territory proposed for annexation the services specified in the relevant ordinance

or resolution adopted under division (C) of this section. (7) If a street or highway will be divided or segmented by the boundary line between

the township and the municipal corporation as to create a road maintenance problem,

the municipal corporation to which annexation is proposed has agreed as a condition

of the annexation to assume the maintenance of that street or highway or to otherwise

correct the problem.  As used in this section, “street” or “highway” has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code . (F) Not less than thirty or more than forty-five days after the date that the petition

is filed, if the petition is not granted under division (D) of this section, the board

of county commissioners, if it finds that each of the conditions specified in division

(E) of this section has been met, shall enter upon its journal a resolution granting

the annexation.  If the board of county commissioners finds that one or more of the conditions specified

in division (E) of this section have not been met, it shall enter upon its journal

a resolution that states which of those conditions the board finds have not been met

and that denies the petition. (G) If a petition is granted under division (D) or (F) of this section, the clerk of

the board of county commissioners shall proceed as provided in division (C)(1) of section 709.033 of the Revised Code , except that no recording or hearing exhibits would be involved.  There is no appeal in law or equity from the board's entry of any resolution under

this section, but any party may seek a writ of mandamus to compel the board of county

commissioners to perform its duties under this section. (H) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 503.07 of the Revised Code , unless otherwise provided in an annexation agreement entered into pursuant to section 709.192 of the Revised Code or in a cooperative economic development agreement entered into pursuant to section 701.07 of the Revised Code , territory annexed into a municipal corporation pursuant to this section shall not

at any time be excluded from the township under section 503.07 of the Revised Code and, thus, remains subject to the township's real property taxes. (I) Any owner of land that remains within a township and that is adjacent to territory

annexed pursuant to this section who is directly affected by the failure of the annexing

municipal corporation to enforce compliance with any zoning ordinance it adopts under

division (C) of this section requiring the owner of the annexed territory to provide

a buffer zone, may commence in the court of common pleas a civil action against that

owner to enforce compliance with that buffer requirement whenever the required buffer

is not in place before any development of the annexed territory begins. (J) Division (C)(18) of section 718.01 of the Revised Code applies to the compensation paid to persons performing personal services for a political

subdivision on property owned by the political subdivision after that property is

annexed to a municipal corporation under this section.