Rhode Island § 32-2-8 - Metropolitan Park District

§ 32-2-8. Commissioners — Apportionment of expenses.

(a) The superior court shall, on the application of the director of environmental management, and after notice to each of the cities and towns hereinbefore designated, appoint three (3) commissioners who shall not be residents of those cities and towns, who shall, after the notice and hearing, and in such manner as they shall deem just and equitable, determine the proportion in which each of those cities and towns shall annually pay money into the treasury of the state for the term of five (5) years next following the year of the first issue of the scrip or certificates of indebtedness, to meet the interest and sinking fund requirements for each of those years as estimated by the general treasurer of the state, and to meet the expenses of preservation and necessary care of the public reservations as estimated by the director of environmental management and certified by them to the general treasurer, and any deficiency in the amount previously paid in as found by the treasurer, and shall return their award into the court; and when the award shall have been accepted by the court, it shall be final and conclusive adjudication of all matters herein referred to the commissioners and shall be binding on all parties. Before the expiration of that term of five (5) years, and every five (5) years thereafter, three (3) commissioners who shall not be residents of any of the cities or towns constituting the metropolitan park district shall again be appointed, with the same powers and duties for the next succeeding term of five (5) years; provided, that if the commissioners appointed during the first term of five (5) years, shall before the expiration of the term decide that the work of acquiring and improving land for metropolitan park purposes is not sufficiently advanced or that the improvements contemplated by this chapter are not so distributed over the various portions of the metropolitan park district as to permit of a reasonable estimation of the relative benefits to be derived by the several cities and towns, or if the works under way or in immediate contemplation are of such character that the benefits to be derived therefrom would speedily and materially alter the equity of an award made within that term, they may, with the consent of the superior court, postpone the return of their award to the court for such further period not to exceed three (3) years, as they may deem necessary in order to arrive at a more uniform and satisfactory basis of assessment; and further provided, that no assessment shall be levied for the purposes of this chapter in any one year upon any city or town in excess of a sum equal to one-half (½) mill on the dollar of the valuation thereof.

(b) The superior court shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce the provisions of this chapter and shall fix and determine the compensation of all commissioners appointed by the court under the provisions hereof.