1523.01 Chief may construct, enlarge, or alter improvements.
1523.01 Chief may construct, enlarge, or alter improvements.
In addition to all other powers granted to and duties devolving upon the chief of the division of soil and water resources, when in the chief’s judgment it is for the public welfare and the best interests of the citizens of the state that the surplus, flood, and other waters of any of the watersheds, rivers, streams, watercourses, or public waters should be conserved, impounded, and stored in order to insure and promote the public health, welfare, and safety and to encourage and promote agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, and other public purposes, such chief shall proceed in furtherance of the purposes of sections 1523.01 to 1523.13 of the Revised Code, and for the preservation of the use of such waters for navigation, in case such waters are required for navigation, to construct such reservoirs, dams, storage basins, dikes, canals, raceways, and other improvements as are necessary for such purposes, or the chief may make additions to, enlarge, and make alterations in and upon such reservoirs, dams, storage basins, dikes, canals, raceways, and other improvements already in existence and constituting a part of the public works, as are necessary for such purposes. Any rights or privileges granted by sections 1523.01 to 1523.13 of the Revised Code, shall not interfere with the control and maintenance of the state reservoirs or public parks which have been dedicated to the public for purposes of recreation and pleasure.
The chief, subject to the written approval of the director of natural resources and the governor, may acquire by gift, purchase, or by appropriation proceedings, in the name of and on behalf of the state, such real and personal property, rights, privileges, and appurtenances as are necessary in the chief’s judgment for the construction of such reservoirs, dams, storage basins, dikes, canals, raceways, and other improvements, or for the alteration, enlargement, or maintenance of existing reservoirs, dams, and other improvements, together with such rights of way, drives, and roadways as are necessary for convenient access thereto. The appropriation proceedings referred to in this section shall be restricted to private property only.
Before proceeding to purchase or appropriate any such property or rights, the cost of which, together with the land or real estate necessary upon which to locate and construct such improvements, including damages to remaining property, is in excess of one thousand dollars, the chief shall prepare plans, specifications, and estimates of such cost, including all material and labor therefor, together with the cost of such land or real estate and damages, and shall thereupon submit such plans, specifications, and estimates to the director, who in turn shall submit them to the governor for approval.
The governor shall thereupon publish written notice once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper published in and of general circulation in the counties where any such improvements are proposed to be constructed, setting forth the location and character of the proposed improvements, that the plans, specifications, and estimates therefor are on file in the governor’s office, and that objections thereto will be heard by the governor on a day to be named in the notice, which day shall be not less than ten nor more than twenty days after the first publication thereof. Within thirty days after the date fixed for the hearing, the governor shall return such plans, specifications, and estimates to the director, with the governor’s written approval or rejection thereof indorsed thereon. The director shall immediately return such plans, specifications, and estimates, together with the governor’s indorsement thereon, to the chief.
Any instrument by which real property is acquired pursuant to this section shall identify the agency of the state that has the use and benefit of the real property as specified in section 5301.012 of the Revised Code.
Amended by 128th General Assembly File No. 9, HB 1, § 101.01, eff. 7/17/2009.
Effective Date: 10-26-1999