Chapter 10 - Archaeological, Geological And Historical Museums
CHAPTER 10 - ARCHAEOLOGICAL, GEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL MUSEUMS
ARTICLE 1 - GENERALLY
18-10-101. County commissioners may purchase, construct, accept bygift, museums and collections of exhibits.
Eachboard of county commissioners may purchase, construct or acquire by donation orotherwise archaeological, geological and historical museums and collections ofexhibits and articles to be included in or added to the museums andcollections.
18-10-102. Appropriation for construction and maintenance; annual taxlevy.
Eachboard of county commissioners of any county owning, constructing or acquiringany museum or collection of exhibits may annually levy a tax on the taxablevaluation of the property in the county, for the construction, maintenance andsupport of the museum or collection of exhibits. The levy shall be made at thesame time as other county and school levies are made. The proceeds from thecollection of the levy shall be placed in a special fund by the countytreasurer and used solely for the purpose for which the levy was made.
18-10-103. Board of trustees; appointment; composition; qualificationsof members; terms of office; vacancies.
Eachboard of county commissioners of any county owning, constructing or acquiringany museum or collection of exhibits shall appoint a board of trustees for themuseum or collection composed of five (5) electors of the county. The initialboard of trustees shall be appointed as follows: one (1) member for a one (1)year term, two (2) for a two (2) term and two (2) for a three (3) year term,with each term commencing on July 1 of the year of appointment. Thereafter theterms shall be three (3) years. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms.
18-10-104. Board of trustees; duties generally; employment ofpersonnel; rules and regulations.
(a) Each board of trustees of a county museum or collection ofexhibits shall:
(i) Have the custody and control of the museum or collection;
(ii) Employ such personnel as required;
(iii) Make rules and regulations as necessary for thepreservation, maintenance, operation and display of the museum or collection ofexhibits;
(iv) Consult with the department of state parks and culturalresources on matters relating to the management and operation of the countymuseum and enter into agreements with the department of state parks andcultural resources for the purpose of lending or borrowing materials andimproving the management and operation of the county museum;
(v) Annually not later than June 1, file with the board ofcounty commissioners a report detailing all gifts and donations made to themuseum or collection and the receipts and expenditures during the precedingfiscal year, together with estimated requirements for expenditures for theensuing fiscal year.
18-10-105. Board of trustees; authority to provide funds forpreservation of historical artifacts and landmarks.
Theboard of county commissioners may provide funds for the preservation of historicalartifacts and landmarks when the same are threatened with removal ordestruction.
ARTICLE 2 - SPECIAL MUSEUM DISTRICTS
18-10-201. Petition of property owners; public hearing; writtenprotests; election.
(a) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
(b) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
(c) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
(d) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
(e) A special museum district may be established under theprocedures for petitioning, hearing and election of special districts as setforth in the Special District elections Act of 1994.
18-10-202. Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
18-10-203. District a body corporate; name; powers.
(a) Each district established is a body corporate by the nameof "the .... museum district". The name shall be selected by theboard of county commissioners of the county in which the greater area of landwithin the district is located and will be entered in their records.
(b) The district may:
(i) Hold property and be a party to contracts;
(ii) Sue and be sued;
(iii) Through its governing board acquire property for museumpurposes by gift, devise, bequest or purchase or contract for the acquisitionby purchase or lease of real and personal property;
(iv) Convey, lease and otherwise dispose of property for museumpurposes;
(v) Establish sinking funds for museum purposes;
(vi) Issue bonds for the purchase of real property, improvementsand equipment as provided by W.S. 18-10-214;
(vii) Make rules and regulations as necessary for the properoperation of the district, which shall be filed with the county clerk for eachcounty in which the district is located.
18-10-204. Election of trustees; generally; terms.
Anelection of the six (6) initial trustees shall be held at the same time as theelection to form the district under W.S. 18-10-201 and in accordance with theSpecial District Elections Act of 1994, including by mail ballot. The board oftrustees elected shall govern the district affairs and serve without compensation.At the first subsequent director election three (3) members shall be elected toserve until the next subsequent director district election and three (3)members elected to serve until the second subsequent director district electionand until their successors are elected and qualified.
18-10-205. Trustee terms.
Trusteesshall hold office for four (4) years and until their successors are dulyelected and qualified.
18-10-206. Repealed by Laws 1994, ch. 99, 3.
18-10-207. Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
18-10-208. Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
18-10-209. Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
18-10-210. Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
18-10-211. Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
18-10-212. Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, 5.
18-10-213. Administration of finances; assessments and taxation.
(a) The board of trustees of special museum districts shalladminister the finances of the district according to the provisions of theWyoming Municipal Budget Act. Annually, each county assessor shall provide theboard of county commissioners with the total assessed value of all taxableproperty within a special museum district in his county.
(b) The board of county commissioners at the same time theylevy for county purposes shall levy a tax not exceeding one (1) mill upon thetaxable property in the district in its county for its proportionate sharebased on the assessed valuation and the estimated amount of funds needed byeach district. The taxes shall be collected at the same time and in the samemanner as state and county taxes. The tax levy provided by this section shallnot be construed as being a part of the general county mill levy.
18-10-214. Coupon bonds; generally.
Theboard of trustees of special museum districts may submit to the electors of thedistrict the question whether the board shall be authorized to issue couponbonds of the district to a certain amount, not to exceed two percent (2%) ofthe assessed value of the taxable property in the district, bearing interest ata certain rate, payable and redeemable at a certain time not exceedingtwenty-five (25) years, for constructing or acquiring property for museumpurposes.
18-10-215. Election; ballots.
Theelection authorized under W.S. 18-10-214 shall be called by the boards ofcounty commissioners and conducted, canvassed and returned in the mannerprovided for bond elections by the Political Subdivision Bond Election Law,W.S. 22-21-101 through 22-21-112.
18-10-216. Form; notice; bids; sale.
Ifthe proposal to issue bonds is approved, the board of trustees may issue bondsin such form as they decide and shall give notice by publication in somenewspaper published in the counties in which the district is located and insome newspaper of general circulation in Cheyenne, Wyoming of its intention toissue and negotiate such bonds and to invite bidders therefor. In no case shallthe bonds be sold for less than their full or par value and the accruedinterest thereon at the time of their delivery. The trustees may reject anybids or sell the bonds at private sale if they deem it for the best interest ofthe district.
18-10-217. Preparation and execution.
Afterascertaining the best terms and the lowest interest at which the bonds can benegotiated, the board shall secure the proper engraving and printing andconsecutive numbering thereof and the bonds shall then be properly prepared andexecuted. They must bear the signature of the president of the board oftrustees and be countersigned by the county treasurer of the county in whichthe funds of the district are kept, and the coupons attached to the bonds mustbe signed by the president, secretary and county treasurer. The secretary ofthe board shall endorse and sign in his official capacity a certificate uponevery bond that it is within the lawful debt limit of the district and isissued according to law. When so executed the bonds shall be registered by thecounty treasurer where the funds of the district are kept in a book providedfor that purpose, which must show the number and amount of each bond and theperson to whom it is issued.
18-10-218. Preparation and execution; full faith and credit; payment ofprincipal and interest.
(a) The full faith and credit of each museum district is solemnlypledged for the payment of the interest and the redemption of the principal ofall bonds which are issued by the district.
(b) The county treasurer where the funds of the district arekept may pay out of the district tax fund the interest and principal due uponany bonds upon presentation at his office of the proper coupon or bond whichmust show the amount due and each coupon must also show the number of the bondto which it belonged. All bonds and coupons so paid must be reported to thedistrict trustees at their first regular meeting thereafter.
18-10-219. Existing museums not affected; museum may submit to electorsquestion of organizing district.
Allarchaeological, geological and historical museums and any mill levy madepursuant to W.S. 18-10-101 through 18-10-105 shall not be affected by theprovisions of W.S. 18-10-201 through 18-10-218. Any archaeological, geologicalor historical museum, by a majority vote of the board of trustees may submit tothe qualified electors of the county, or any portion thereof, in which themuseum is located the question of organizing a special museum district underthe provisions of and in accordance with the procedures specified in W.S.18-10-201 through 18-10-219.