Application of Oklahoma Planning & Resources Bd.

1954 OK 226, 274 P.2d 61, 1954 Okla. LEXIS 604
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedAugust 9, 1954
Docket36547
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 1954 OK 226 (Application of Oklahoma Planning & Resources Bd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Application of Oklahoma Planning & Resources Bd., 1954 OK 226, 274 P.2d 61, 1954 Okla. LEXIS 604 (Okla. 1954).

Opinions

JOHNSON, Vice Chief Justice.

This is an application by the Oklahoma. Planning and Resources Board for the approval of state park improvement bonds,, which it proposes to issue for the making of park improvements on numerous state owned parks and for .refunding $850,00Q’ park bonds issued and -improved by this-court in In re Application of Oklahoma. Planning and Resources Board, 201 Okl. 178, 203 P.2d 415. The amount of bonds, proposed to be issued is in the sum of $7,-200,000. The. application for our approval! [62]*62was filed pursuant to authority given in section 17, Ch. 12a, Title 74, S.L.1947, p. 611, 74 O.S.1947, Supp. § 356.17 as amended by the Laws 1953, p. 420, Sec. 3, 74 Okl.St., Supp., Secs. 356.1-356.20. Notice of the hearing of the application was duly published; no protests were filed nor objections made, and the matter came on for hearing on the written application and the instruments attached thereto and made a part thereof.

Examination of the application and instruments submitted shows that the issuance of the bonds are in substantial conformity with the provisions of the law (see statutes cited above) which was enacted for the purpose of enabling the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board to make improvements in the various state parks and to pay the cost of such improvements out of the fees chargeable for their use and the use of the various facilities of the parks as provided in said acts.

It appears that the prospective purchasers of the bonds have raised certain questions as to the constitutionality of the law, and also as to the plan of the operation of the development program as set out in the resolution of the Board authorizing the issuance of the bonds. We will consider these •questions in the order in which they appear in the application.

The first question is: Are the bonds as authorized to be issued an indebtedness of the State of Oklahoma in violation of Section 23, Article 10 of the State Constitution as amended on March 11, 1941, and Sections 24 and 25, Article 10, State Constitution? The bonds expressly provide that they shall be payable solely from the revenues derived from the operation of the parks and shall not be an indebtedness of the State of Oklahoma or the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board. In the case •of In re Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board, supra, we held that such bonds were not violative of these sections of the Constitution if in accord with statutory provisions, supra, the bonds expressly provided that they were payable solely from the revenues to be derived from the operation of the state parks, and not an indebtedness of the State of Oklahoma or the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board. The bonds herein meet the requirements of the statute and the above decisional rule.

The second question presented is whether the lease agreements to be entered into by and between the Board and the lessee prior to issuance of the bonds cover all of the facilities which are required by the statute to be under lease, and are such lease agreements sufficient to satisfy the requirements of Section 3 of Title 74, Chapter 12a, Session Laws of Oklahoma, 1953, 74 O.S. Supp. § 356.8, supra.

This question is identical to the second question in the case of In re Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board, supra. The statutory provisions involved and the factual situation herein is practically the same as therein, except that more than one park is included in the subject matter of the leases. The rule announced there is applicable here. It is not necessary herein to again discuss the facts and legal principles involved. We are of the opinion that the lease agreements sufficiently satisfy the requirements of the statute.

The third question presented is whether the Board may refund presently outstanding State Park Bonds payable from the revenues of the facilities at Lake Murray State Park into this issue of bonds payable from the combined revenues of the parks of the state and overlapping interest be paid to January 1, 1955.

Section 16 of Chapter 12a, Title 74, Session Laws of 1947, 74 O.S.1951 § 356.16, expressly provides for the issuance of refunding bonds refunding any obligations of the Board. Section 16 reads:

“The Board may issue bonds hereunder for the purpose of refunding any obligations of the Board theretofore issued hereunder, or may authorize and deliver a single issue of bonds hereunder in part for the purpose of refunding such obligations and in part for the acquisition of additional properties or improvements. Where bonds are issued under this Section solely for refunding purposes, such bonds may either be sold as above provided or delivered in exchange for the outstanding [63]*63obligations. If sold, the proceeds maybe either applied to the payment of the obligations refunded or deposited in escrow for the retirement thereof. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize the refunding of any outstanding obligations whi-ch are not either maturing, callable for redemption under their terms, or voluntarily surrendered by their holders for cancellation. All bonds issued under this Section shall in all respects be authorized, issued and secured in the manner provided for other bonds issued under this Act, and shall have all of the attributes of such bonds. The Board may provide that any such refunding bonds shall have the same priority of lien on the revenue pledged for their payment as was enjoyed by the obligations refunded thereby.”

Section 3 of Chapter 12a, Title 74, Session Laws of Oklahoma 1953, 74 O.S.Supp. § 356.8, provides:

“The Board shall prescribe and collect reasonable rates, fees, tolls or charges for the services, facilities and commodities rendered by all property of the Board, the revenues of which have been pledged to the payment of bonds issued hereunder, and shall revise such rates, fees, tolls, or charges from time to time whenever necessary to insure that the revenues to be derived therefrom shall be fully sufficient to pay principal of and interest on such bonds. The gross revenues derived by the Board from the operation of any part or parts of the properties of the Board, but no revenues derived by the Board through legislative appropriations or from sources other than operation of the properties of the Board, may be pledged to the payment of such principal and interest. Provided, that the Board is hereby authorized to construct improvements in several parks and/or recreation areas and authorize the issuance of one issue of bonds for all such improvements, and to pledge for the payment of such bonds and the interest thereon, revenues derived by the Board from the operation of any or all of the parks and/or recreational areas for the construction of improvements in which any such consolidated bond issue has been authorized.”

The second paragraph of Section 2 of Chapter 12a, Title 74, Oklahoma Session Laws 1953, 74 O.S.Supp. § 356.6, provides:

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1954 OK 226, 274 P.2d 61, 1954 Okla. LEXIS 604, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/application-of-oklahoma-planning-resources-bd-okla-1954.