17-559. Streets; offstreet parking; markets; public utilities; establishment; eminent domain; procedure.
481 words·~2 min read·
/ne/chapter-17/17-559A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Cities of the second class and villages shall have power to
(1)create, open, widen, or extend any street, avenue, alley, offstreet parking area, or other public way, or annul, vacate, or discontinue such street, avenue, alley, area, or public way,
(2)take private property for public use for the purpose of erecting or establishing market houses, market places, parks, swimming pools, airports, gas systems, including distribution facilities, water systems, power plants, including electrical distribution facilities, sewer systems, or for any other needed public purpose, and
(3)exercise the power of eminent domain within or without the city or village limits for the purpose of establishing and operating power plants including electrical distribution facilities to supply such city or village with public utility service, and for sewerage purposes, water supply systems, or airports. The procedure to condemn property shall be exercised in the manner set forth in sections 76-704 to 76-724 , except as to property specifically excluded by section 76-703 and as to which sections 19-701 to 19-707 or the Municipal Natural Gas System Condemnation Act is applicable. For purposes of this section, electrical distribution facilities shall be located within the retail service area of such city or village as approved by and on file with the Nebraska Power Review Board, pursuant to Chapter 70, article 10.
County and village jointly could not condemn under this section for airport. Spencer v. Village of Wallace, 153 Neb. 536, 45 N.W.2d 473 (1951).
Where city acted irregularly in devoting streets to the location of city water wells, a purpose foreign to the original use, for a period of forty years, courts of equity have inherent power, independent of statute of limitations, to refuse to enjoin such use for wells. Barger v. City of Tekamah, 128 Neb. 805, 260 N.W. 366 (1935).
An ordinance, providing for the appointment of five freeholders to appraise damage in relation to opening and altering street, does not conform to statutory requirement for the election of five householders to assess damages for the vacation of the streets, and any action by the city under such ordinance does not bar abutting owners action for damages. Jones v. City of Aurora, 97 Neb. 825, 151 N.W. 958 (1915).
Where a part of a public street is vacated, only those whose property abuts upon the vacated street or who are cut off from access to street are entitled to damages. Lee v. City of McCook, 82 Neb. 26, 116 N.W. 955 (1908).
Municipality may grant the use of its streets to telephone company for its poles and lines, which use is a public one and not a special privilege. City of Plattsmouth v. Nebraska Telephone Co., 80 Neb. 460, 114 N.W. 588 (1908).
Authority is not conferred to condemn for a gas distribution system only. Village of Walthill v. Iowa Electric Light & Power Co., 125 F.Supp. 859 (D. Neb. 1954).