16-118.
Annexation of land; deemed contiguous; when; effect.
For purposes of sections 16-117 and 16-130:
(1) Lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways shall be deemed contiguous although a stream, embankment, strip, or parcel of land not more than two hundred feet wide lies between the same and the corporate limits; and
(2) In counties in which at least three cities of the first class are located, lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways shall be deemed contiguous although property owned by the federal government lies between the same and the corporate limits, so long as the lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways sought to be annexed are adjacent to or contiguous with the property owned by the federal government. The annexation of any lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways described in this subdivision shall not result in any change in the service area of any electric utility without the express agreement of the electric utility serving the area comprising such annexed lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways at the time of annexation, except that at such time following the annexation of the lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways as the city lawfully annexes sufficient intervening area so as to directly connect the lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways to the primary area of the city, such lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways shall, solely for the purposes of section 70-1008, be treated as if they had been annexed by the city on the date upon which the intervening area had been formally annexed.
Source:Laws 1967, c. 64, § 2, p. 214; Laws 2019, LB194, § 2; Laws 2021, LB9, § 1.
Annotations
Although this section states that lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways shall be deemed contiguous although a stream, embankment, strip, or parcel of land not more than 200 feet wide lies between the same and corporate limits, this section implies a situation where a strip of land is located parallel to the city limits. Johnson v. City of Hastings, 241 Neb. 291, 488 N.W.2d 20 (1992).
A city of the first class may annex land contiguous to its corporate limits which is urban or suburban, including segments of highway, as determined by the characteristic of the land adjacent to that being annexed. Piester v. City of North Platte, 198 Neb. 220, 252 N.W.2d 159 (1977).
An action to enjoin a school district or part thereof, consequent upon annexation of territory by a city of the first class, is barred by the statute of limitations unless brought within one year from effective date of annexation ordinance. School Dist. No. 127 of Lincoln County v. Simpson, 191 Neb. 164, 214 N.W.2d 251 (1974).
Territory purportedly annexed was not contiguous or adjacent as it was separated from city boundary by river over two hundred feet wide. Doolittle v. County of Lincoln, 191 Neb. 159, 214 N.W.2d 248 (1974).
The character of a segment of an interstate highway sought to be annexed by a city of the first class is determined by the characteristic of the land immediately adjacent to the segment sought to be annexed. Adam v. City of Hastings, 12 Neb. App. 98, 668 N.W.2d 272 (2003).