19-4632.

Court of condemnation; establishment.

Following the adoption of a motion pursuant to section 19-4631, including an override of any veto, if necessary, the city clerk shall transmit to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court notice of the decision of the city to pursue condemnation of the gas system. The Supreme Court shall, within thirty days after the receipt of such notice, appoint three judges of the district court from three of the judicial districts of the state to constitute a court of condemnation to ascertain and find the value of the gas system being taken. The Supreme Court shall enter an order requiring the judges to attend as a court of condemnation at the county seat of the county in which the city is located, within such time as may be stated in the order, except upon stipulation by all necessary parties as to the value of the gas system filed with the Supreme Court prior to such date. The judges shall attend as ordered and at the first meeting shall select a presiding judge, organize, and proceed with the court's duties. The court may adjourn from time to time and shall fix a time for the appearance before it of all such corporations or persons as the court may deem necessary to be made parties to such condemnation proceedings or which the city or the utility may desire to have made a party to the proceedings. If such time of appearance shall occur after any proceedings have begun, the proceedings shall be reviewed by the court, as it may direct, to give all parties full opportunity to be heard. All corporations or persons, including all mortgagees, bondholders, trustees for bondholders, leaseholders, or other parties or persons claiming any interest in or lien upon the gas system, may be made parties to the proceedings. All parties shall be served with notice of the proceedings and the time and place of the meeting of the court of condemnation in the same manner and for such length of time as the service of a summons in cases begun in the district court, either by personal service or service by publication, and actual personal service of notice within or without the state shall supersede the necessity of notice by publication.