99.310. Declaration of policy. - Missouri Statutes

Declaration of policy.

99.310. It is hereby found and declared that there exists inmunicipalities of the state insanitary, blighted, deterioratedand deteriorating areas which constitute a serious and growingmenace injurious to the public health, safety, morals and welfareof the residents of the state; that the existence of such areascontributes substantially and increasingly to the spread ofdisease and crime, necessitating excessive and disproportionateexpenditures of public funds for the preservation of the publichealth and safety, for crime prevention, correction, prosecution,punishment and the treatment of juvenile delinquency and for themaintenance of adequate police, fire and accident protection andother public services and facilities, constitutes an economic andsocial liability, substantially impairs or arrests the soundgrowth of communities and retards the provision of housingaccommodations; that this menace is beyond remedy and controlsolely by regulatory process in the exercise of the police powerand cannot be dealt with effectively by the ordinary operationsof private enterprise without the aids herein provided; that theelimination or prevention of the detrimental conditions in suchareas, the acquisition and preparation of land in or necessary tothe development, renewal or rehabilitation of such areas and itssale or lease for development, renewal or rehabilitation inaccordance with general plans and redevelopment or urban renewalplans of communities and any assistance which may be given by anypublic body in connection therewith are public uses and purposesfor which public money may be expended and private propertyacquired; and that the necessity in the public interest for theprovisions hereinafter enacted is hereby declared as a matter oflegislative determination; and that certain insanitary, blighted,deteriorated or deteriorating areas, or portions thereof, mayrequire acquisition and clearance, as provided in this law, sincethe prevailing condition of decay may make impracticable thereclamation of the area by conservation or rehabilitation, butother areas or portions thereof, through the means provided inthis law may be susceptible of conservation or rehabilitation insuch a manner that the conditions and evils hereinbeforeenumerated may be eliminated, remedied or prevented, and to theextent feasible, salvable, insanitary and blighted areas shouldbe conserved and rehabilitated through voluntary action and theregulatory process. A municipality, to the greatest extent itdetermines to be feasible in carrying out the provisions of thislaw, shall afford maximum opportunity, consistent with the soundneeds of the municipality as a whole, to the rehabilitation orredevelopment or renewal of areas by private enterprise.

(L. 1951 p. 300 § 2, A.L. 1955 p. 279)