Mo. Rev. Stat. § 71.017

71.017. Plat of proposed area — acceptance how — election, how conducted — approval by voters, effect of. — 1. The owners of a tract of land not more than ten miles distant from the nearest limits of the city, town, or village, or within such greater distance as may be reasonable under the circumstances in order to secure the most desirable site, may present to the legislative body of the city, town, or village a plat containing the same information as is required by the laws of this state to be contained in a plat of an original townsite. The legislative body shall examine the plat, and may require such amendments, changes, additions, or withdrawals therefrom as it deems necessary, and if the legislative body finds that the area contained in the plat is a suitable and desirable site to which the city, town, or village should be moved, it shall pass an ordinance declaring the acceptance of the plat, and shall submit to the voters of the city, town, or village, the question of whether the territory comprised within the plat shall be annexed. The requirements of section 71.015 shall not apply to an annexation under the provisions of sections 71.016 to 71.019 .

2. If the annexation of the territory comprised within such plat is approved by a majority of the voters of the city, town, or village voting on the question the legislative body shall so declare by resolution, and shall cause a copy of its resolution and the original plat to be filed for record in the office of the county clerk. If part or all of the territory comprised within the plat lies in a county other than that in which the existing territory of the city, town, or village lies, the resolution and the plat shall be recorded in each county. Upon the date of the filing of the resolution and the plat, the territory comprised within the plat shall be annexed to and shall form a part of the city, town, or village.

(L. 1969 p. 133 §§ 2, 3, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971)