(A) Notice; authority of city. If at any time any sidewalk or footwalk needs repair, or if any land or lot owner fails to build such walk or repave any walk when repaving, in the opinion of the Council, has become necessary, it shall be the duty of the Mayor to cause the owner of the land or lot adjacent thereto to be notified in writing of such need of laying or repair of the walk and of the character of repaving needed to be done and, if such repairs are not made by the land or lot owner within ten days after the service of such notice or if such new walk is not laid or repaving done within 30 days after the service of such notice, the Council shall then have the power and authority to repair or repave any such sidewalk or footwalk.
(B) Alternate arrangements. The Council shall have the authority and it shall be within it sole discretion whether to repair or repave such walk by force account or by contract.
(1) Force account. If the Council elects to repair or repave the walk by force account, it shall keep an accurate account of the labor and materials used in making such repairs or repavement, which statement of costs shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk.
(2) Contract. If the Council determines to repair or repave by contract, the Council shall advertise for bids by publication in one of the newspapers of the city once a week for not more than two weeks, and all contracts let in pursuant of such advertisement shall be to the lowest responsible bidder; but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the Council rejecting any and all bids made in pursuant of such advertisement.
(C) Costs. After any sidewalk is repaired, constructed or repaved in pursuance of the power herein granted, the cost thereof shall be paid out of the city treasury in the first instance and the Council, after allowing such costs, shall lay an assessment against the lot benefitted thereby, with a penalty of an amount set forth by Council from time to time added, and this assessment shall be placed in the hands of the City Collector and Treasurer, to be collected by him or her from such land or lot owner as city taxes are collected; and the cost of such work shall be a lien against such land or lot abutting on such walkway, taking priority over all other liens, except taxes, and shall be enforced as city taxes and assessments are enforced against real estate, or by other appropriate procedure.
(D) Fines. If the owner of any such land or lot, after having been given notice by the Mayor, as herein provided, to lay, repave or repair said sidewalk shall fail to do so within the time as herein provided, the Mayor may cause any such land or lot owner to be summoned before the Municipal Court Judge to show cause why a fine should not be imposed for such failure to repair, repave or construct the sidewalk as herein provided.
(E) Service of notices to nonresidents. If the owner of any such land or lot is not a resident of the city, the notice to him or her required by this regulation may be served upon him or her as notices are served under the laws of this state.
(1991 Code, § 18-14) Penalty, see § 93.999