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(a) When any lot, building, or structure within the city, because of accumulation of refuse or debris, the uncontrolled growing of noxious weeds, or age or dilapidation, or because of any other condition or happening becomes, in the opinion of the council, a public hazard or nuisance which is dangerous to the health, safety, or welfare of the inhabitants of the city or of those residing or habitually going near such lot, building, or structure, the council may, after investigation, give notice by publication or by registered mail addressed to the last known address of the owner or owners of the land upon which such nuisance exists, or to the owner of the building or structure itself, specifying the nature of the nuisance and requiring such owner to abate or remove the nuisance promptly and within a time to be specified by the council, which shall be commensurate with the nature of the nuisance. If at the expiration of the time limit in said notice, the owner has not complied with the requirements thereof, or in any case where the owner of the land or of the building or structure itself is not known, the council may order such hazard or nuisance abated by the proper department or agency of the city, or may do the work by contract or by hire, and the cost of such abatement shall be assessed against the lot, premises, or description of real property upon which such hazard or nuisance is located by special assessment.
(b) The council shall determine what amount or part of each expense shall be charged, and the person, if known, against whom the charge shall be made, and the premises upon which the same shall be levied as a special assessment; and as often as the council shall deem it expedient, it shall require notice of all of the several amounts so reported and determined to be given by the clerk either by registered mail sent to their last known address as shown on the assessment roll of the city, or by publication. Such notice shall state the basis of the assessment, the cost thereof[,] and shall give a reasonable time, which shall not be less than thirty days, in which payment shall be made. In all cases where payment is not made within the time limit, the same shall be reported by the clerk to the assessor who shall spread such amounts against the several persons or descriptions of real property chargeable therewith on the next roll for the collection of city taxes.
The council shall prescribe that sidewalks[,] except crosswalks, shall be built by the owner of platted land within the city in the public streets adjacent to and abutting upon such lots and premises in the manner and within the time to be prescribed by ordinances; provided that, in case of the failure of any such owner to comply with the provisions of such ordinance[,] the city may build or cause to be built such sidewalks and assess the cost thereof against such owner and against the land improved thereby, in a manner prescribed by the council by ordinance.
The council shall have power to assess the cost of installing a boulevard lighting system on any street upon the lands abutting thereupon provided the property owners of a majority of the frontage on such street or part thereof to be so improved shall petition therefor.
The council shall have the power to determine the necessity of any local or public improvement with or without a petition therefor and to determine that the whole or any part of the expense thereof shall be defrayed by special assessment upon the property especially benefited, provided that all special assessments levied shall be in proportion to the benefits derived from the improvement.
The council shall prescribe by ordinance the complete special assessment procedure concerning the initiation of projects, plans and specifications, estimates of costs, notice of hearings, making and confirming assessment rolls, and the correction of errors therein, collection of special assessments, and any other matters concerning the making of improvements by the special assessments method, subject to the provisions of this chapter.
If, at or prior to final confirmation of any special assessment, more than fifty per cent of the number of owners of privately owned real property to be assessed for any improvement, or in case of paving or similar improvements more than fifty per cent of the number of owners of frontage to be assessed for any such improvement, shall object in writing to the proposed improvement, the improvement shall not be made by proceedings authorized by this charter without a five-seventh vote of the members of the council, provided that this section shall not apply to sidewalk construction.
The council may provide for the payment of special assessments in annual installments, not to exceed thirty in number, the first installment being due upon confirmation of the roll and the deferred installments being due annually thereafter or, in the discretion of the council, may be spread upon and made a part of each annual city tax roll thereafter until all are paid. Interest may be charged upon deferred installments at a rate not to exceed the maximum allowed by state law. Under any installment plan adopted, the whole or any deferred installments with accrued interest to date of payment may be paid in advance of the due dates established.
When any special assessment roll shall prove insufficient to meet the costs of the improvements for which it was made, the council may make an additional pro rata assessment, but the total amount assessed against any one parcel of land shall not exceed the benefits received by said lot or parcel of land.
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