(a) The City of Mason, or its duly authorized agent, may require the installation of water lines or connections and assess the cost thereof as provided in this section.
(b) Whenever the City Manager deems it necessary that water lines or connections be installed, the City Manager or his designee shall cause written notice thereof to be given to the owner of each lot or parcel of land to which such lines or connections are to be made, which notice shall state the number and the character of connections required.
(c) The notice under this section shall be served by the clerk of the legislative authority, or a person designated by such clerk, upon the owners of the lots or parcels of land to which such connections are to be made in the same manner as service of summons in civil cases, or by certified mail addressed to such owner at his last known address or to the address to which tax bills are sent, or by a combination of the foregoing methods. If it appears by the return of service or the return of the certified mail notice that one or more of such owners cannot be found, such owners shall be served by publication of the notice once in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipal corporation. The return of the person serving the notice or a certified copy thereof or a returned receipt for notice forwarded by certified mail accepted by the addressee or anyone purporting to act for him shall be prima- facie evidence of the service of notice under this section.
(d) If said lines or connections are not installed within the time period indicated by such notice, the work may be done by the municipal corporation or any duly authorized agent or contractor and the cost thereof together with a forfeiture of 5%, assessed against the lots and lands for which such connections are made.
(e) The Clerk shall make a written return to the County Auditor of the action taken under this section, with a statement of the charges for its services, the amount paid for the performing of the labor, the fees of the officers who made the service of the notice and return, and a proper description of the premises. The amounts, when allowed, shall be entered upon the tax duplicate, shall be a lien upon the lands from the date of the entry, and shall be collected as other taxes and returned to the city with the General Fund.
(Ord. 2018-109, passed 9-10-2018)