The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-26
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.


Isy0 and to further amend said article eight
4NlIil by adding thereto section to be section
kesolved, That section T. Of article VIII, of the
rsehosders charter be amended 30 to read as
follows:
SUBDIVISION i. Whenever the public interest or
conFenieEce may REQUIRE the city council is hereby
authorized and empowered to order the whole or
any part OF the streets lanes ALLEYS squares
places OF the city graded or regarded to the official
grace, planked or replankei. paved or repaved
macanhinlzed or remeca5amiIed, grayeled or re-
graSeed. pised or replied capped or recapped. and
10 order sidewalk, sewers manholes cuiver;s,
curbing and c-osswalks to be constructed or re-
paired therein and 10 order any or ali WORK TO be
done which shall be necessary TO complete the
whole any portion of the streets sidewalks
lanes, squares. alleys or places and the city conn
Gil may levy and collect an assessment upon all
lots or parcels of land benefited by such improve
ments TO deiray the cost and expense thereof,
which assessment shall bebome a lien upon all
property liable therefor.
Subdivision :. The city ceNncil shall by general
ordinance provide the manner In which the afors-
SAID improvements may be made. and prescribe
OF me power granted and contained In the fore
gohSsubdIvision OF this section; provided, that in
AL cases IN which the cost Of such Improvement is
10 De betrayed by the collection of special assess
meht upon the property beneh ed the following
proceedings shat be taken. viz: There must be
presented 10 the board of public works . written
petition setting forth the street streets alley
a!ieys- squares or places OF parts thereof. TO be
improved the nature OF the improvement. the
M de OF payment and the fact that tho signers
owners O property to be benefited to the aggregate
amount of majority of the assessm ent TO be lie Wed
for such Improvement, according the transfer
books in the office Of the county auditor. If the
board of public works find ths facts set forth in
said petition TO be true they shall cause esti-
mate of the cost OF such improvement to DO made
and transmit the petition, together with all papers
and Information In their possession touching such
Improvement with the estin2 ated cost thereof and
their recommendation thereof. to the city council
Provide l. that no grade shall be CHI aged when
any abutting owner or owners have built or made
improvements on any street highway or alley, I'M
leSs such petition shall be signed by the of
majority of the frontage on the street, highway
or alley within the district to be affected.
The city council shall have full authority 10 con-
slider all matters in relation to such proposed i'm
provement, and may authorize or refuse the
same in their discretion; providing that the
said city council or board of public
works snail not have authority to further
proceed IN the matter of such improyeme nt when
ever the estimated or actual cost OF aay work or
IMPROVEMENT contemplated or1eIed TO be done
by the city council and chargeabie a lien under
the provisions OF this article against any lot or lots
parcel parcels Of land, shall exceed one-hsh OF
the total assessed valuation OF the lots parcels OF
land contained in such assessment district as the
roll made for the levying of taxes for municipal
purposes, in which case such improvement shall
not be granted unless the same be SO modified that
the cost thereof Will not exceed such one-half OF
the az resaid valuation.
The action and decisions of the city council as to
ali matters passed upon by them in relation to the
rejection or the granting OF such petition shall be
final and conclusive.
Subdivision j. said general ordinance shall also
provide for the establishment Of a local improve
ment district, to be called local Improvement dis
trict No. -, which shall include all the property
between the termini of said Improvement aouiting
upon adjacent or pro innate TO the street, alley,
place or square proposed TO be improved to a dis
lance back from the marginal line thereof of ono
hundred and twenty feet, aud all property included
within said limits OF such local Improvement dis
trict shall be considered and held 10 have 'front.'
age upon such Improvement. and shall be the prop
erty benefited by such local improvement, and
shall be the property TO be assessed TO pay the cost
thereof, which cost shall be assessed npon
all of said property so benefited in proper
ton 10 the frontage thereof upon such i'm
provement. one foo; of frontage or the equivalent
thereof, viz: One hundred and twenty square feet
OF superficial area to be taken the unit by which
TO determine the amount of frontage for which
each of said lots parcels or parts thereof benefited
as Aforesaid shall be assessed as aforesaid Provided
that IN case OF rectangular bucks abuttips upon
said street proposed to be improved and having
depth back from said street of less thsn two hun
dred and forty GAO feet the line OF the assess
meat district shall extend only 10 the center OF
said block or blocks.
said assessment district shall, for the purpose of
said assessment be divided into -four subdivisions
parallel TO the center line OF the street alley
posed to be improved. esch thirty feet in width
and beginning with. the one nearest to the ma
ginal line o. said street 10 be numbered respectively
first, second, third and fourth Each front foot or
its equivalent area in the first subdivision thirty
feet wide nearest to the street to be improved
shall be assessed 40 per cent. OF the total amount
10 be assessed against each front foot or its equva
lent: the second subdivision thirty feet wide be-
tween thirty and sixty feet back from the street
shall he assessed 25 per cent. of the total amount
to be assessed against each front foot its equiv
alent; the third subdivision thirty feet wide be-
tween sixty and ninety feet back from the street
shall be assessed 20 per cent Of the total amount
to be assessed against each 'front.' foot or its equva
lent; and the fourth subdivision between ninety
and one hundred ard twenty feet back from the
street shall be assessed Is per cent. of the total
amount 10 be assessed against each front foot or its
equivalent
All assessments levied upon lands of the United
States. state of Washington, state university,
county of King, the city of seattle or any school
district shall be paid by the city of Seattle out of
its general road fund.
Subdivision i. In all cases of special
assessment for local Improvement of
any Kind against any property. persons
corporations whatsoever and said assessments
have failed be valid in whole in becaiLaA
for want of form, insUifcieacy, informally orr
regularity or non. complained with the charter
provisions governing such assessment, the city
council shall be and hereby are authorized TO re-
assess such special taxes or assessments. and to
enforce their collection In accordance with the
provisions of laws or ordinances existing at the
time the re assessment is made
And it is further provided, that whenever for any
cause, mistake or inadveTtence the amount as
sessed shall not be sufficient to pay the cost of the
Improvement made and enjoyed by the owners OF
property in the local assessment district where the
same Is made. that il shall he lawful and the city
council is hereby directed and authorized TO make
assessments on all the property in said local as
sessment district sufficient to pay for such inn
provement. such re-assessment 10 be made and
collected in accordance with the provisions Of this
law or ordinances existing a. the time of its levy
Resolved, That section of article VIII. of The
freeholders charter be amended so as TO read as
sec s. There shall be two modes of making pay
ment tor such local Improvement, towit; I'm
mediate payment and payment by bonds" The
mode to DE adopted shall be the mode PEE
titioned for. The mode of Immediate pay
cou ell has by ordinance or joint resoiu-
ton ordered or authorized the making of any
local Improvement, and not more than twenty days
after the contract therefor has been let, heFein
after provided the board of public works Shall
report TO the council an assessment roll
sha! contain the description of each lot,
parcel OF land or part thereof TO be assessed with
the number OF feet frontage charged TO each. the
total frontage in the district frontage be deter
mined provided in section of this articlel the
total COS: Of the Improvement including all neceS
saFy incidental expenses, The rate per front foot
the amount of escn assessment aud the name of
the of each lot parcel Of land part thereof
if known. but in no case shall "a mistaee in the
name OF the owner be fatal where a description OF
the p-0pertv is given together with the amount
charged TO sireet crossings.
The councii on receipt OF such roll and assess
ment shall cause pot!ce thereofto be published IN
the official newspspe of the city for ten cohSecu-
tive issues, notifying all persons interested that
such roll has been filed and requiring them to ap-
pear a time fixed, not less than fifteen days from
the date OF such notice and nlahe olecuon hereto.
I g council shall al the time fixed consider any
an all objections made, and shall make such cor
rect!ons OF such ron as IL deems Just ana shaii
then deduct the amount of such cost assessed
AGAINST street crossings, which shal. be paid from
the general read fund OF the city ana snail then ny
ordinance approve such roll and shall levy and
sess The amounts thereof against each parcel and
lot and declare the same lien thereon and shall
direct he city clerk to deliver the roll to the city
comptroller who shall forthwith deliver TO the city
treasurer a certified copy thereof, upon receipt OF
which the treasurer shall proceed 10 collect the
same other city taxes are collected; provided,
that such treasurer shall give ten DAYS notice in
the Official newspaper tand shall mail a
COPY of such ice TO the owner Of
the property assessed when the postoffice ad-
dress of such owner Is known, hut The failure TO
mail the shall not be fatal when publication
thereof inadel that such roll has been certified 10
him for collection, and that unless payment Is
made within thirty days from the date Of such no
iCe such assessment shall become del uqueut and
shall bear interest at the ra,e Of 10 per cent per
annum until paid and II paid before such as
sesslpent shali have become delinquent penalty
Of per cent shall be added and the sums de!in-
qUeUt shall he entered on the animal tax roll Tor
The current wear against each Ot and parcel SO de
Hnauenj and with the interest. collected as other
taxes separate account being kept thereof and II
not paid within the time fixed fer the payment OF
city taxes. shall Ue collected as such taxes are col
lected. fogether WIh such sddit oaal charges or
-aa