The Daily Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 18??-189?, 1896-02-26

THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF
SEATTLE.-COntinue
for the making of which are directly or in
dlrectly to be derived, in whole or in part,
IRON the assessments upon the property
benefited thereby, and such improvements
as the city council shall by ordinance pre-
scribe shall be made by contract, to be let
TO the lowest bidder therefor under the
mana cement of the board of public works.
1t shall be made condition Of every such
contract that 1t shall not be sublet unless
for the furnishing of material; provided,
however that the city council may, by a
two-th!rds vote by ordinance provide other
wise as TO any particular contract
Sec II. Subdivision l. Whenever the
public interest or convenience may require,
he city council is hereby authorized and
empowered to order the whole or any part
0fthe streets, lanes, alleys, squares or places
of the city graded or regarded to the official
grade, plaaked or replanked paved or re-
paved, macadamiZed CT remacadauized,
graveled or regraveled. piled or replied,
capped or recapped; and to order side
walks, sewers, manholes, culverts, curD-
ing and jcrosSWdlkS to be constructed or re-
paired therein, and to order any or ali work
to be done which shall be necessary to
coNplete the whole or any portion of the
SD BITS, sidewalks, lanes, squares, alleys
or places, and the city council may levy
and collect an assessment upon all lots or
parcels of land benefited by such improve
mentS to defray the cost and expense there
or, which assessment shall become a lien
upon all property liable therefor prior and
! superior to all other liens and encum-
&brauces.
i'll Subdivision 2. The city council shall, by
hS2eral ordinance. provide the manner in
n the aforesaid improvements may be
and prescribe all needful regulations
s1' e exercise by the city Of the power
FED and contained in the foregoing sub
Zion of this section; provided, that IN
cases IN which the cost of such Improve
~nentS is tC be betrayed by the collection Of
a special assessment upon the property
benefited, the following proceedings shall
the board Of public works written petit
ton setting forth the street or streets, alley
or alleys, squares, or places, or parts there
or to be improved, the nature Of the i'm
provement, the mode of payment and the
TACT that the SignerS are owners of prop
erty to be benefited to the aggregate
amount OF a majority of the assessment to
De levied for such Improvement, according
to the transfer books in the office of the
county auditor. If any such property
stands in the name of deceased person,
or any person for whom a guardian has
been appointed, the signature of the exc
cutor or administrator or guardian, as the
case may be. shall be equivalent to the Sig
nature of the owner of such property on
such petition.
If the board Of public works find the facts
set forth in said petition to be true, they
shall cause ar estimate of the cost of such
Improvement to be made and transmit the
petition, together with all papers and in
with the estimated cost
and their recommendation there
(: { ss:ty council; provided, that no
snan be changed when any abutting
ffsf owners have built or made I'M
heitrs on any street. highway or
unless such petition shall be signed
p owners of a majority of the front
the street, highway or alley within
thgS&t rict to be affected. The city COIN
ell shen have full authority to consider all
matters in relation to such proposed i'm
provement. and may authorize or refuse
the same IN their discretion; provided. that
the city council or board Of public works
shall not have authority to further pro-
coed in the matter of such Improvement
whenever the estimated or actual cost of
any work or Improvement contemplated,
or ordered to be done by the city council
and chargeable as lien. under the provi-
sons of this article, against any lot or lots.
parcel or parcels OF land, shall exceed one
quarter of the total assessed valuation of
the lots parcels of land contained in
such assessment district. as the same APP
pears upon the last annual assessment Toll
made for the levying of taxes for munIc-
ipal purposes, in which case such improve
ment shall not be granted unless the same
be so modified that the cost thereof VIII not
exceed such one-quarter Of the aforesaid
valuation.
The action and decision OF the city co.~-
ell as to all matters passed upon by it IN
relation to the rejection Or the granting of
such petition shall be final and conclusive.
The city council may order the whole or
any part Of the streets, lanes. alleys,
squares or public places of the city TO be
graded sideWalked, resideWalked, pianked,
leplanked, paved or repaved, or may order
any sewer with manholes catch-basins and
other proper connections, TO be constructed
or repaired therein and may provide for
defraying the cost of any such improve
ment by the collection of a special assess
ment upon the property benefited in the
manner provided in this section, without
the presentation of any petition, either to
the board of public works, or to the city
council; provided, that unless a petition as
he~apbefore- prescribed be presented, such
Improvement shall not be ordered except
by ordinance passed by the affirmative vote
Of two-thirds of all the members of the
city council, at regular meeting, or at
meeting which is an adjournment of reg,1-
lar meeting; provided, 70 street shall be
ordered graded without petition, except by
a unanimous vote of all members present,
and provided that main or interceptlng
sewers may be ordered built along Such
streets, lanes, alleys, places or highways,
or across such lands as may be in har-
mony with the general plan OF sewerage
ton of like petition therefor by property
owners to be benefited thereby, as above
provided for other cases, or when me I'M
provement may be ordered by the aft1rma-
tive vote of tWo-th.rdS of all the members
of the city council at a regular meeting or
adjournment thereof; provided oifIa that that
the property, within the assessment GlS-
trict to be created therefor, in like manner
as above provided for other improvements,
such proportion of the cost of SAID main
or intercepting sewer as would be the rea-
sonable cost of sewer with It's proper man
holes, vent:lator5, catch-baslns: hushlnS
tanks, openings and wyes suitable to the
necessities of the area or district to be as
sessed for the same, and the remaining
portion Of the cost of such main or inter-
cept!ng sewer shall be paid from the sewer
fund. The amount to be borne by the dis
trict and the amount to be paid from The
sewer fund, shall be determines by ord:n l.
arce IN each case when the Improvement IS
ordered and such determination shall be
final and conclusive
Subdivision 3. Said general ordinance
shall also provide for the establishment OF
a local Improvement district to be called
local Improvement district No. -, which
shall include all the property. hetw gen the
termni OF said Improvement abUtt1ng upon.
adjacent or proX;mate to the street. alley
place. or square, proposed to be improved
to a distance back from the marginal Ene
thereof Of one hundred and twenty rect,
and all property included within said limits
of such local improvement district shall De
considered and held to have a frontage
property benefited by SUI h local improve
ment. and shall be the property assess I'd TO
pay the cost thereof. which cost shall be
assessed upon all of said property so bene.
flied in proportion to the frontage thereof
upon such improvement, one foot or 'front.'
age or the equivalent Thereon, VIZ: enc
hundred and twenty square feet OF super
fetal area to be taken, as the unit cy Wnlcn
to determine the amount CT frontage Ior
which each or Sald lots, paEceis OF PARIS
thereof benefited as aforesaid shall be as
sessed as aforesaid; provided, that IN case
Of rectangular blocks abutting upon the
street alley, place or square proposed to
beimproved and having depth back there
from Of less than two hundred and forty
feet, and not less than two hundred feet.
the line of the assessment district shall ex-
tend only to the center of said block or
blocks: and provided further that in case
of rectangular blocks abutting upon any
such street, alley, place or square and hav-
ing a depth back therefrom of less than
.-laa hundred feet