The Daily Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 18??-189?, 1896-03-02
THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF
SEATTLE.-COntinue


from 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
management of the board of public works.
1t shall be made a condition Of every such
contract that it shall not be sublet unless
for the furnishing of MATERIAL proVid ed
however. that the city council may, by a
two-thirdS vote by ordinance provide other
wise as to any particular contract.
Sec. II. Subdivision l. Whenever the
public interest or convenience may require,
The city council is hereby authorized and
empowered to order the whole or any part
of the streets, lanes, alleys, squares or places
of the city graded or regarded to the official
grade, planked or replanked, paved or re-
paved, macadamIzed OF remacadamiz3d,
graveled or regraveled, piled or replied
capped or recapped; and to order side
walks, sewers, manholes, culverts euro
ing and crossWalks to be constructed Or re-
paired therein, and to order any or all work
to BE, done which shall be necessary to
complete the whole or any portion of the
streets, 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
OF, which assessment shall become a lien
upon all property liable therefor prior and
branceS.
Subdivision q The city council shall, by
general ordinance, provide the manner in
which the aforesaid improvements may be
made, and prescribe all necdful regulations
for the exercise by the city Of the power
granted and contained in the foregoing sub
dIVlslon OF this section; provided, that IN
all cases in which the cost of such improve
mentS is tC be betrayed by the collection of
a special assessment upon the property
benefited, the following proceedings shall
be taken. viz: There must be presented to
the board of public works written petit
ton setting forth the street or streets, alley
or alleys, squares, or places, or parts there
Of, to be improved, the nature of the i'm
provement, the mode of payment and the
fact that the signers are owners of prop
erty to be benefited to the aggregate
amount of majority of the assessment 10
be 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 a 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
formation in their possession touching such
Improvement, with the estimated cost
thereof and their recommendation there
of, to &C city council; provided, that no
grade small be changed when any abutting
owner ia owners have built or made i'm
-~rovemeIiss on any street, highway or
alley, unless such petition shall be signed
by the owners of a majority of the front
age on the street, highway or alley within
the district to be affected. The city coun-
Gil shall 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-
sions 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 or parcels Of land contained IN
such assessment district. as the same ap-
pears upon the last annual assessment roll
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 will not
exceed such one-quarter of the aforesaid
valuation.
The action and decision OF the city coun-
Gil 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, reSideWa1ked, planked,
ieplanked, paved or repaved, or may order
any sewer with manholes catch-basns 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.einbefore prescribed be presented, such
irt1f ovement shall not be ordered except
h %rd:nance passed by the affirmative vote
obtWo-thirdS of all the members of the
city council, at a regular meeting, or at
meeting which IS an adjournment OF iegl-
lar meeting; provided, 20 street shall be
ordered graded without petition, except by
a unanimous vote of all members present, |
rv7A n tod ~ n
sewers may be ordered built along such
sreets, lanes, alleys, places or highways,
q across such lands as may be in har-
dopted by the city, either upon presanta
on Of like petition therefor by property
Vners to be benefited thereby, as above
lovement may be ordered by the affirma-
ge. vote of two-th:rds of all the members
ijournment thereof; provided, that
such case there shall be levied against
e property, within the assessment Gis-
above provided for other improvements,
och proportion of the cost OF said main
or intercepting sewer as would be the rea-
sonable cost Of a sewer with its proper man
holes, vent!lators, catch-basins: flushing
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
cepting sewer shall be paid from the sewer
fund. The amount to be borne by the dis
sewer fund, shall be determined by ordin- |
ance IN each case when the Improvement is
ordered and such determination shall be
final and conclusive
Subdivision g. 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 between the |
termini of said Improvement abuttin9 upon, !
adjacent or proXimate to the street, alley |
place, or square, proposed to be improved, |
to a distance back from the marginal Inc
thereof of one hundred and twenty feet, |
and all property included within said limits
of such local improvement district shall be |
considered and held to have a frontage |
upon such Improvement, and shall ne the |
property benefited by such local improve |
ment. and shall be the property assess ed 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 of 'front.' !
age or the equivalent thereof, viz: one
hundred and twenty square feet of super |
fetal area to be taken, as the unit ry which |
to determine the amount CT frontage for
which each of said lots, parcels or parts |
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
two hundred feet, the line of the assess
ment district shall extend one hundred feet
from the margin of such street, alley,
place or square. A rectangular block is
hereby defined to be a block which has
front and rear line parallel with the mar
gin of the street, alley, place or square
proposed to be improved. The frontage of
each lot or parcel of land in the assess
ment district shall be computed and charged
but once, regardless of any angle or change
of direction in the line of the Improvement.