Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-02-18
THENEW WSTREETLAW.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR
CITIES OF The SECOND CLASS.
Property Owners Have a Fair Deal,
The City Council Has Plenty of
leewaY. Assessments Can be so
Graded as to Extend Over a Mum.
Der of Years.

The new bill regulating the conduct OF
cities of the second class deals explicitly
with the manner in which street i'm.
provements shall be made. Until the
bill becomes law, the city OF Aberdeen
will attempt no extensive street improve
ments for the present laws are not at all
satisfactory.
Before the city council can order an
improvement, under the new law, it viii
be required to first pass a resolution or
ordinance declaring its intention to make
the improvement, and the measure must
be duly published at least two consecu.
tive times. The resolution or ordinance
(it is customary to make the declaration
to improve in resolution) shall state
the nature of the improvement and shall
dix time not less than ten days in which
protests against the improvement may
be made. 1t shall also state whether
the improvement is to be made under
the immediate payment plan" or under
the "bond installment plan."
In the event that the owners of two
thirds OF the property included in the
improvement district demonstrate against
the improvement, then the project shall
be dropped, except in the event that
eight members Of the council vote to pro.
ceed with it. Then an ordinance pro-
viding for the improvement shall be
passed. The ordinance shall create the
improvement district. (which shall in
clude all the property fronting on the
street to be improved between the points
named in such resolution to the distance
back from such street, if plated in
blocks and if plated into lots only, then
by including the entire block, and, il
plated into lots only, then by including
the entire lot; and it not plated, to the
distance OF 120 feet" The council is
given power to establish a larger i'm
provement district in the improvement
of roads and streets in the sparsely set
tied portions of the city.
For the purpose of assessment, the
district shall be divided into four divis-
ions, which shall be assessed according
to the benefit to be derived from the i'm
provement. The property in the first
division shall be assessed 40 per cent of
the total; that in the second division %
per cent, that in the third 90 per cent,
and that in the fourth Is per cent.
The council is given the power to pay
the cost OF crossings out of the city funds
or to assess such cost against the abut-
ting property. The cost of all bridges
within the city shall be paid out of the
city's funds.
Ii the improvement is made under the
immediate payment plan, the benefited
property owner shall pay the improve.
ment in one sum; but under the bond
installment plan the property owner
may pay his assessment in equal annual
installments, extending not over ten
years. He shall pay interest at the rate
in vogue. Provision il made for the is
suance of bonds in payment of street
improvements. The city treasurer is
made collector of all local improvement
assessments, and is required to report
all delinquencies to the county treasurer
who shall enter them against the prop.
erty. The county treasurer shall collect
upon delinquent rolls, making monthly
remittances to the city treasurer. Ger
tification OF delinquency are purchase
able and the purchaser may foreclose
any time after six months. After delin-
quency, an assessment shall bear inter.
est at the rate OF Is per cent.