The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-05-06
NEW PAVING LAW AID.
Will Enable Cities of State to I'M
prove Outlying Streets.

AS result Of the passage of the
Farr paving law by the thirty-sixth
general assembly paving of the
main highways leading in and out
of Iowa cities is expected to take on
this season an unprecedented boom.
The Farr law adds new element
to the paving plan. Whereas cities
before have been able to assess paw
ing costs only to property owners
within 800 feet of the improvement,
the Farr law permits cities to create
paving districts according to the
benefit of each.
The act applies to all cities hav-
ing population of 1000 or more. 1t
gives them spower to construct paw
ed roadways along such streets, ave-
nues, or highways, within said cit
les, as, in the Judgment of the city
councils thereof, constitute main
travelled ways into and out of such
cities, and to repair, improve and re-
construct the same"
Power of action under the law,
rests largely with the city council.
1t may establish the paving districts
to embrace such portions of the city
as will receive special benefits from
the contemplated improvements,
then assess SO much of the cost
against all lots or tracts of land
within the district as shall be equal
in proportion to the special benefits
conferred by the improvements and
not in excess. In no case, however,
may the council levy assessments ex-
ceeding rs per cent of the actual
value of the lots.
AS in other paving work, the
council must before authorizing the
improvements, prepare a resolution,
specifying where the work is to be
done, the materials to be used, the
limits of the paving district, the to-
tai estimated cost and the proper
ton which will be assessed against
each lot. The council must also file
with the city clerk plat and sched-
ule of the proposed paving district
and cost assessed against each lot.
Twenty days notice of the resolu-
ton must be given before it is con-
sidered by the council and at the
time of it's consideration any citizen
or property owner affected may APP
pear and make written objection to
the improvement, the boundaries of
the street, or the assessment against
any lot.
Having passed the resolution,
however, the council may proceed to
order the construction work accord
ing to the usual procedure. After
completion of any improvement a
tax of not more than l mill may be
levied upon all the taxable property
in the city for term of not more
than ten years to pay that portion of
the cost of the improvement not
borne by the special assessments
against the lots in the paving dis
'trict. In no event, however, shall
more than half the cost Of the i'm
provement be paid by the tax. 1t
follows, therefore, that the property
within the district will have to pay
at least half the cost of the improve
ment.
BY a special provision, cities act-
ing under a special charter, are ex-
pected from aoi aoi o 40 40 40 40
cepted from the provisions of the
act.
The law is now in effect, and cit
les may proceed under it in ordering
their summer paving work. Munich
pal experts say that the law will
make possible some of the most i'm
portant paving work the cities could
possibly do, in that they can pave to
the city limits the main travelled
roads connecting up with the sur
rounding country. They will there
by be able, it is pointed out to over
come the criticism often made by
the rural population that the worst
roads in the country are those be-
tween the city limits and the main
portions of the city.