The Common Council of the City of North Tonawanda shall have
the power:
A. To establish any special district along and upon any of the streets
or highways of the City of North Tonawanda, New York for a proper
municipal purpose which is hereby declared to be the purpose of carrying
on, performing or financing one or more improvements or services to
benefit the health, welfare, safety or convenience of the inhabitants
of such district or to benefit the real property within such district,
and in which real property is subject to special ad valorem levies
or special asessments for the purposes for which such district was
established.
B. To define and alter the borders of such special district.
C. To order the construction and/or improvement of any improvements
required in such special district.
On its own initiative, or upon petition signed by the record
owners of land fronting on any street or highway or within the boundaries
of said proposed special district, the linear front feet of whose
land shall constitute at least 2/3 of the number of feet fronting
on streets or highways in said special district, such petition requesting
the establishment of a special district, the Common Council may, within
a reasonable time thereafter, declare its intention to establish such
special district and shall direct the City Clerk to publish in the
official newspaper of said city once each week for two successive
weeks an advertisement declaring the intention of the Common Council
to establish such special district and to construct or cause to be
constructed thereon specified improvements, together with the location
and boundaries of the proposed special district as may be set forth
in the petition filed, or prescribed upon the initiative of the Common
Council as designated by the Common Council in its own motion. The
publication must be completed at least two days prior to the date
on which action concerning said special district will be considered.
Copies of said notice of intention shall be mailed to the last known
address of each property owner of record whose land may be affected
by inclusion of this special district, as such address is reflected
on the most recent records of the City Treasurer's office. However,
failure to so notify any property owner by said individual mailing
shall not invalidate the provisions of this local law, nor render
the creation of said special district or its boundaries invalid.
In the ordinance creating any such special district, provisions
shall be made for a basis upon which the various charges for construction
or improvement and for annual service charges and debt service shall
be made. These charges shall be a lien against the real property located
within such special district. The apportionment of the lien shall
be made by the City Assessor. The collection of the charges for the
various items of such lien shall be made in the same manner, and collected
in the same manner, and at the same time as the general city taxes
are levied and collected. Enforcement and collection of the charges
and any deficiencies or arrears in the payment of such charges shall
be made in the same manner as the collection of arrears in general
city taxes are made.