386.6 - IMPROVEMENTS.

        386.6  IMPROVEMENTS.         When a city proposes to construct an improvement the cost of which      is to be paid or financed under the provisions of this chapter, it      must do so in accordance with the provisions of this section, as      follows:         1.  The council shall initiate proceedings for a proposed      improvement upon receipt of a petition signed by at least twenty-five      percent of all owners of property within the district representing      ownership of property with an assessed value of twenty-five percent      or more of the assessed value of all the property in the district.         2.  Upon the receipt of such a petition the council shall notify      the city planning commission, if one exists, the metropolitan or      regional planning commission, if one exists, or the zoning      commission, if one exists, in the order set forth in section 386.3,      subsection 3.  Upon notification by the council, the commission shall      prepare an evaluative report for the council on the merit and      feasibility of the improvement and carry out all other duties as set      forth in section 386.3, subsection 3.  If no planning or zoning      commission exists, the council shall call a hearing on a proposed      improvement upon receipt of a petition.         3.  Upon the receipt of the commission's report the council shall      set a time and place of meeting at which the council proposes to take      action on the proposed improvement and shall publish and mail notice      as provided in section 386.3, subsections 4 and 5.         4.  The notice must include a statement that an improvement has      been proposed, the nature of the improvement, the source of payment      of the cost of the improvement, and the time and place of hearing.         5.  At the time and place set in the notice the council shall hear      all owners of property in the district or residents of the city      desiring to express their views.  The council must wait at least      thirty days after the public hearing has been held before it may take      action to order construction of the improvement.  The provisions of      section 386.3, subsections 7 and 9 relating to the adoption of the      ordinance establishing a district, the requisite vote therefor, the      remonstrance thereto and the withdrawal of the entire matter from      council consideration apply to the adoption of the resolution      ordering the construction of the improvement.         6.  If the council orders the construction of the improvement, it      shall proceed to let contracts therefor in accordance with chapter      26.         7.  The adoption of a resolution ordering the construction of an      improvement is a legislative determination that the proposed      improvement is in furtherance of the purposes of the district and      that all property in the district will be affected by the      construction of the improvement, or that all owners of property in      the district have an interest in the construction of the improvement.         8.  Any resident or property owner of the city may appeal the      action or decisions of the council ordering the construction of the      improvement to the district court of the county in which any part of      the district is located within thirty days after the adoption of the      resolution ordering construction of the improvement, but the action      and decisions of the council are final and conclusive unless the      court finds that the council exceeded its authority.  No action may      be brought questioning the regularity of the proceedings pertaining      to the ordering of the construction of an improvement, or the right      of the city to apply moneys in the capital improvement fund referred      to in this chapter to the payment of the costs of the improvement, or      the right of the city to issue bonds referred to in this chapter for      the payment of the costs of the improvement, or the right of the city      to levy taxes which with any other taxes authorized by this chapter      do not exceed the maximum rate of tax that may be imposed upon      property within the district for the payment of principal of and      interest on bonds issued to pay the costs of the improvement, after      thirty days from the date of adoption of the resolution ordering      construction of the improvement.         9.  The procedural steps contained in this section may be combined      with the procedural steps for the petitioning and creation of the      district or the procedural steps for the authorization of any tax or      any combination thereof.  
         Section History: Early Form
         [C77, 79, 81, § 386.6] 
         Section History: Recent Form
         2007 Acts, ch 144, §19         Referred to in § 386.7, 386.13