§ 1.6. Notice to property owners—hearing.

The Mayor shall prepare and submit to the Council a statement which shall contain the names of the owners of property abutting upon the streets, sidewalks, or alleys to be improved and the description of the property and number of front feet owned by each. The statement shall include an estimate of the total costs of the improvements, and amount of such costs proposed to be assessed against abutting property. The Council shall hold a hearing on the proposed assessments. Notices of the hearing on assessments shall be given by publication for five (5) consecutive issues in a daily newspaper of general circulation in the city and by registered or certified mail to the owners at their last known address. The notice shall be published and mailed ten (10) days or more prior to the date set for the assessment hearing. The notice shall state the time and place of the assessment hearing, the general character of the improvements approved by the Council, the streets, sidewalks, or alleys to be improved, and the part of the total cost of the improvements proposed to be assessed against the abutting property. At the assessment hearing, the Council shall hear the objections of any owner of property which is proposed to be assessed for a part of the cost of the improvements. The Council shall determine the special benefits to the property from the improvements and shall by ordinance assess against each property or railroad within or abutting upon the street, sidewalk, or alley ordered improved, a part of the cost of the improvements as provided herein. The ordinance shall impose a lien upon each property for the amounts assessed and shall state the time and manner of payment of the assessment. The Council may order that the assessments shall be payable in installments and prescribe the amount, time, and manner of payment of installments, which shall not exceed ten (10) years from the completion and acceptance of the improvements. The Council shall prescribe the rate of interest to be paid upon deferred installments, the penalty upon delinquent installments, and provide for collection of delinquent installments, with the reasonable cost of collection including attorney fees. Any owner of property assessed may pay the full assessment without interest within thirty (30) days from date of adoption of the assessing ordinance and may pay any unmatured installment by paying the installment together with interest to the next installment due date.