[Assembly Bill No. 101-Washoe County Delegation] CHAP. 77—An Act to amend an act entitled “An act to incorporate the town of Reno, in Washoe County, and defining the boundaries thereof, and to authorize the establishing of a city government therefor, and other matters relating thereto," by dividing section 10 of article XII of said act into sections 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, 10h, 10i, and 10j, and amending same by adding thereto a new section to be known as section 10k. [Approved March 5, 1923] The People of the State of Nevada, represented in Senate and SECTION 1. Section 10 of article XII of said act is hereby amended and divided into sections 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, Reno charter 10f, 10g, 10h, 10i, and 10j, so as to read as follows: Amending Section 10. The city council, among other things, shall have power: First-To fix the place of its meetings and the time for Powers and calling same to order, and to judge of the qualifications and election of its own members. duties of city council of Reno Second-To make and pass all ordinances, resolutions, and orders, not repugnant to the constitution of the United States, or of the State of Nevada, or to the provisions of this charter, necessary for the municipal government and the management of the city affairs, for the execution of all the powers vested in said city and for making effective the provisions of this charter, and to cause to be compiled from time to time, not to exceed once in every two years, the charter and its amendments, and the ordinances of the city of Reno in book or pamphlet form, of which not less than two hundred (200) copies shall be issued for general distribution within said city, at a reasonable price, in which said compilation the ordinances of the said city once passed and published or posted as provided in section 7 of this article may be repealed, revised, amended, and validated without further publication. Third-To levy and collect annually for general purposes a tax of not to exceed three-quarters of one per cent upon the assessed value of all real and personal property within the city and which is by law taxable for state and county purposes; and in addition thereto to levy and collect annually a tax of not less than one-quarter of one per cent upon the assessed value of all real and personal property within the city, which is by law taxable for state and county purposes, to provide a fund for the payment of the interest on the bonds of the city outstanding, and that may be lawfully issued and sold hereafter, and to provide a fund for the payment of the principal of such bonds, and for the redemption thereof as they shall mature, and for no other purpose; duties of provided, that all moneys now held in any special fund not Powers and herein provided for may be transferred to the general fund city council of the city; provided, further, that the total amount levied of Reno annually for all tax purposes within the city shall not exceed one per cent of the assessed value of all of the real and personal property within the city which is by law taxable for state and county purposes. Fourth To sell, use, lease, improve, hold and take care of the real estate and personal property of the city; provided, the city council shall not have power to mortgage, hypothecate, or pledge any property of the city for any purpose. Section 10a. The city council, among other things, shall have power: To lay out, extend, change the grade, open, vacate, and alter the streets and alleys within the city, and by ordinance require and provide for the macadamizing, oiling, curbing, graveling, grading and regrading, paving, draining, cleaning, repairing, lighting, surfacing and resurfacing, and widening any highway, street or alley, or otherwise improving same; also to provide by ordinance the improvement and preservation of the city parks, and the construction, repair, and preservation of sidewalks, crossings, bridges, drains, curbs, gutters, and sewers; for the prevention and removal of obstructions from the streets and sidewalks of the city; and to regulate and prohibit the placing of signs, awnings, posts, show windows, and other things upon and over the sidewalk, and regulate and prohibit the construction and use of openings in the streets and sidewalks, and all vaults, structures and excavations in and under the same, and to prevent, prohibit, and remove all obstructions and nuisances upon the sidewalks, streets, and alleys within the city limits; and for that purpose and for the purpose of defraying the expense thereof may divide the city into districts. Such part of the expenses of improving any street, lanes, avenues, or alleys by grading, paving, graveling, curbing, constructing sidewalks, or otherwise improving the same, as the city council shall determine, may be paid from the general fund, street fund, or district street fund, from the proper street district, or the said cost, or a portion thereof, as the city council shall determine, may be defrayed by special assessments upon lots and premises fronting upon that part of the street or alley so improved or proposed so to be, or the lands fronting upon such improvement and such other land as in the opinion of the city council may be benefited by the improvement. When the city council shall determine to make any public improvements, such as laying pavements, constructing sewers, drains, or sidewalks and curbing, macadamizing, oiling, graveling, or grading any street or alley, or in any way improving the same, and defrays the whole or any part of the costs or expenses thereof by special Powers and duties of of Reno assessment, they shall so declare by ordinance, stating the city council improvements and what part or portion of the expenses thereof shall be paid out of the general fund, street fund, district street fund, or any other fund. When expenses for such improvements or repairs shall be assessed, and there shall be lands belonging to the city, school buildings, or other public buildings or public grounds not taxable, fronting on such improvements, such part of the expense of such improvement as in the opinion of the city council or assessor making such special assessment would be justly apportionable to such public grounds, buildings, and city property, and to any interior, squares or spaces formed by the intersection of streets where they are taxable, shall be paid from the general fund, or from the proper street or district street fund, or part from each, as the city council shall determine to be just, and the balance of such expense shall be assessed upon the taxable lots and premises fronting upon such improvement or improved streets, in proportion to their number of feet frontage; or if the special assessment shall include other lands not fronting upon the improvement, then upon all land included in such special assessment in proportion to the estimated benefits resulting thereto from the improvement. When such assessment is to be made upon lots in proportion to their frontage upon the improvement, if from the shape and size of any lot the assessment thereon in proportion to its frontage would be unjust and disproportionate to the assessment upon other lots, the city council, or assessor making the assessments, may assess such lots or such number of feet frontage as in their opinion would be just. The cost and expense of the following improvement, including the necessary land therefor, viz, for city hall and other public buildings for the use of the city, officers, engine-houses and structures for the fire department, waterworks, city prison, levees and embankments, shall be paid from the proper general fund of the city, except that, in case of lands appropriated for streets and rights of way, the cost thereof may be paid in whole or in part from the avails of special assessment to be levied therefor in the manner herein prescribed. Whenever, in the opinion of the city council, the benefits thereof are special rather than general or public, when by the provisions of this act the cost and expense of any local improvements may be defrayed in whole or in part by special assessment upon the lands fronting and adjacent to or otherwise benefited by such improvement, such assessment may be made in the manner hereinafter specified. When the city council shall determine to make any public improvement or repairs in the laying of pavements, or constructing sidewalks, or in any way improving the streets in the city, and defray the whole or any part of the cost and expense thereof by special assessments, they shall so declare by ordinance, stating the improvement and duties of what part or portion of the expense thereof shall be paid by Powers and special assessment, and what part, if any, has been appropri- city council ated from the general fund of the city, from the street of Reno funds, or district street funds, and whether the assessment is to be made according to benefits or frontage, and in case the assessment is to be made according to benefits they shall by apt description designate the district, if a special district is set apart therein, including the lands to be so assessed; or in case there is no district so set apart they shall describe definitely the location of the improvement, and state that the assessment is to be made upon all the lands benefited thereby according to benefit; but in case the assessment is to be made upon the property according to the frontage, it shall be sufficient in said ordinances to so state with a definite location of the improvements to be made. It shall not be necessary in any case to describe minutely in the ordinance each particular lot to be assessed, but simply to so designate the property, district, or the location that the various parts to be assessed can be ascertained and described by the city assessor. Before ordering any public improvement or repairs as provided in the last preceding section, any part of the expense of which is to be defrayed by special assessment, the city council shall cause estimates of the expense thereof to be made by the city engineer, and also plats and diagrams, when practicable, of the work and of the locality to be improved, and deposit the same with the city clerk for public examination, and they shall give notice thereof and of the proposed improvement or work and of the location. of the improvement and of the district to be assessed, by publication for one week at least in one of the newspapers of the city, by posting printed notices of the same in at least three of the most public places in each ward, and also a notice in or near each postoffice of said city, and three notices near the site of the proposed work in some public and conspicuous place, and of the time when the city council will meet and consider any suggestions and objections that may be made by parties interested with respect to the proposed improvements. Unless a majority of the persons to be assessed shall petition therefor, no such improvement or work shall be ordered except by the concurrence of twothirds of all members elected to the city council. In all cases where the board of health or other officials of the city or the city council are authorized to do, or cause to be done, certain things, the whole or any part of which may be charged as a special assessment upon the property, and where special provisions for making the levy are not herein made, the city council may cause sworn statements of the cost thereof, and of the location thereof, to be made as provided in the last paragraph, and may at their option refer the same to the city assessor and have the same assessed against such property. The cost and expenses of Powers and duties of of Reno any improvement which may be defrayed by special assessments shall include the cost of surveys, plans, assessments, city council and cost of construction. In no case shall the whole amount be levied by special assessment upon any lots or premises where any one improvement exceeds fifty per cent of the value of such lands and improvements, as last before valued and assessed for state and county taxation in the county tax-roll. Any cost exceeding that per cent which would otherwise be chargeable upon said lots or premises shall be paid from the general funds of the city. The city council shall prescribe the fees and compensation that may be charged in the work of making any special assessment as part of the assessment. No contract for doing the work or making the improvement contemplated herein shall be made. or awarded nor shall the city council incur any expense or liability in relation thereto until after the notice and hearing provided for herein shall have been given or had. But nothing herein contained shall be construed as preventing the city council from advertising for proposals for doing the work whenever they see fit; provided, the contract shall not be made or awarded before the time herein stated. When any special assessment is to be made pro rata upon the lots or premises in any special assessment district, according to frontage or benefits, the city council shall, by ordinance, direct the same to be made by the city assessor, and shall state therein the amount to be assessed, and whether according to the frontage or benefits, and describe or designate the lots and premises, or the locality constituting the district to be assessed; in fixing the amount or sum of money that may be required to pay the costs of any improvement, the city council need not necessarily be governed by the estimates of such improvement provided for herein, but the city council may decide upon such other sum, within the limitations described, as they may deem necessary to cover the cost of such improvement. Upon receiving such order and directions the city assessor shall make out an assessment roll, entering and describing all lots, premises and portions of land to be assessed, with the names of the persons, if known, chargeable with the assessments thereon, and shall levy thereon and against such persons the amount to be assessed in the manner directed by the city council and the provisions of this act applicable to the assessment; provided, in all cases where the ownership thereof is unknown to the assessor he shall, in lieu of the name of the owner, insert the name "Unknown"; provided, also, if by mistake or otherwise any person shall be improperly designated as the owner of any lot or premises, or if the same shall be assessed without the name of the owner, or the name of the person other than the owner, such assessment shall not for any cause be vitiated, but shall in all respects be as valid upon and against such lot, |