Street Improvement District is Planned
February 5, 1953
The city of Susanville has recently mailed out postcards relative to the proposed construction of curbs and gutters in the Milwood and Hall additions.
This is the first step in the formation of an improvement district which the city is now in the process of doing under the provisions of the “Improvement Act of 1911.” This act provides that assessments in the excess of 50 per cent of the assessed valuation of the property cannot be levied, and thus a district could not be formed where this condition exist.
While the city has made a preliminary determination that such a limitation will not be exceeded, the law states what each property owner must be notified and given an opportunity of satisfying himself that the law and n undue assessments are being contemplated.
If a sufficient number of owners demand further investigations it will be made. This will involve the checking of each individual parcel of property in the are which includes 495 lots and determining its valuation together with the assessments outstanding against it and then making this information a matter of public record. It will mean additional clerical cost which is chargeable to the district and will probably mean some delay in the starting of actual work.
This inquiry is not to determine the desire for the proposed work but only as to which portion of the land is to be followed in outlining procedures for forming the district. After the district is formed a time and place for public hearing will be set and this will be the time for protesting the proposed improvements.
The existence of some undeveloped properties in the area on which curb assessments may exceed the 50 per cent limit does not mean these properties will be omitted unless they should comprise a majority of the area or district as it is the statue of the district as a whole that will determine the procedure.
