Section 199. Proceedings for lateral sewers, drains or water mains  


Latest version.
  • 1.
      Powers of town board. Whenever a sewer, drainage or water district shall
      have been established by the town board and a trunk  system  of  sewers,
      drains  or water mains shall have been constructed therein or contracted
      for, the town board, upon a petition, or by a resolution adopted on  its
      own motion, and in the manner hereinafter provided:
        (a) May construct lateral sewers, drains or water mains, respectively,
      in  or  along  any portion of any street or highway or easement acquired
      for such purpose, in any sewer or drainage  district  or  in  any  water
      district  in  which  the  expense  of  establishing  the district and of
      providing  improvements  therefor  must  be  apportioned  and  assessed,
      pursuant  to  section  two hundred two of this chapter, upon the several
      lots or parcels of land deemed benefited, in proportion to the amount of
      benefit which the improvement conferred upon the same.
        (b) May construct lateral water mains in or along any portion  of  any
      street  or  highway  or easement acquired for such purpose, in any water
      district in which the  expense  of  establishing  the  district  and  of
      providing  improvements therefor must be assessed, levied and collected,
      pursuant to section two hundred two of this chapter,  from  the  several
      lots  or  parcels  of land within the district in the same manner and at
      the same time as other town charges.
        (c) May construct lateral water mains in or along any portion  of  any
      street  or  highway  or easement acquired for such purpose, in any water
      district in which the  expense  of  establishing  the  district  and  of
      providing  improvements  therefor was apportioned and assessed, prior to
      January first, nineteen hundred thirty-four, upon the  several  lots  or
      parcels  of  land included in said district in proportion to the area of
      such lot or parcel of land to the total area of the district.
        2. Petition or resolution and hearing thereon. Such petition  for  the
      construction of lateral sewers, drains or water mains shall be signed by
      the  owners  of real estate fronting or abutting upon either side of the
      street, highway or easement, or portion thereof, in which it is proposed
      to construct the improvement, to the extent of at least one-half of  the
      entire  frontage  on  both sides of said street, highway or easement, or
      portion thereof. If the proposed improvement will serve the property  on
      only one side of a street, highway or easement, or portion thereof, such
      petition  shall  be  signed  by  the owners of real property fronting or
      abutting upon the side to be served of said street, highway or  easement
      to  the  extent of at least one-half of the entire frontage on such side
      of said street, highway or easement, or portion thereof. If any of  such
      real  estate shall be owned by persons residing in or along such street,
      highway or easement, or portion thereof, the petition shall not be acted
      upon by the town board unless such petition shall be signed by  resident
      owners  owning not less than one-half of the aggregate frontage owned by
      resident owners residing in or along such street, highway  or  easement,
      or  portion  thereof specified in such petition; provided, however, that
      if such petition shall be signed by the owners of at  least  eighty  per
      cent  of  the aggregate frontage on such street, highway or easement, or
      portion  thereof  specified  in  such  petition,  then   the   foregoing
      requirement  as  to  the  signatures  of resident owners shall not apply
      thereto.  Such  petition  shall  be  signed  by  the  petitioners,   and
      acknowledged  or  proved in the same manner as a deed to be recorded, or
      authenticated in the  manner  provided  by  the  election  law  for  the
      authentication  of  nominating  petitions,  and  shall state the maximum
      amount proposed to be expended for the improvement. A resolution adopted
      pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall state the  improvement
      proposed,  the  maximum  amount  proposed  to  be  expended and the area
      benefited. When any such petition  containing  the  required  signatures
    
      shall  have  been presented or a resolution adopted by the town board on
      its own motion, the town board shall adopt an order and enter  the  same
      in  the minutes of its proceedings, reciting in general terms the filing
      of  the  petition or adoption of such resolution as the case may be, the
      improvement proposed, the maximum amount proposed to be expended for the
      improvement as stated in the petition or the resolution, and  specifying
      the  time  when  and  place  where  said board will meet to consider the
      petition or the resolution and to hear all  persons  interested  in  the
      subject  thereof  concerning  the  same. The board shall cause a copy of
      such order, certified by the town clerk, to be published at  least  once
      in the official paper, the first publication thereof to be not less than
      ten nor more than twenty days before the day set therein for the hearing
      as  aforesaid,  and  shall  cause  a  copy  thereof  to be posted on the
      sign-board of the town maintained pursuant to subdivision six of section
      thirty of this chapter not less than  ten  nor  more  than  twenty  days
      before the day designated for the hearing as aforesaid. The order of the
      town  board  providing  for a public hearing on a petition or resolution
      for the construction of lateral water mains pursuant to  paragraphs  (b)
      and  (c)  of  subdivision  one  shall  include, in addition to all other
      matters required to be specified therein, a statement that the  cost  of
      such  improvement,  if  constructed,  shall  be borne by the district at
      large.
        3. Construction of improvement. If the  town  board  shall  determine,
      after  such  hearing  and upon the evidence given thereat, that it is in
      the public interest to make the improvement, the board shall direct  the
      engineer  to  prepare  definite  plans and specifications, and to make a
      careful estimate of the expense, and with the  assistance  of  the  town
      attorney,  or  an  attorney  employed  for  that  purpose,  to prepare a
      proposed contract for the execution of  the  work.  Thereupon  the  said
      board  shall  examine  such definite plans, specifications, estimate and
      the  proposed  contract,  and  may  reject  the  same   or   make   such
      modifications and changes therein as shall seem necessary and desirable.
      If  the  estimate  of  the  cost  of the improvement as prepared by said
      engineer exceeds the maximum amount proposed to  be  expended  for  said
      improvement  as  stated  in  the  petition or resolution, the town board
      shall adopt an order calling a further  public  hearing  at  a  definite
      place  and  time  not  less  than fifteen nor more than twenty-five days
      after such determination. A notice of  such  further  hearing  shall  be
      published  and posted in the manner hereinabove in this section provided
      and there shall  be  included  in  such  notice  a  statement  that  the
      improvement  cannot be constructed within the maximum amount proposed to
      be expended as stated in said petition or resolution, the cost  of  said
      improvement  as  estimated  by  the engineer, a brief description of the
      improvement and the place and time at which the board will conduct  such
      further  hearing.  A  copy  of such notice shall also be sent by regular
      mail to the last known  address  of  each  person  who  has  signed  the
      petition,  but failure to receive said notice shall in no way affect the
      validity of any proceedings hereunder. Such  further  hearing  shall  be
      conducted  in  the same manner as an original hearing upon a petition or
      resolution. If after such further hearing  said  board  shall  determine
      that  it  is in the public interest to construct said improvement within
      the cost estimated by the engineer it shall adopt such  definite  plans,
      specifications,  estimate  and  the  proposed  contract  and  cause  the
      improvement to be constructed all in the  manner  hereinbefore  in  this
      chapter  provided for the construction of trunk sewers, drains and water
      systems. In any case where such public hearings were held as a result of
      the adoption of a resolution by the town board in lieu of taking  action
      pursuant  to petition, the resolution provided for shall be subject to a
    
      permissive referendum in  article  seven  of  this  chapter,  except  as
      hereinafter  provided. The proposition submitted must be approved by the
      affirmative vote of a majority of the owners of real property situate in
      the  proposed  benefited  area described in the resolution as shown upon
      the latest completed  assessment  roll  of  the  town,  voting  on  such
      proposition.  A  petition requesting a referendum shall be sufficient if
      it  is  initiated  and  signed,   and   acknowledged   or   proved,   or
      authenticated,  in  the  same  manner  as  a  petition  for improvements
      pursuant to this section. Where such petition or resolution is  for  the
      construction  of  a lateral sewer, drain or water main through different
      streets or highways or easements or portions of streets or  highways  or
      easements,  such  lateral sewer, drain or water main shall be deemed one
      sewer, drain or water main, and such streets or highways or easements or
      portions thereof, one continuous  street  or  highway  or  easement  for
      purposes of this section.
        4.  Effect  of  section  limited.  This section shall not apply to the
      construction of any lateral sewer, drain or water main described in  any
      map  or plan which shall have accompanied the petition or resolution for
      the establishment of a sewer, drainage or water district, provided  that
      the  cost  of  constructing  such  lateral  sewer,  drain  or water main
      together with the cost of every other improvement  constructed  pursuant
      to  such  petition  or  resolution  shall  not exceed the maximum amount
      proposed to be expended as stated in such petition or resolution.