§ 110-31. Initial proceedings.

(a)

By a written petition setting forth the legal description of the boundaries of the proposed special improvement district, the owners of 60 percent of the land area of the proposed district, abutting upon the proposed improvements or otherwise specially benefited thereby, may request the board of county commissioners to establish a special improvement district and construct any one or a combination of the following improvements:

(1)

Street improvements, which may include the grading, widening, drainage, paving, curbing, roadway underdrain, or guttering of any continuous portion of a street, or two or more connecting streets. Sidewalks and bike paths may be included, where feasible, at the option of the board of county commissioners.

(2)

Drainage improvements, which may include pavement, the construction of storm sewers and related stormwater attenuation and treatment facilities, the reconstruction where necessary of streets and sidewalks necessarily damaged in the course of such construction, the building of culverts or enclosing streams where necessary or advisable to carry off stormwater.

(3)

Dredging improvements consistent with Section 2.04(u) of the Pinellas County Charter.

The petition shall also request the board of county commissioners to assess the entire cost of such improvements, or such portion thereof as the board may designate against the properties specially benefited thereby. Governmental entities with a statutory exemption from ad valorem taxes shall be excluded from the assessment procedure, and their proportionate share may be included in the overall assessment or paid from the general fund, as the board may decide.

(b)

The board, upon finding that the petition for improvements under this section is sufficient in form, substance and execution and finding a public purpose for the proposed improvements may by preliminary resolution order the improvements to be made and may assess against the benefited properties that portion of the cost which the board designates, paying as a county charge any remaining cost. Such special assessments shall be levied upon the benefited properties in general proportion to the benefits to be derived. Such special benefits may be determined and prorated according to the foot frontage of the properties or by such other method as the board may prescribe.

(c)

The adoption of an assessment roll by the board of county commissioners under this section shall constitute a legislative determination that all assessed parcels of real property on the assessment roll derive a special benefit from the improvements funded thereby, and a legislative determination that the assessments are fairly and reasonably apportioned among the benefitted properties.

(d)

All assessments levied pursuant to this section shall be levied and collected as non-ad valorem assessments pursuant to and in compliance with the Uniform Assessment Collection Act of F.S. ch. 197.

(Laws of Fla. ch. 63-1783, § 1; Ord. No. 01-50, § 1, 7-17-01; Ord. No. 16-24, § 1, 5-10-16; Ord. No. 18-38 , § 4.2, 10-23-18)