West Virginia Code § 8-18-4

Ordinance or resolution authorizing improvements; approval of plans,
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specifications and estimates; provisions for advertisement of bids and payment of
cost; default.
After hearing held pursuant to notice as provided in section three of this article, the
governing body, by ordinance or resolution, may authorize such improvrements and the
assessing of the total cost or any part thereof on abutting property as herein provided. In the
same or subsequent ordinances or resolutions, but before advertising for bids from
contractors, the governing body shall cause to be prepared plans, specifications and
estimates of the cost of the proposed improvements under thte supervision of the engineer
for the municipality. Such plans, specifications and estimates shall show the proposed grade
and sufficient data for any owner of abutting property to calculate approximately what
proportionate part of the estimated cost thereof might be assessed against his property, and
shall be filed with the recorder and open to the inspection of interested persons before
advertisement for bids of contractors and before the meeting at which such bids may be
accepted or rejected. Before advertising for bids of contractors, such governing body shall
consider said plans, specifications and estimates and may amend or modify them, and before
advertising for bids shall by ordinance or resolution approve such plans, specifications and
estimates as so amended and modified. Such ordinance or resolution shall also provide for
advertisement for bids, for the letting of a contract or contracts for the work to the lowest
responsible bidder, with right reserved to such governing body to reject any and all bids, and
shall provide for supervision of such work by the mayor, city manager, if any, municipal
engineer, if any, or other person or committee designated by the governing body. Such
ordinance or resoluti on shall also provide for payment of the cost of the work when
completed. ThVe governing body shall provide in such ordinance or resolution for the
payment by abutting property owners of the cost of the work in equal installments payable
over a period of not less than five years nor more than ten years from the date of
assessment, with interest not to exceed eight percent a year from the date of assessment,
and in said ordinance or resolution the governing body shall fix the number of installments
in which the amounts assessed shall be payable: Provided, That each of said assessments or
the installments thereof then remaining unpaid shall be payable at any time after assessment
without interest after the date such payment is made: Provided, however, That on failure of
the owner of the property assessed to pay any installment as and when due, and if such
default continues for sixty days, then at the option of the governing body (if neither
assessment certificates nor bonds are issued as hereinafter in this article provided), or the
holder of the assessment certificates (if the assessments are evidenced by such certificates),
or the holder of any bonds secured by such assessments (if bonds are issued), the entire
balance due may be declared immediately due and payable and the municipality, or the
holder of the certificates, or bonds, as the case may be, may forthwith proceed to enforce the
collection thereof: Provided further, That if the amounts to be assessed against abutting
property be less than $2 for each abutting front foot of property, then said governing body is
authorized to make the same payable in one lump sum or in installments, with interest, over
a period of less than five years from the date of assessment.

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