1558 ORD CLOSING HEARING GIVEN TO REAL AND TRUE OWNERS OF PROPERTY ABUTTING ON SUNDRY STREETS IN COPORDINANGE NO. 1558 .
AN ORDIlVANCE CLOSANG THE HEARING GIVEN TO THE REAL AND TRUE
OWNERS OF PROPERTY ABUTTING UPON SUNDRY STREETS IN THE CITY
OF PARIS, TEXAS, WITHIN THE LIMITS HEREINAFTER DEFINED, AS TO
SPECIAL BENEFITS TO ACCRUE TO SAID PROPERTY AND TI-E REAL ANI?
TRUE OWNERS THEREOF BY VIRTUE OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF SAID
STREETS WITHIN SAID LIMITS, AND A5 TO ANY ERROR5, INVALIDITIES,
OR IRREGULARITIES IN ANY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OR CONTRACT
THEREFOR; OVERRULING AND DENYING ALL PROTESTS AND OBJEG-
TIONS OFFERED; FINDING AND DETERMINIIVG THAT EACH AND EVERY
PARCEL OF PROPERTY ABUTTING UPON SAID STREETS WITHIN THE
LIMITS DEFINED WILL BE SPECIFICALLY BENEFITED AND ENHANCED
IN VALUE IN EXCES5 OF THE AMOUNT OF THE COST OF SAID IMPROVE-
MENTS PROPOSED TO BE AND AS ASSESSED AGAINST SAID PROPERTY
AND THE REAL AND TRUE OWNERS THEREOF, AND LEVYING AN ASSESS-
MENT FOR THE PAYMENT OF A PORTION OF THE COSTS OF IMPROVING
SAID STREETS WITHIN 5AID LIMITS DEFINED, FIXING A GHARGE AND
LIEN AGAIlVST SAID PROPERTY AND THE REAL AND TRUE OWNER5
THEREOF, FIXING THE MANNER AND TIME OF PAYMENT THEREOF,
AND PROVIDING FOR THE MANNER AND METHOD OF SAID PAYMENT.
BE IT OR.DAINED BY THE CITY GOUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Paris, TexaG, finds:
(a,) That the City Council of the City of Paris, Texas, has heretofore by
ordinance duly enacted on November 14, 1960 and being Ordinance No.
1530, determined the necessity for and ordered the improvement of
portions of the following streets, to-wit:
(1) U. S. Highway 271, North Main Street, beginning at the North
Boundary Line of Clement Road in the City of Paris and ex-
tending North to the North Boundary Line of the City Limits
of Paris, Texas. ~
(2) U. S. Highway 271, Clarksville Street, on the South Side of
Clarksville Street, from a point East of 24th Street, S.E. on
the South Boundary Line of Clarksville" Street where curb and
gutter ends on the Paris Junior College property and extencl-
ing along the South Soundary Line of the Highvay as widened
to the East Line of the City Limits at the N. W. Corner of a
tract belonging to Uarco, Inc. on said Street; and on the North
Side of said Street, from the E. B. Line of 24th Street, S. E. ,
extending along the North Side of said Street to the East
Boundary Line of the present, City Limits.
(3) U. S. Highway 82, Lamar Avenue, beginning at a point South of
the extension of the E. B. Line of 30th Street, S. E. , on the
South Side of Lamar Avenue, at a point where the present curb
and gutter ends, and continuing East to the present City Limitd
of the City of Paris, and beginning on the North Boundary Line
of Lamar Avenue, at the East Boundary Line of 30th Street,
N. E., continuing on East along the North Boundary Line of said
Street to the'East City Limit Line.
within the limits therein defined and in the manner and according to the
plans and specifications therefor, which plans and specifications have
heretofore been approved and adopted by said City Council.
(b) That a notice duly executed in the name of the City of Paris, Texas,
of the enactment of s`aid above described ordinance has heretofore
been filed with the County Clerk of Lamar County, Texas, the County
in which said Gity of Paris is situated, on the 18th day of November,
A. D., 1960, and recorded in Book 371, Page 29 of the Records of
Deeds of Lamar County, Texas.
(c) That the said City Council, after having advertised for bids by and
through the Texas Sta,te Highway Depa rtment , which bids have been
accepted by the State Highway Department, in a joint venture with the
City of Paris upon the lowest and best bid the refor, the contract has
been executed between the Texas State Highway Department and the
Austin Road and Bridge Gompany.
(d) That the City Council caused the Director of Public Works to prepare
and file estimates of the costs of such improvements and estimates
of the amount per front foot proposed to be aseessed against the pro-
perty abutting each of said streets within the lim'dts defined, and against
the real and true owners thereof.
(e) That upon the filing of said estimates, the City Gouncil did by ordinance
duly enaGted on the lOth day of July, A. D., 1961, provide for and order
a hearing to be held at 7:00 o'clock P. M., on the 14th day of August,
A. D., 1961, in the Council Chambers of the City Hall of Paris, Texas, ,
at which time and place all persons, firms, corporations and estates
owning or claiming any such abutting property or interest therein, and
their agents and attorneys and all other persons interested therein,
were to appear and to be heard in person ol by counsel, and such or-
dinance directed the City Manager to give due notice of such hearing
in the manner required by law.
(f) That after due publication of notice as required by law, and on the 14th
day of August, A. D., 1961, at 7:00 o'clock P. M., said hParing was
opened and held in accordance with said ordinance and notice, at which.
time and place an opportunity was given to all of the above mentioned
parties and agents and attorneys to be heard and to offer evidence as
to all matters in accordance with said ordinance and notice, at which
time the following appeared and testified as -follows:
The Director of Public Works and the City Engineer of the City of
Paris briefly described the improvements being constructed and
explained the method of apportionment of the costs of such improve-
ments between the City, the State Highway Department, and the
abutting property and the owners thereof.
The City Attorney pointed out that notice of hearing had been pub-
lished in the Paris 1Vews at the time and in the manner required by
law; that such contained proposed rates to be assessed against the
abutting property and its owners with certain exceptions.
The City Manager, H. C. Kennemer, testified and advised the Council
of the respective values of the improvements and the degree to which
they enhanced the value of the respective abutting property owners,
and that in his opinion the abutting properties, and each of them,
would, upon the completion of said improvements in accordance with
trie contract and plans and specifications, be enhanced in value in an
amount greater than the proposed assessments against such properties.
(g) That at said hearing the following property owners were present and
offered objections or testimony as to said improvements, contracts or
assessments therefor, or as to the proceedings in reference thereto:
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Pruitt; Capitola Beal, who was apeaking for
herself and Mrs. Mary Evans and T. E. White; Jack Denman, who was
sp~qiiking for himself and L. A. Howerton; George Solomon; Barney
Bray; and Barney Bray, Jr.
ra
Most of the objections on the part of the property owners were centered
about the fact that the improvements were made without the City having
cnnsulted the various property owners along Lamar Avenue. Mr. Brayts
objection was that there was some 18 feet of right of way between the
curb and gutter and his property line which belonged to the State
Highway Department which they had acquired from him by condemnation
several years prior.
(h) That the City Council has heard all parties who appeared and desired to
testify, object or protest as to the special benefits in enhanced value to
accrue to said abutting property and the real and true owners thereof
as compared with the portion of the cost of constructing said improve-
ments proposed to be assessed against said abutting property, and has
heard all parties appearing andoffering testimony, together with all ob-
jections and protests relative to such matters and relative to any
errors, invalidities or irregularities in any of the proceedings and con-
tract for said improvements, and ha,s given a full and fair hearing to
all parties making or desiring to make any such protest or objection or
to offer testimony, and has fully examined and considered all of said
evidence, rrtatters, testimony and objections offered.
(i) That the City Council did consider and correct all errors, invalidities
or deficiencies ca.lled to its attention and did find that all proceedings
and contracts were proper and in accordance with the laws under which
same are being had and with the directives of said City Council in
reference to such improvements, and that the same are in all respects
valid and regular, as corrected.
The Mayor announced that the hearing was closed, and directed the
City Attorney to prepare an ordinance incorporating the findings of the
City Council when made.
(,j) That based on the evidence, matters, objections, and testimony con-
sidered at such hearing, the City Council has determined that the pro-
perties, and each and every parcel of such property abutting upon the
streets and units as hereinafter set out will be enhanced in value and
specially benefited by the construction of such improvements in an amount
in excess of the amount of such improvements proposed to be, and as
hereinafter, assessed against each of said parcels of property, abutting
upon said streets, and the real and true owners thereof.
(k) That the Citv CoUncil is of the opinion and finds that the Front Foot Plan
or Rule, would result in justice and equity between all parcels of property
within the same unit; and the City Couneil has determined to apportion and
assess the costs on the Front Foot Plan or Rule.
And the City Council has further found upon the evidence considered that
the assessments hereinafter made and the cha.rges hereby declared
against said abutting properties and the real and true dwners thereof
are jus~ and equitable, and all objections and protests thereto should be
overruled and denied.
SECTION 2. There being no further protests or testimony for or against or in
reference to said improvements,. benefits, or proceedings, said hearing granted
to the real and true owners of properties abutting upon said streets within the '
limits and units herein defined, and to all persons, firms, 'corporations, and
esta.tes, owning or claiming same or any interest therein, shall be, and the
same is hereby, closed, and all protests and objections, whether specifically
mentioned or not, shall be, and the same are hereby overruled and denied.
SECTION 3. The City Council hereby finds and, determines upon the evidence
heard in reference to each and every parcel of property abutting upon the
streets and units hereinafter set out that the enhancement in value to accrue
to said property and the real and true owners thereof by virtue of the con-
struction of said improverrients in said portions of said streets will be in ex-
cess of the costs of said improvementG nroposed to be, and as herein
assessed against saia abutting properties and the real and true owners
thereof; and finds that the apportionment of the costs of said improvements
and the assessments hereinbelow made are just and equita.ble and produce
substantial equality, considering the benefits received and the burdens im-
pose'd thereby, and are in ac~ordance with the laws of the Sta,te of Texas and
the Charter of the City of Paris; andk further finds that all proceedings and
contracts heretofore had with reference to said improvements are in all re-
spects, regular, proper and valid, and that all prerequisites to the fixing of
the assessment lieris against saicl abutting properties, as hereinafter de-
scribed, and the personal liability of the real and true owners thereof,
whether"'named or correctly named herein or not, have been in all things
regularly had and performed in compliance with the law and the proceedings
of said City Council.
SECTIOIV 4. In pursuance of said orclinance duly enacted by said City Council
authorizing and ordering the improvement of said streets and units, including
the said portions of streets and units hereinbelow set out, which ordinance
was pa~sed, as aforesaid, on November 14, 1960, and in pursuance of said
proceedings heretofore had and enacted by said City Cou.ncil in reference to
said improvements and by virtue of the powers vested in said City with re-
sp.ect to said street improvements by the laws of the Sta,te of TexaG, with
particular reference to Article 1105b, Vernon;s Annota.ted Civil Statutes of
Texas, as amended, and the Charter of the City of Parir, there shall be, and
is hereby levied, ass6ssed and ta,xed against the respective parcels of pro-
perty hereinafter described and abutting upon the said streets and'units here-
inafter set out and within the limits below defined and against the real and
true owners of such property whether such real and true owners be named, or
correctly named, or said properties be correctly described herein or not, the
several sums of money hereinbelow mentioned and itemized opposite the de-
scription of the respective parcels of said prope;rty, the description of such
pr'operty, the number of front feet of each, and the several amounts assessed
against the same and the real and true owners thereof, and $uch' amount so
assessed shall constitute a lien against the entire proge-rty abutting on said
streets, and the names of the apparent owners thereof, all as corrected and
adjusted by said Gity Council, being as follows, to-wit:
SECTION 5. The assessments levied in Section 4 above are for a portion of
thecosts of said improvements in the streets and units therein set out which
are included in said ordinance enacted November 14, 1960, and the assess-
ments for the improvements in said units are in now-ise ;related to, or
connected with, the improvements or assessments in any other of the streets
or units described in said ordinance; and in levying said assessments the
amount so assessed for the improvements in said units hav;e been in nowise
affected by any fact or thing in any way connected with the improvernents or
the assessments therefor in any other of said units. The omission of the
improvements in any of said streets or units as a whole shall in nowise
affect nor impair the validity of the assessments in any other of said units
and the omission of the improvements in any particular street or unit in
front of any parcel of property exempt from the lien of such assessments, or
against which a valid property assessment cannot be levied, shall in nowise
affect nor impair the validity of the assessments against the other properties
in such unit.
SECTION 6. The costs of said improvements shall be paid as follows, to-wit:
(a) The City shall pay its distributive portion of the intersections and the
Texas State Highway Department shall pay all of the costs of streets
and the excavation therefor, and the property owners shall pay the
actual cost of curb and gutters and driveway approaches.
(b) The remainder of the costs of such improvements ahall be assessed
agair'1st the respective abutti.ng properties and the real arid true owners
thereof in accordance with the statutes of Texas and the rharte4 of the
City of Paris herein referred to. No assessment shall be made against
any abutting property or the real and true owner thereof for costs in
excess of the benefits to such property in enhance value thereof by
means of such improvement. The amounts of such assessments sha,ll
constitute a first and prior lien upon all such properties and a personal
liability of the true and real owners thereof, whether correctly named
or not, and shall,be payable in installments as follows: When the im-
provements herein ordered for the streets designated above and por-
tions thereof have been completed and accepted by the City of Paris, the
amount of the assessment against each property abutting thereon and the
real and true owner thereof shall be and become payable in five (5) equal
annual installments, due respectively thirty (30) days after one (1), two
(2), three (3), four (4) and five (5) years from the date of acceptance by
the City, together with interest on each installment from said date :of
acceptance until paid at the rate of six per cent (6%) per annum, payable
annually; provided, however, that the owners of any of said property
shall have the privilege of paying all or any of said installments at any
time before maturity thereof by paying the total amount of the principal
of such installments, together with the interest accrued thereon to the
date of payment. , Further, if default be made in the payment of any of
said installments of principal or interest promptly as the same mature,
then at the option of the City of Paria, the entire amount of the assess-
ment upon which default is riiade, together with reasona.ble attorney3s fees
and all collection costs incurred, shall be and become immediately due
and payable.
SECTION 7. All such assessments levied are, and shall be, a personal liability
and charge against the respective real and true owner or owners of said
abutting properties, notwithstanding such owner or owners may not be named
ar correctly named, and anv irregularity in the name of the property owner, or
the description of any property or the amount of any assessment, or in any
other matter or thing shall not in anywise invalidate or impair any assessment
levied hereby, and any such mistake, or error, invalidity or irregularity, may
be, but is not required to be, in order to be enforceable, corrected at any time
by the City Council of the City of Paris, Texas.
The total amounts assessed against the respective parcels of property abutting
upon the units or portions of streets above set out, and the real and true
owner or owners thereof, are the same, or less than, the estimates of said
assessments prepared by the Director of Public Works and approved and
adopted by said City Council, ancl are in accordance with the proceedings of
said Citv relative to said improvements ; and assessments and assessments
therefor, and with the terms, powers and provisions of said Article 1105b of
Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes of Texa.-, and the Charter of the City of
Paris, under which terms, provisions and powers of said Act said improve-
ments and assessments were had and made by said City Council.
Passed and adopted this 14th day of August, A. D. , 1961.
C -
Ma yo r
ATTE T•
City Clerk
APP OVED AS TO FORM:
~/~~~City Att ney.
'