Public Improvement Districts

Public improvements may be made within the City and for the benefit of the public and the adjacent property owners through the formation of Public Improvement Districts (PID) pursuant to the City Charter, Article XIII and the Cañon City Municipal Code Chapter 12.08.

In the past Public Improvement Districts have been formed to build sidewalk, install curb and gutter, and pave streets. Property owners interested in making improvements in their neighborhood should contact the City Engineer.

Process

The owners of the frontage on any street or alley or interest in an area of potential improvement may file a petition with the Council, requesting the construction of any public works or improvement or the improvement of any existing public work or improvement. At the request of property owner, the City Engineer will assist in creating the petition form, public improvement district map, and cost estimates for each individual property owner. Each affected property owner will be provided an initial assessment with the estimated cost for the benefit of their property.

City Council usually will only consider a petition for improvement if a majority of the affected property owners have signed the petition in favor of forming a district. Once City Council has accepted a petition they will send notices of assessment to each property owner and formally create an improvement district by ordinance. The City Engineer will then design, bid, and cause the construction of the improvements.

Once the improvements are complete, final assessment is made to each property owner for their proportional amount of the improvement costs. Property owners then have a short time period to pay all or some of their assessment before it is certified to the county tax rolls for special assessment on the property for 10 years with accruing interest.

Process Outline

  1. Initial Assessment (Estimate)
  2. Petition circulated by property owners seeking majority by frontage feet/affected area in favor
  3. Resolution by Council accepting petition
  4. Notices of Assessment mailed
  5. Ordinance adopted creating district
  6. Design
  7. Bid
  8. Construction
  9. Final Assessment (actual cost)
  10. Repayment 30 days no interest
  11. Assessment on property tax bill with 10.5% interest