If the city council or commission of any city of the first or second class in this state deems it necessary or expedient on account of the public health, sanitation, the general welfare, or other cause, to fill or raise the grade or elevation of any marshlands, swamplands, tidelands or lands commonly known as tideflats, or any other lands situated within the limits of such city and to clear and prepare said lands for such filling it may do so by proceeding in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

For the purpose of filling and raising the grade or elevation of such lands and to secure material therefor and to provide for the proper drainage thereof after such fill has been effected, the city council or commission may acquire rights-of-way (and where necessary or desirable, may vacate, use and appropriate streets and alleys for such purposes) and lay out, build, construct and maintain over and across such lowlands, canals or artificial waterways of at least sufficient width, depth and length to provide and afford the quantity of earth, dirt and material required to complete such fill, and with the earth, dirt and material removed in digging and constructing such canals and waterways, fill and raise the grade or elevation of such marshlands, swamplands, tidelands or tideflats; and such canals or waterways shall be constructed of such width and depth (provided that all the earth, dirt and other suitable material removed in constructing the same shall be used to fill the lowlands as herein provided) as will make them available, convenient and suitable to provide water frontage for landings, wharves and other conveniences of navigation and commerce for the use and benefit of the city and the public. If canals or waterways are to be constructed as herein provided, such city may construct and maintain the necessary bridges over and across the same; such canals or waterways shall be forever under the control of such city and shall be and become public thoroughfares and waterways for the use and benefit of commerce, shipping, the city and the public generally.

The expense of making such improvement and in doing, accomplishing and effecting all the work provided for in this chapter including the cost of making compensation for property taken or damaged, and all other cost and expense incidental to such improvement, shall be assessed to the property benefited, except such amount of such expense as the city council or commission, in its discretion, may direct to be paid out of the current or general expense fund.

If the city council or commission desires to make any improvement authorized by the provisions of this chapter it shall provide therefor by ordinance and unless the ordinance provides that the improvement shall be paid for wholly or in part by special assessment upon the property benefited, compensation therefor shall be made from any general or special funds of the city applicable thereto. If the ordinance provides that the improvement shall be paid for wholly or in part by special assessments upon property benefited, the proceedings for the making of such special assessment shall be as hereafter provided.

Special assessments or taxation for local improvements: State Constitution Art. 7 s 9.

Such ordinance shall specify the boundaries of the proposed improvement district and shall describe the lands which it is proposed to assess for said improvement, and shall provide for the filling of such lowlands and shall outline the general scheme or plan of such fill. If any parcel of land within the boundaries of such proposed improvement district prior to the initiation of the improvement has been wholly filled to the proposed grade or elevation of the proposed fill, such parcel of land may be excluded from the lands to be assessed when in the opinion of the city council or commission justice and equity require its exclusion. The boundaries of any improvement district may be altered so as to exclude land therefrom at any time up to the levying of the assessment but such changing of the boundaries shall be by ordinance.

Upon the introduction of an ordinance providing for such fill, if the city council or commission desires to proceed, it shall fix a time, not less than ten days, in which protests against said fill may be filed in the office of the city clerk. Thereupon it shall be the duty of the clerk of said city to publish in the official newspaper of said city in at least two consecutive issues thereof before the time fixed for the filing of protests, a notice of the time fixed for the filing of protests together with a copy of the proposed ordinance as introduced.

Protests against the proposed fill to be effective must be filed by the owners of more than half of the area of land situated within the proposed filling district exclusive of streets, alleys and public places on or before the date fixed for such filing. If an effective protest is filed the council shall not proceed further unless two-thirds of the members of the city council vote to proceed with the work; if the city is operating under a commission form of government composed of three commissioners, the commission shall not proceed further except by a unanimous affirmative vote of all the members thereof, if the commission is composed of five members, at least four affirmative votes thereof shall be necessary before proceeding.

If no effective protest is filed or if an effective protest is filed and two-thirds of the councilmembers vote to proceed with the work or in cases where cities are operating under the commission form of government, the commissioners vote unanimously or four out of five commissioners vote to proceed with the work, the city council or commission shall at such meeting or in a succeeding meeting proceed to pass the proposed ordinance for the work, with such amendments and modifications as to the said city council or commission of said city may seem proper. The local improvement district shall be called "filling district No. . . . ."

If an ordinance is passed as in this chapter provided, and it appears that in making of the improvements so authorized, private property will be taken or damaged thereby within or without the city, the city shall file a petition in the superior court of the county in which such city is situated, in the name of the city, praying that just compensation be made for the property to be taken or damaged for the improvement specified in the ordinance and conduct proceedings in eminent domain in accordance with the statutes relating to cities for the ascertainment of the compensation to be made for the taking and damaging of property, except insofar as the same may be inconsistent with this chapter.

The filling of unimproved and uncultivated lowlands of the character mentioned in RCW 35.56.010 shall not be considered as a damaging or taking of such lands. The damage, if any, done to cultivated lands or growing crops thereon, or to buildings and other improvements situated within the district proposed to be filled shall be ascertained and determined in the manner above provided; but no damage shall be awarded to any property owner for buildings or improvements placed upon lands included within said district after the publication of the ordinance defining the boundaries of the proposed improvement district: PROVIDED, That the city shall, after the passage of such ordinance, proceed with said improvement with due diligence.

If the improvement is to be made at the expense of the property benefited, no account shall be taken of benefits by the jury or court in assessing the amount of compensation to be made to the owner of any property within such district, but such compensation shall be assessed without regard to benefits to the end that said property for which damages may be so awarded, may be assessed the same as other property within the district for its just share and proportion of the expense of making said improvement, and the fact that compensation has been awarded for the damaging or taking of any parcel of land shall not preclude the assessment of such parcel of land for its just proportion of said improvement.

Eminent domain, cities: Chapter 8.12 RCW.

At the time of the initiation of the proceedings for any improvement as contemplated by this chapter or at any time afterward, the city council or commission shall cause plans and specifications for said improvement to be prepared and shall cause an estimate to be made of the cost and expense of making said improvement, including the cost of supervision and engineering, abstractor's fees, interest and discounts and all other expenses incidental to said improvement, including an estimate of the amount of damages for property taken or damaged, which plans, specifications and estimates shall be approved by the city council or commission.

When such plans and specifications shall have been prepared and the estimate of the cost and expense of making the improvement has been adopted by the council or commission and when an estimate has been made of the compensation to be paid for property damaged or taken, either before or after the compensation has been ascertained in the eminent domain proceedings, the city council or commission shall cause an assessment roll to be prepared containing a list of all the property within the improvement district which it is proposed to assess for the improvements together with the names of the owners, if known, and if unknown, the property shall be assessed to an unknown owner, and opposite each description shall be set the amount assessed to such description.

When so ordered by the city council or commission, the entire amount of compensation paid or to be paid for property damaged or taken, including all of the costs and expenses incidental to the condemnation proceedings together with the entire cost and expense of making the improvement may be assessed against the property within the district subject to assessment, but the city council or commission may order any portion of the costs paid out of the current or general expense fund of the city. The assessments shall be made according to and in proportion to surface area, one square foot of surface to be the unit of assessment: PROVIDED, That where any parcel of land was wholly or partially filled by the owner prior to the initiation of the improvement an equitable deduction for such filling or partial filling may be allowed.

The cost and expense incidental to the filling of the streets, alleys and public places within said assessment district shall be borne by the private property within such district subject to assessment when so ordered by the city council or commission. When the assessments are payable in installments, the assessment roll when equalized shall show the number of installments and the amounts thereof. The assessment may be made payable in any number of equal annual installments not exceeding fifteen in number.

When such assessment roll has been prepared it shall be filed in the office of the city clerk and thereupon the city clerk shall give notice by publication in at least three issues of the official paper that such roll is on file in his or her office and on a date mentioned in said notice, which shall be at least twenty days after the date of the first publication thereof, the city council or commission will sit as a board of equalization to equalize said roll and to hear, consider and determine protests and objections against the same.

At the time specified in the notice, the city council or commission shall sit as a board of equalization to equalize the roll and they may adjourn the sitting from time to time until the equalization of such roll is completed. The city council or commission as such board of equalization may hear, consider and determine objections and protests against any assessment and make such alterations and modifications in the assessment roll as justice and equity may require.

Any person who has made objections to the assessment as equalized, shall have the right to appeal from the equalization as made by the city council or commission to the superior court of the county. The appeal shall be made by filing a written notice of appeal with the city clerk within ten days after the equalization of the assessments by the council or commission. The notice of appeal shall describe the property and the objections of such appellant to such assessment.

The appellant shall also file with the clerk of the superior court within ten days from the time of taking the appeal a copy of the notice of appeal together with a copy of the assessment roll and proceedings thereon, certified by the city clerk and a bond to the city conditioned to pay all costs that may be awarded against appellant in such sum not less than two hundred dollars, and with such security as shall be approved by the clerk of the court.

The case shall be docketed by the clerk of the court in the name of the person taking the appeal as plaintiff, and the city as defendant. The cause shall then be at issue and shall be tried immediately by the court as in the case of equitable causes; no further pleadings shall be necessary. The judgment of the court shall be either to confirm, modify or annul the assessment insofar as the same affects the property of the appellant. Appellate review of the superior court's decision may be sought as in other causes.

Severability—1988 c 202: See note following RCW 2.24.050.

From and after the equalization of the roll, the several assessments therein shall become a lien upon the real estate described therein and shall remain a lien until paid. The assessment lien shall take precedence of all other liens against such property, except the lien of general taxes. The assessments shall be collected by the same officers and enforced in the same manner as provided by law for the collection and enforcement of local assessments for street improvements. All of the provisions of laws and ordinances relative to the guaranty, enforcement, and collection of local assessments for street improvements, including foreclosure in case of delinquency, shall be applicable to these assessments.

Assessments for local improvements, collection and foreclosure: Chapters 35.49, 35.50 RCW.

The local assessments shall bear interest at such rate as may be fixed by the council or commission from and after the expiration of thirty days after the equalization of the assessment roll and shall bear such interest after delinquency as may be provided by general ordinance of the city.

If the improvement contemplated by this chapter is ordered to be made upon the immediate payment plan, the city council or commission shall provide for the payment thereof by the issuance of local improvement fund warrants against the local improvement district, which warrants shall be paid only out of the funds derived from the local assessments in the district and shall bear interest at a rate determined by the city council or commission from date of issuance. If the improvement is ordered to be made upon the bond installment plan, the city council or commission shall provide for the issuance of bonds against the improvement district.

The city council or commission shall have full authority to provide for the issuance of such bonds against the improvement district fund in such denominations as the city council or commission may provide, which shall bear such rate of interest as the city council or commission may fix. Interest shall be paid annually and the bonds shall become due and payable at such time, not exceeding fifteen years from the date thereof, as may be fixed by the said council or commission and shall be payable out of the assessment district funds.

If so ordered by the council or commission, the bonds may be issued in such a way that different numbers of the bonds may become due and payable at different intervals of time, or they may be so issued that all of the bonds against said district mature together. The city may reserve the right to call or mature any bond on any interest paying date when sufficient funds are on hand for its redemption; but bonds shall be called in numerical order.

The city may guarantee the payment of the whole or any part of the bonds issued against a local improvement district, but the guaranties on the part of the city shall be made only by ordinance passed by the vote of not less than two-thirds of the councilmembers and the approval of the mayor, or three commissioners in case the governing body consist of three commissioners, or four where such city is governed by five commissioners.

The city council or commission may negotiate sufficient warrants or bonds against any local improvement district at a price not less than ninety-five percent of their par value to raise sufficient money to pay any and all compensation which may be awarded for property damaged or taken in the eminent domain proceedings, including the costs of such proceedings. In lieu of so doing, the city council or commission may negotiate current or general expense fund warrants at par to raise funds for the payment of such compensation and expenses in the first instance, but in that event the current or general expense fund shall be reimbursed out of the first moneys collected in any such local assessment district or realized from the negotiation or sale of local improvement warrants or bonds.

If money accumulates in an improvement fund and is likely to lie idle waiting the maturity of the bonds against the district, the city council or commission, under proper safeguards, may invest it temporarily, or may borrow it temporarily, at a reasonable rate of interest, but when so invested or borrowed, the city shall be responsible and liable for the restoration to such fund of the money so invested or borrowed with interest thereon, whenever required for the redemption of bonds maturing against such district.

The contract for the making of the improvement may be let either before or after the making up of the equalization of the assessment roll, and warrants or bonds may be issued against the local improvement district fund either before or after the equalization of the roll as in the judgment of the council or commission may best subserve the public interest.

If after the assessment roll is made up and equalized, based in whole or in part upon an estimate of the cost of the improvement, and it is found that the estimate was too high, the excess shall be rebated pro rata to the property owners on the assessment roll, the rebates to be deducted from the last installment, or installments, when the assessment is upon the installment plan.

If it is found that the estimated cost was too low and that the actual bona fide cost of the improvement is greater than the estimate, the city council or commission after due notice and a hearing, as in case of the original equalization of the roll, may add the required additional amount to the assessment roll to be apportioned among the several parcels of property upon the same rules and principles as if it had been originally included except that the additional amount shall be added to the last installment of an assessment if assessments are payable upon the installment plan. The same notice shall be required for adding to the assessment roll in this manner as is required for the original equalization of the roll, and the property owner shall have the right of appeal.

The city council or commission may provide in letting the contract for an improvement, that the contractor shall accept special fund warrants or local improvement bonds against the local improvement district within which such improvement is to be made, in payment for the contract price of the work, and that the warrants or bonds may be issued to the contractor from time to time as the work progresses, or the city council or commission may negotiate the special fund warrants or bonds against the local improvement district at not less than ninety-five cents in money for each dollar of warrants or bonds, and with the proceeds pay the contractor for the work and pay the other costs of such improvement.

For the purpose of raising revenues to carry on any project under this chapter including funds for the payment for the lands taken, purchased, acquired or condemned and the expenses incident to the acquiring thereof, or any other cost or expenses incurred by the city under the provisions of this chapter but not including the cost of actually filling the lands for which the local improvement district was created, a city may levy an annual tax of not exceeding seventy-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation of all property within the city. The city council or commission may create a fund into which all moneys so derived from taxation and moneys derived from rents and issues of the lands shall be paid and against which special fund warrants may be drawn or negotiable bonds issued to meet expenditures under this chapter.

Severability—Effective dates—Construction—1973 1st ex.s. c 195: See notes following RCW 84.52.043.

In the filling of any marshland, swampland, tideland or tideflats no canal or waterway shall be constructed in connection therewith less than three hundred feet wide at the top between the shore lines and with sufficient slope to the sides or banks thereof to as nearly as practicable render bulkheadings or other protection against caving or falling in of said sides or banks unnecessary and of sufficient depth to meet all ordinary requirements of navigation and commerce.

The canal or waterway shall be and remain under the control of the city and immediately upon its completion the city shall establish outer dock lines lengthwise of said canal or waterway on both sides thereof in such manner and position that not less than two hundred feet of the width thereof shall always remain open between such lines and beyond and between which lines no right shall ever be granted to build wharves or other obstructions except bridges; nor shall any permanent obstruction to the free use of the channel so laid out between said wharf or dock lines excepting bridges, their approaches, piers, abutments and spans, ever be permitted but the same shall be kept open for navigation.

The city shall have the right to lease the area so created between the said shore lines and the wharf lines so established or any part, parts or parcels thereof during times when the use thereof is not required by the city, for periods not exceeding thirty years, to private individuals or concerns for wharf, warehouse or manufacturing purposes at such annual rate or rental per lineal foot of frontage on the canal or waterway as it may deem reasonable.

The rates of wharfage, and other charges to the public which any lessee may impose shall be reasonable; and the city council or commission may regulate such rates. The lease so granted by the city shall never be transferred or assigned without the consent of the city council or commission having been first obtained.

A city shall never lease to any individual or concern more than four hundred lineal feet of frontage of the area lying between the shore lines and the dock lines and no individual or concern shall ever hold or occupy by lease, sublease or otherwise more than the said four hundred lineal feet of frontage of such area: PROVIDED, That any individual or concern may acquire by lease or sublease whatever additional number of lineal feet of frontage of such area may in the judgment of the city council or commission be necessary for the use of such individual or concern, upon petition therefor to the city council or commission signed by not less than five hundred resident freeholders of the city.

If the city owns the land abutting upon any part of the area between the shore lines and dock lines, no portion of the area which has city owned property abutting upon it shall ever be leased unless an equal frontage of the abutting property immediately adjoining it is leased at the same time for the same period to the same individual or concern.

While acquiring the rights-of-way for such canals or waterways or at any time thereafter such city may acquire for its own use and public use by purchase, gift, condemnation or otherwise, and pay therefor by any lawful means including but not restricted to payment out of the current expense fund of such city or by bonding the city or by pledging revenues to be derived from rents and issues therefrom, lands abutting upon the shore lines or right-of-way of such canals or waterways to a distance, depth or width of not more than three hundred feet back from the banks or shore lines of such canals or waterways on either side or both sides thereof, or not more than three hundred lineal feet back from and abutting on the outer lines of such rights-of-way on either side or both sides of such rights-of-way, and such area of such abutting lands as the council or commission may deem necessary for its use for public docks, bridges, wharves, streets and other conveniences of navigation and commerce and for its own use and benefit generally.

If the city is not using the abutting lands so acquired it may lease any parcels thereof as may be deemed for the best interest and convenience of navigation, commerce and the public interest and welfare to private individuals or concerns for terms not exceeding thirty years each at such annual rate or rental as the city council or commission of such city may deem just, proper and fair, for the purpose of erecting wharves for wholesale and retail warehouses and for general commercial purposes and manufacturing sites, but the said city shall never convey or part with title to the abutting lands above mentioned and so acquired nor with the control other than in the manner herein specified. Any lease or leases granted by the city on such abutting lands shall never be transferred or assigned without the consent of the city council or commission having been first obtained.

A city shall never lease to any individual or concern more than four hundred lineal feet of canal or waterway frontage of said land and no individual or concern shall ever hold or occupy by lease, sublease, or otherwise more than the said four hundred lineal feet of said frontage: PROVIDED, That any individual or concern may acquire by lease or sublease whatever additional frontage of such abutting land may be in the judgment of the city council or commission necessary for the use of such individual or concern, upon petition presented to the city council or commission therefor signed by not less than five hundred resident freeholders of such city.

At the time that the city leases to any individual or concern any of the land abutting on the area between the shore lines and the dock lines the same individual or concern must likewise for the same period of time lease all of the area between the shore line and dock line of such canal or waterway lying contiguous to and immediately in front of the abutting land so leased.

When a city undertakes any improvement authorized by this chapter and the expenditures required exceed the sum of five hundred dollars, it shall be done by contract and shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, after due notice, under such regulation as may be prescribed by ordinance: PROVIDED, That the city council or commission may reject all bids presented and readvertise, or, if in the judgment of the city council or commission the work can be performed, or supplies or materials furnished by the city independent of contract, cheaper than under the bid submitted, it may after having so advertised and examined the bids, cause the work to be performed or supplies or materials to be furnished independent of contract. This section shall be construed as a concurrent and cumulative power conferred on cities and shall not be construed as in any wise repealing or affecting any law now in force relating to the performing, execution and construction of public works.

If any assessment is found to be invalid for any cause or if it is set aside for any reason in judicial proceeding, a reassessment may be made and all laws then in force relative to the reassessment of local assessments, for street or other improvements, shall, as far as practical, be applicable hereto.

Local improvements, assessments and reassessments: Chapter 35.44 RCW.

The provisions of this chapter shall not be construed as repealing or in any wise affecting other existing laws relative to the making of any such improvements but shall be considered as concurrent therewith.