How special maintenance districts are set up and run

(a) Upon request by the council, administration, or owners of property to be benefited that a special maintenance district be created, the chief engineer shall fully consider such a proposal. (b) Whenever the chief engineer finds that the cleaning and maintenance of specially improved sidewalks and streets, as defined in § 13-1.1 , and malls, as defined in § 13-10.2 , or any public open space, require effort exceeding such that which the normal city services can provide, the cost of such maintenance shall be assessed against the land specially benefited, either on the frontage basis or according to area of land or building floor area or real property tax assessment on the value of the land and improvements thereon within a maintenance district or any combination of the methods of assessment; provided that whenever assessment basis is mentioned in sections and provisions contained in this article, the same valuation method shall be used. (c) The owners of the lands specially benefited by any proposed assessments for the maintenance of a sidewalk, street, or mall or such open space may establish a committee to represent the landowners that, if so established, shall constitute an advisory committee to the city with respect to all matters relating to the proposed assessments for that district, including but not limited to matters relating to the estimated cost of maintenance for the assessment year, the scope and the specifications for and performance standards contained in any maintenance contract to be let by the city for the district, and the renewal of any maintenance contracts for the district. (d) The maintenance contract for a district may include the maintenance and management of operations of the district when the council, in consultation with the advisory committee, finds that it is to the benefit of the district to so contract. (e) Nothing in this article shall prevent the city from accepting a proposal from the owners that such maintenance shall be achieved under a private agreement. Such proposal shall meet the maintenance standard to be adopted for the maintenance district. (f) Notwithstanding Articles 12 through 20 , Article 5 shall apply to property that may be affected by this chapter to the extent that the responsibility for cleaning and maintaining of sidewalks has not been assumed by the maintenance district.