Iowa Code Title IX. Local Government [Chs. 331-420] § 384.41. Petition by property owners

1. Property owners may initiate a plan for a public improvement to be paid for in whole or in part by special assessments, by written contract to be approved by the city and signed by all of the owners of record of all property affected by the proposed assessment. If all owners of record of all the property to be affected by the public improvement petition the council, said owners may, in their petition, waive notice to property owners by publication and mailing, as provided in section 384.50, and the council may proceed to adopt a preliminary resolution, a plat, schedule and estimate, and resolution of necessity, and order preparation of detailed plans and specifications. Special assessments initiated without notice under this section are liens upon the property to be affected by the assessment, to the same extent as provided in section 384.65, subsection 5, except that they shall be subordinate to any perfected lien unless the holder of such perfected lien consents in writing to the initiation of the public improvement.

2. A petition may be filed subsequent to the initiation by the council of a plan for a public improvement, and if the petition is received prior to advertising for bids, the public improvement petitioned for may be added by amendment to the resolution of necessity. If the petition is received subsequent to advertising for bids and prior to the completion of the work under contract, the council may, in its discretion, approve the petition and contract with the contractor at a cost not to exceed the unit prices bid at public letting for the construction of the public improvements petitioned for by property owners.

3. This section does not limit the power of a city to initiate a public improvement project on its own motion.

4. Owners of commercial or industrial property may initiate a plan, under subsection 1 or 2, for the purchase of a traffic-control device, fixture, connection, or facility to be paid for in whole or in part by special assessments provided that the proposed assessments shall be made only against the commercial or industrial property owned by the petitioners.