Bond issue authorized. Assessments

At any time after voting to acquire, construct, reconstruct, operate or maintain any flood prevention, climate resilience and erosion control system or portion thereof, the board in its discretion may elect to defray the cost thereof by issuing bonds or other evidences of debt, from general taxation, special assessment, federal, state or private grant funds or any combination thereof or by drawing upon a municipal Climate Change and Coastal Resiliency Reserve Fund created pursuant to section 7-159d. If it elects to defray any part of such cost from special assessment, it may apportion and assess such part upon the lands and buildings in the municipality which, in its judgment, are especially benefited thereby, whether they abut on such flood prevention, climate resilience and erosion control system or not, and upon the owners of such lands and buildings, subject to the right of appeal as hereinafter provided. Such assessment may include a proportionate share of any expenses incidental to the completion of such flood prevention, climate resilience and erosion control system, such as fees and expenses of attorneys, engineers, surveyors, superintendents or inspectors, the cost of any property purchased or acquired for such work, interest on securities, the cost of preparing maps, plans and specifications, the cost to reconstruct, repair, maintain, supervise, operate and manage such system and the cost of printing, publishing or serving advertisements or notices incidental thereto. The board may divide the total territory to be benefited by any flood prevention, climate resilience and erosion control system into sections and may levy assessments against the property benefited in each section separately. In assessing benefits against the property in any section, the board may add to the cost of the part of the flood prevention, climate resilience and erosion control system located in such section a proportionate share of the cost of any part of such system located outside the section which is useful for the operation or effectiveness of that part of such system within the section and of any of the other items of cost or expense above enumerated.