The council may provide by ordinance for sprinkling and cleaning, or either or both, the streets and avenues, or any part thereof of the city, and may assess the cost and expense thereof as a special tax upon all real estate abutting upon the street or avenue, or part thereof, sprinkled or cleaned, in proportion to the front foot, and may issue, or cause to be issued, special tax bills therefor, which shall be a lien on such real estate until paid; provided, that before any such assessment shall be made, the council shall pass a resolution declaring such street sprinkling or cleaning necessary to be done, and shall cause such resolution to be published at least one week in some newspaper published in the city, and if a majority of the resident owners of the property abutting upon such street or avenue, or part thereof, proposed to be sprinkled or cleaned, shall not, within ten days thereafter, file with the clerk of said city their protest against such sprinkling or cleaning, then the council shall have power to contract therefor and cause the same to be done; provided further, however, that in no case shall the cost of such sprinkling or cleaning exceed five cents each per front foot per month upon the property abutting upon such street or avenue, or part thereof. The method of making said assessments and collecting the same shall be provided by ordinance.