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3 <br />3. Special assessments are intended to reflect the influence of a specific local <br />improvement upon the value of the property. Where the results of applying the <br />foregoing rules appear to result in an inequitable assessment, the comparative <br />market values of the lots in the area shall be considered with the ultimate test <br />being the increase in the market value of an affected parcel by at least the amount <br />of the proposed assessment. (Special Benefit Principle.) <br /> <br />4. Publicly owned properties, including, but not limited to, municipal building sites, <br />schools, parks, County, State, and Federal building sites, but not including public <br />streets and alleys, are regarded as being assessable on the same basis as if such <br />property were privately owned. The rate of assessment will be calculated <br />utilizing the commercial formula. <br /> <br />5. Revenue sources for these types of improvements will be many, including, but not <br />limited to assessments, MSA Funds, infrastructure replacement funds, bonded <br />indebtedness and general tax levies. <br /> <br />6. Special Cases. It is recognized that these rules cannot be applied indiscriminately <br />and variations shall be permitted or encouraged when strict adherence to the rules <br />obviously violates the Special Benefit Principle as specified in Section II, Item 3. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />SECTION III <br /> <br />SPECIFIC POLICIES <br /> <br />Project Initiation and Hearing Process <br /> <br />This section described the initiation of improvement projects and the administration <br />required to receive final City Council action, pursuant to the requirements of Minnesota <br />Statutes Chapter 429. <br /> <br />A. Project Initiation <br /> <br />1. By Petition: Citizen petition forms for initiating a street improvement will <br />be provided by City staff upon request of property owner(s). Such <br />petitions circulated by the affected property owners shall bear the <br />signatures of property owners of not less than 35% of the affected frontage <br />as measured on a lineal footage basis. <br /> <br /> When projects are initiated through this process, the costs of doing <br />engineering feasibility studies and associated project consideration costs <br />may be borne by the property owner(s) so petitioning. A deposit may be <br />required of the petitioners prior to commencement of the study to cover <br />the costs of same if construction does not proceed. If the project proceeds