04-12-2012 Charter Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Lino Lakes Charter Commission has completed its review of Ordinance 07-07, proposing amendments to Charter Chapter VIII, Public Improvements and Special Assessments. We understand the concerns being raised by the City Council. Rather than simply approve or reject the Council proposed amendment, we have prepared a substitute amendment that we believe strikes a better balance between the concerns of the City Council and the concerns shared by many Lino Lakes residents. We also recognized theopportunity to clean up confusing language, clarify procedures, and generally make Chapter VIII of the Charter more readable and useful to everyone. Attached is the substitute amendment proposed by the Charter Commission. The most significant provisions are as follows: 1. A referendum is no longer required for road reconstruction project. When a project would be paid for out of the general revenue fund, taxpayers may petition for a referendum. This preserves the rights of the taxpayers to stop projects, while also requiring that enough taxpayers sign a petition. Special assessment projects may be initiated in three ways. One, if all the property owners agree to pay all of the cost of the project, as in the existing Charter, the City Council may approve the project just as described ni state law. Two, if more than 25% of the property owners (but less than 100%) petition for a project, the City Council may order a feasibility study by a 3i5 majority. Three, the City Council itself may initiate a project by a 415 -majority vote. After the feasibility study is done, notices are sent to the affected property owners with enough detail to let them know` how the public improvements will change the look and use of property around them, and an estimate of their special assessment. The feasibility study will need to include alternatives, so that the residents and the City Council can see what it would cost to do some, rather than all, of the project. Those alternatives also would be included in the information sent to the affected property owners. Property owners would be given a chance to indicate which alternative they prefer. Rather than building or rejecting an entire project, this will give the City the flexibility to do special assessment projects approved by the neighborhoods. The Charter Commission respectfully recommends that the City Council place this amendment on the ballot in November of 2008. Respectfully submitted, Cori M. Duffy Chair, Lino Lakes Charter Commission