04-13-2006 Charter Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Memorandum To: Charter Commission Members From: Mike Trehus Date: 4/5/06 Subject: Neighborhood Projects I would like to offer the following for your consideration as improvements to the way we,as a city,handle neighborhood projects. Please be familiar with Chapter 8 of the City Charter and all recent neighborhood project activity when you read this. A. Neighborhood surveys to be utilized in conjunction with or instead of petitioning processes (see"F"below). B. Develop and require the use of a standard petition form(this eliminates confusion and"word games" such as the petition for a"feasibility study"on West Shadow Lake Drive). C. Residents should be given a rough estimate of the cost of any contemplated project prior to a feasibility study. Residents are then surveyed to determine interest. D. Because feasibility studies are part of the assessment,residents must be notified of the study cost in advance and given the opportunity to decide if a feasibility study would be conducted (possibly at the time of the survey described in"C")in a majority-rule fashion. E. Non-assessable projects such as bike paths would be subject to neighborhood approval in the same manner as assessable projects. Since general fund money is used,this could be also be a referendum question. F. Proposed projects would fall into 2 categories. Ones that would restore street,curb,utilities, etc.to"like new"condition and would not add new features,remove trees over 8"or alter the road geometry would utilize a more streamlined process. All other types of projects would follow a process that surveys affected residents,holds neighborhood meetings where neighborhoods discuss potential options,and ultimately puts the project most suited to the affected residents that is supported by those residents on the ballot. G. Language should be firmed up so that referendums on projects do not occur before the question of whether the affected residents want the project or not is answered. The would insure that voters can vote in confidence that the project is desired by the neighborhood.