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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-30-1995 Charter AgendaAGENDA LINO LAKES CHARTER COMMISSION Wednesday, August 30, 1995 1. Call to Order and Roll Call 2. Report on Public Meetings, Bob Doocy 3. Discussion on Amendment Alternative 4. Final Decision on Amendment Language for the Election Ballot 5. Adjourn Persons whose terms expire August 31, 1995: William W. Houle, Raymond H. Johnson, Dana Berg, Bart Rehbein, Robert J. Williams Persons whose terms begin September 1, 1995 Robert Benning, Christopher Bernier, Alvin K. DeMotts, Donald L. Dunn, Jack Stoulil, John E. Sullivan Persons whose terms begin September 1, 1995 may want to attend this meeting to listen to the discussions regarding the proposed City Charter amendment. Notes from the Charter Commission Open Meeting, August 10,1995 Charter members present: Paul Montain, Bill Bohanen, Bill Houle, Bart Rehbein, Joyce Scharpen, Ron Solfest and Bob Doocy. Others present included: Kent Sulem, League of Minnesota Cities, John Powell, City Engineer Mr. Solfest explained why we were here and went over the options. * Red Maple Lane - If houses have equal frontage, but the values are considerably different, and both will receive equal benefit, why will one pay more than the other? If all improvements are put in, roads, curbs, sewer, water, lighting, is the assessment still limited to 10$ of value? Yes. * Fred Anderson, Deerwood Lane - If improvements to property are made and the house is sold later for much more money, how is the deferred assessment figured: at the value of the house is lower, or now when appreciation has caused the house to be worth more? Answer: The assessment is based on the appraised value, when the improvement is made. The balance will come out of city funds. * Mr. Clausen, Baldwin Lake Rd. - Has his own sewer and water, how can this be of benefit? Realtors have told him that his property is worth more without the improvements, because he has a more private lot. Powell: He will still have to hock up. Benefit means: Will your market valise go up, not what the property owner thinks will happen. if the city can't prove that your property benefited from the improvement, then no assessment can be made. *Mark Winiecke - Deferred still means he must pay the assessment --AMOUNT LEVIED would be a better term than assessment. The burden of proof of value, market value, will be determined by an assessor. * City assessor will show any increase in value. Property owner can challenge the value in District Court, at his expense. The result is determined on a case by case basis. * "Initiate" an improvement means when the city actually receives a petition for improvement. * County assessor handles the assessments for the city. * If sewer and water are put in front and the system fails, must the homeowner hook up and pay assessments? Yes. This is a city council policy. Appeal processes are available. * Met Council wants an area -wide sewer system rather than the individual sewer and water on each lot. City resolution also requires owners to hook up to sanitary sewer and water, and not redo an individual system. * I have 1600' of roadway, 7 3/4 Acres, a possibility of three lots. What will happen? Examples later. * Why spend $20,000 to hook up to sewer, when a new system costs a lot less? * City wants control over the property. City inspector must inspect any system - city says they can't fix their individual system. (Powell: City wants you to hook up to a permanent system, not have to worry about sewage bubbling up above the ground.) Why does the city want control? * Specific increases in value to be put in writing? No, but a representative sample is given. * Kent Sulem - Most charters say assessments and procedures will follow State Statute 429. Lino Lakes has a unique, complex procedure. * Laurie - 652 River Birch Pl. - The community wants to retain its rural character, according to the 20/20. Visioning. How is this done? Ans: Zoning ordinances are written, comprehensive plan is established. Totally unrelated to the charter. Nothing can be done by the city to guarantee certain land will remain unchanged. Assessment processes are dependent on overall zoning. Growth is controlled by Comp. Plan, zoning and 20/20 Visioning. * New homes pay for the extension of utilities, and this increases the cost of the development. * If this change is made to the charter and what if people don't want the improvement? If the city decides the improvement is necessary, then it will proceed. * A. Donlin - City government isn't always above board, a developer has more leverage than the people along the street. The developer gets the full development benefit, not the people along the street. Dubious about letting the council have that much control. * Recall portion of the charter is still in effect. * How can we address reconstruction of city roads? They don't have to take away the ci .znn's rightc city wants cep. Ter and water, not m act road imprnvements. Developers are getting all the benefits. * J. Kelly - oppose eliminating the 51% rule. He doesn't like money from the general fund. If property increases in value, the homeowners make a windfall at the expense of the community. * Debby Carpenter, Ware Road - Ware Road was paid for by the builder? Why do we have to pay for it again? Ans: Developer pays for trunk lines and the area and unit charges. Connection charges must still be paid. City pays for extending sewer and water mains. Services are extended to the property line at the expense of the city. * Major problem is, you are losing control over the assessed amount. If the city says your house is $150,000 that's it. Do we want to give up the vote that will stop the improvement? * Sharon Lien gave a brief history of the charter, which was an answer to an unresponsive government. * Established people get hurt more than the newer people. * Benefited persons, not city wide assessment. People will be assessed 20$ for roads, 80% from general funds. * Fix the roads only. Leave sewer and water out of it. * Leave the ability to vote on the issue. * Amendment is OK, but city policy of having to hook up should be changed. * Does this change include parks? No. Charter doesn't address parks, or the two new wells the city is having drilled now. * We worked hard to get the Charter in, don't change it now. It keeps the council from riding rough shod over the people. We must slow down development. Our taxes keep going up. * Larry Bengston: We all will be hooked up to water and sewer. Metro Waste Control can't handle the entire metro area now. It's going to cost everyone, whether you want it or not. * What other options are available under the Charter? Why don't we rebuild the roads without levying the large assessments? * Cost of the road per mile: $170 per foot x 5280 feet is about $1,000,000 a mile. * Dick Savage, Hokah Dr. - Met Council is asking the city to update the Comprehensive plan, to place more restrictions on on -site systems. People are saying, we're tired of taxes, we're tired of government, we can't afford this. If you're going to weaken the Charter, put it to a vote of the people. * City is above average in the number of lawsuits directly related to road conditions. Lawsuits are more expensive than the assessments. * To pass the amendment, 51% of the people voting on the amendment must vote yes to pass, not 51% of the total number of people voting. Not everyone will vote on the issue. A blank is "no voice", not counted as a no vote. * State Aid Road - built to state standards, which could mean wider than city standards. On the Ware Road project, the people will have input. * Shift to General Funds - will this have any effect on property taxes? Yes. The City will have to raise property taxes throughout the city to pay for the improvement. * How long will sewer and water last? In St. Paul, about 50-100 years. * Al DeMotts - Suggested we leave the Charter as is, charger] 8 05i to R 08 that funding for road repairs can be used from the general fund, but could not be used on roads in new developments. * Bob Bening - Why does the Charter Commission continue to have problems getting a quorum? Is it lack of interest? * Don Dunne, Black Duck Dr., has a 100' lot. The city must have a managed improvement of city streets, and must have a remedy to fix the roads. The city doesn't have a remedy that works. The remedies are controlled by people we elect to office. * Concern is the gradual erosion of the Charter - 51% issue. * Concern is the lack of a quorum for several of the Charter meetings. * Everyone dish in $100-200 per household for improvements. It is less painful, make exceptions for senior citizens and in hardship cases. * Hardships only apply to assessments, not property taxes.