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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-10-1995 Charter Minutes 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 value 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 i * 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 -Sugg°ssted we leave the Charter as is, changed 8.05 to 8,08, 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.