09-24-02 CCM - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council member DeLapp mentioned the possible assessment cost to residents given the current policy. He also mentioned that the individuals who use the road but don't live on it should pay a portion. The Mayor mentioned that we will have to rank street projects once the funding sources have been identified. The reconstruction projects are very costly and the City may need to consider bonding. The Mayor mentioned we need to continue with our crack sealing and overlay programs to prevent/minimize reconstruction costs in the future. Council member DeLapp stated that the residents paid for the roads when they moved in and are paying a portion through taxes for roads in other parts of the city. The Mayor asked that the construction year for Hill Top be verified. The houses in that area were built before 1988. The Mayor stated between now and 2007, there are 4 major reconstruction projects. The City Planner said that we will have better numbers if projects are combined. The Finance Director also mentioned that we might be able to partner with a neighboring community with our projects to drive the price lower. The Mayor mentioned the City may need to consider bonding for the street improvement projects. The Mayor also mentioned we may need to look at pushing the number of years for repayment of assessments out further. The Finance Director mentioned Cottage Grove has a 15 year assessment payback time period. The Finance Director mentioned she has discussed bonding philosophy with the City Administrator and would like to have a future discussion with the Council. Interest rates are very low right now and it might be beneficial to bond for projects. Council member DeLapp inquired about cut de sac assessments. He inquired specifically about why the cut de sacs on 42°d street are not included in the CIP. The City Planner responded that they are not needed, the traffic volumes are very low. There was discussion that there must be benefit to the homeowner if there are assessments. Council member Siedow inquired about what other communities, states are doing in assessing for cut de sacs. The Finance Director responded that Cottage Grove redid cut de sacs at the same time as the roadway and were assessed accordingly. It was cheaper to do everything at one time without incurring costs a couple of years later and bringing the equipment onto a new roadway. She also expressed that Cottage Grove is urban with curbs and gutters and is not comparable to Lake Elmo's roadway system. The Finance Director agreed to check into what other cities have done, specifically a more rural area with cut de sacs and cluster developments and that this should be addressed in the City's assessment policy. Council member DeLapp also addressed assessments for MSA roads. The Mayor restated the City is looking at its assessment policy and the concern is the reconstruction project costs in the CIP. The CIP will go to the Planning Commission for public hearing, the City will continue to look at the special assessment policy and will need to address long-term funding requirements and strategies. Page 7 of 9