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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 10, 1995 Page 4 • 1 of reconnecting the services to the new water main. After bidding the project, the costs 2 associated are divided amongst the properties based on a front footage basis. This is the city's 3 adopted policy which has been in place for three years. This year the cost per foot for any given 4 lot is $30.20. This amount is multiplied by the front footage of the lot to calculate the amount of 5 the assessment and the $400.00 water service connection fee is added to that, to arrive at the 6 number that was presented to each owner through written notice. 7 Ranallo reported there had been three earlier town meeting with the neighborhood, with 8 approximately sixty people in attendance to discuss this upcoming street improvement project. 9 Mr. Harold Froehlich, 3016 Armour Terrace, stated that he lives on a cul-de-sac. He indicated he 10 had bought the lot in 1953 and built his home in 1955. He stated he has lived in St. Anthony for 11 forty years, been a member of the school board, and had always been proud of the St. Anthony 12 Village snow removal procedures,police protection, and utilities. He expressed that he feels the 13 formula the City Council devised to calculate the assessment amount for people living on cul-de- 14 sacs or large curbed lots is unfair, arbitrary, capricious, and autocratic. He questioned that he had 15 the smallest front footage in the village but was being charged the next to highest assessment. 16 He stated there is no relationship between the size of his backyard and the assessments to 17 improve the street. He stated that there is a discrepancy in the assessments of between$1,000.00 18 to $5,000.00. He indicated the entire neighborhood enjoys the cul-de-sac. It is used for overflow • 19 parking for others in the neighborhood. He stated that the whole village benefits from his large 20 backyard as it increases the oxygen in the air and the benefits of CO2 absorbed by it. He 21 indicated that the cul-de-sac does not benefit him personally, it benefits everyone in the village. 22 He agreed that access to a residence does have value. He stated that value is the basis of 23 everything in America and that he believes the assessments should be based on the value of the 24 individual's property. 25 Marks explained that in the past,the properties that would get the highest assessments were the 26 corner lots. He reported that three years ago,the council looked at the situation of the corner lots 27 because it did not seem fair and at that time,made a change to their assessment policy. The 28 question of the real benefits arise when dealing with assessments like this. This can differ 29 between parties. He reported that the council has discussed the possibility of charging all who 30 benefit from the street improvements, the same assessment, but they were not sure of the fairness 31 of that method either. He explained that the city is not being arbitrary or capricious but has tried 32 to look at the problem areas of previous projects and devise a formula that was fair to everyone. 33 Mr. Froehlich acknowledged that the intents of the city were good but pointed out that the results 34 were unfair. 35 Ranallo questioned that a property owner whose house was valued more than another's should 36 pay a higher rate for the same amount of street improvements.