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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC MINUTES 10011974 Meeting Sheet IIIIII VIII VIII VIII VIII VIII IIII IIII iosns Box: 35 Folder: CC MINUTES AND AGENDAS 1974 Document: CC MINUTES 10011974 CITY OF ST. ANTHONY PUBLIC HEARINGS ON STORM SEWER PROJECT 1972-1 PAVING,CURB AND GUTTER IMPROVEN NT PROJECT j�1973-1 October 1,197+ Mayor Miedtke called the Public Hearing on Storm Seiner Project #41972-1 to order in the Wilshire School Cafetorium at 7:31 P.M. Also present were: Councilman Haik, Sauer, Sundland, Stauffer City Manager, Jerry Dulgar Adm. Asst., Jim Fornell About 75 residents attended the meeting and cost calculation sheets for both projects as well as a list of property owners who were notified of assessments covered by the hearings and a listing of each specific assessment identified by plat and parcel numbers were distributed. The Mayor opened the meeting u ith an apology for the conflict in timing between the public hearing and the high school open house for School District #282. He pointed out that the Storm Sewer Project had originally been approved at a public hearing June 29, 1972 and that the purpose of the evening's hearing was to obtain individual objections from the residents who felt they were not being assessed accurately and fairly for their share of the costs incurred by the installation of the storm sewers. He explained that the project covered the enlargement of the • sewer lines in St. Anthony on Silver Lake Road, 29th Avenue N.E., St. Anthony Blvd. and Coolidge which in turn were connected to the State's sewer lines under Hwy. 8 designed to carry storm waters through Minneapolis to the Mississippi River. At the request of Lowell Fife, 3500 Harding St. N.E., Mr. Dulg ar gave the assessment rate as $2.52 per 100 sq. ft or 2.5 cents per square foot. Thomas Ondrey, 3529 Edwards St. N.F.J. asked for the criteria which was used to ascertain the properties which were assessed and was told that any property which drained in a southerly direction into the storm sewer system was included. Later in the evening Mr. Ondrey told of the drainage problem which he and his neighbor had in their back yards and asked for some relief in his assessments and was advised to make application for such relief to the City Manager. John Andrychowicz, 2809 Coolidge St. N.E., said he didn't think the square footage for his lot was correct and he was told that was exactly the kind of information the City desired to have brought to its attention so it could be corrected. The group was told that the data on which the City was basing its assessments was taken from the deeds to the individual lots and errors in calculation were quite possible. Helen M. Gruidl, 3109 Stinson Boulevard,asked whether the Council had considered an adjustment in the rate of assessments for senior ,citizens and Mayor Miedtke told her they were researching what amount of relief the State Legislature would allow the City to grant to senior citizens and that the matter would be discussed by the Council at the next meeting. She then expressed her opinion that the revenue • sharing funds which were used to purchase a new fire truck and for Police Department improvement should have been applied to pay the construction costs of the project. -2- L. MeuWissen, Attorney for Sunset Memorial Park Assn. discussed the assessment • against property held by the cemetary association and said it was "15% of the total" and wondered why it was assessed since the cemetary had its own internal sewer in the park. Mayor Miedtke told him that the line his sewer flowed into was being replaced by the Highway Department and the amount the association was being assessed was the same amount the Highway Department was billing St. Anthony for that service. Marguerite M. Wood, 2900 32nd Avenue N.F.Y told of the problems she and her neighbors are experiencing when their back yards are flooded after heavy rain and snow and she was told to come to the Council and request relief. Robert Lohmar and R. Sopcinski of 2512 and 2524 St. Anthony Road and Charles Pennington, Jr. 3205 Roosevelt St. N.T. told about the drainage problems they have on their properties and expressed the opinion that the new sewer lines had done nothing to correct that situation during the downpour in June and wondered irhy they should pay for a system which did not- alleviate their problem. Mayor Miedtke pointed out that the rain which fell the day they mentioned had been in an abnormal amount and suggested they wait to see results the, coming year. . The three had attended the 1972 public hearing on the project and told of the objection they voiced at that time and the difference of opinion they had with the City Engineer regarding the direction of the flow of water from their properties. In reply to their query whether the lines the city had installed were large enough they were told that the line was as large as it could be because the line in T.H. 8 could only carry so much water and that the assessment covered "payment to • the Highway Department to get the water out of the City". Mr. Pennington was later told that specific soil percolation was not considered in setting the assessments it was felt that any water running off roofs or driveways eventually saturated the clay soil and had to be removed by the storm sewer. The Mayor answered the question of Harry Lilja, 2611-29th Avenue N.E., by telling him that the Council decides what property drains into the storm sewer and assesses each lot on an individual basis under guidelines set by the legislature for assessing such amounts. He also told the group that the Council hoped to act on the matter at the next meeting in order that the assessments might be added to the next tax statements. Emmett Swanson, 2907 30th Avenue N.E., complained of a "lake" on his property this spring and wondered if any further work was to be done on the sewer lines which might improve its performance. He was told that the lines, which were all complete with the exception of two catch basins to be installed when 29th Avenue is upgraded, had been designed to take care of a "normal 20 year rainfall". L.A. Larson, expressed the opinion that the system was not adequate and wanted to know who designed it. The reply was the project was designed by Hwy De t with Comstock & Davis planning the lines which connected with the Deparbmen?'s lines. Mr. Larson said he had understood that the "1956 storm sewer was supposed to be adequate." • Stan Mirocha, 2604 29th Avenue N.E. , was told that the two catch basins on 29th Avenue were included in the sewer project cost and Mr. Fife then said he firmly opposed the cost of these two basins as well as the repair of Coolidge Avenue, which had been torn up for the sewer installation, being a part of the assessment he had to pay. He was told by the Mayor that the people on Coolidge had objected -3- to their street being torn up for installation of the sewer since they felt the • sewer served as a benefit to the whole community. H.A. Jensen, 3105 Armour Terrace was told that the boundaries of the property to be assessed would be finalized following any changes made as a result of the hearing that night. Martin Reiner, 2824 Highway 8, thought the plat description of his lot was not accurate and consulted with the Manager regarding the discrepancy. Walter Ludwig, 3013 Croft Drive, felt he was unfairly assessed because the water flowed from his property in two directions and was told by Mr. Dulgar that his assessment was only against the portion of his land from which water flowed into the District 776 & #7 storm sewer system and that assessments made from the Ramsey County storm sewer had been taken into account in figuring assessments where applicable. He said topography surveys as well as all previous storm sewer assessments had been considered during the entire assessing process. Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Pajerski who have lived at 3312 Roosevelt Court for five months, were upset because their notice for the hearing had been sent to a "Bjerski at 3328 Stinson Blvd." and Mr. Pajerski questioned whether the residents were being given a double assessment for municipal and school properties. Mayor Miedtke differed with his interpretation saying that as a resident of St. Anthony, Mr. Pajerski was paying for that percentage of public owned property which he owned as a taxpayer. Mr. Russell Lambert, 3209 Bell Lane, was advised that the assessment was not based on runoff on a frontage basis. Mrs. George Kieffer, 2613 27th Avenue N.E, was advised that property was being assessed and not owners and that vacant lots were assessed at the same rate as those which are built up. She was also told to again contact the City Manager if the catch basins in the alley were actually storm sewers and were not function- ing correctly. Mr. V.R. Lundquist, 3100 Edward St. N.F., was concerned that present residents were being assessed for services from which future residents might benefit without paying and it was again pointed out that property and not owners was being assessed and that the City's costs represented only the charge from the Highway Department for the disposal of the waste water from St. Anthony. The Mayor also said that this was the last community to tie into the system since all the Minneapolis lines have been installed. Bob Dougherty, 3101 Armour Terrace; Mrs. Rusinko, 2549 29th Avenue N.E. and others who inquired, were told they had until the next Council meeting to inform the Manager of any discrepancies. The Mayor told Kevin Cahill, 2524 Murray, that this assessment could not be applied to the entire community because State statute forbids assessing any property from which water does not flow into the storm sewer. The Public Hearing on Storm Sewer Project 1972-1 was adjourned by the Mayor at 8:40 P.M. and final action on the assessments to be placed on the agenda of October 8, 1974 Council meeting. The Public Hearing on Paving, Curb and Gutter Improvement Project 1973-1 was opened at 8:41 P.M. and adjourned at 8:42 because no one appeared to speak regarding the project. -4- The meeting was recessed by the Mayor from 8:42 until 8:50 P.M. and then adjourned. ayor ATTEST• Clerk *Cinae •