How much is too much?

Preliminary assessments topping $23K prompt City Council discussion

How much is too much for a homeowner to be assessed for a street reconstruction project?

Clear Lake City Council members wrestled with that question Monday night, as preliminary plans and specifications for the 14th Avenue North (east return of Logan Drive to N. 8th St.) Street Reconstruction Project were presented.  The project is one of the major capital improvement projects the Council budgeted for fiscal year 2017.   Currently the segment of road is 24-foot wide asphalt paved street which is approximately two-inches thick, with no curb and gutter or storm water improvements, and no sidewalks.  The proposed improvements include seven-inch thick PCC paving, four-foot wide sidewalks on each side of the street, new driveway approaches, storm sewer and intakes, and new water and sanitary sewer service laterals as needed.

The $350,000 project will be partially funded by special assessments against the benefitted properties.  Special assessments will fund approximately 30 percent of the project cost, while the city will pay the remainder.

Some figures on  the preliminary assessment schedule presented to the Council caught the attention of Council members and prompted a discussion about how much is too much.

At the heart of the discussion was the 279-feet of frontage on  the parcel owned by Jason Gilbert.  Based on a 40-year-old formula the city has routinely used to figure assessments, Gilbert will be charged $25,236 for benefits to his property through the project.  A second property owner with 178-feet of frontage would be assessed $23,429.

“It jumped out at me and it’s way out of normal boundaries,”

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said Council Representative Mike Callanan.  “I’m just playing the devil’s advocate.  Is there something we can do?”

“In the spirit of fairness, if this is what has been used or 40-years, this is a fair and consistent method,” offered Councilman Jim Boehnke.

Councilman Tony Nelson said he agreed with Callanan’s concern, but noted that Gilbert bought his property as an acreage and now the parcel is part of a sub-division receiving improvements.  “Just because we have been doing it for 40-years doesn’t make it always right,” he added.  “This may be a discussion that should be had.”

Callanan, who himself recently went through assessment proceedings along with other residents living along North Shore Drive, said he has not seen a similar situation to the seemingly large assessment for a single family residence.

“This has not come up in my tenure,” said the three-term Councilman.  “It seems like an unusual circumstance.”

The Council ended the conversation with no discussion about what, if any, changes they would consider.

The project schedule calls for the Council to consider initiation of the special assessment proceedings at its regular meeting on Nov. 7.

The anticipated date for the hearing on the proposed Resolution of Necessity is Dec. 5.  The targeted date for bid letting is Jan. 11, 2017. Construction would begin in April 2017 and conclude by late June 2017.

East Main Avenue

In other business Monday night, the Council passes a resolution to participate in Federal-Aid Surface Transportation Program Project with the Iowa Department of Transportation for its East Main Avenue Reconstruction Project.

The proposed project entails the reconstruction of East Main Avenue between South 20th Street and South 24th Street.  Construction work will involve pavement removal, excavation, water main, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, sub-drain, storm sewer intakes, aggregate base and new PCC paving with curb and gutter.  The 43-foot wide quarter-mile stretch will include two five-foot wide bike lanes, two 12-foot wide travel lanes, and on-street parking on one side of the street.

The preliminary estimate of the cost of the project is $850,000.  It will be funded in part by special assessments, an STP (Surface Transportation Project) grant of $450,000, TAP (Transportation Alternative Program) grant of $70,000, and city funds.  Construction is expected to begin in May 2017.

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