Also at the Sept. 8 meeting Mayor Mary Capra announced the city’s second online undertaking: Centerville has joined the social networking site Twitter. This means that residents can now receive short – 140 characters or less – news updates directly from the city. “It’s a way of getting a message out to people in rapid fashion [and] it’s free,” Capra said. Twitter also allows users to get updates sent directly to their cell phones. To join, Twitter fans can sign up at Twitter. com and follow CentervilleMN.
The Citizen
9/15/2010
This is an interesting development coming from a Mayor that states she doesn't blog. Mary Capra is now going to support Twitter? Really?
So far there are two followers to the City Twitter account CentervilleMN . Council Member Ben Fehrenbacher and CentervilleBlog. That's right... We just opened a Twitter account today to keep an eye on them.
Remember to play nice everyone!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Resident Looking For Hope and Change
(I hope I can get the word out to your viewers) I was recently told by Tom Wilharber himself that he has had enough and is running for mayor this fall. Tom was the mayor when I moved to Centerville about 16 years ago. Centerville , back then, had the small town charm and friendly people young couples look for when buying their first home. The city council was focused on keeping Centerville a happy place to live. Tom Wilharber was a strong leader and helped keep Centerville the place we all loved. As the years passed I saw the small town start to slowly erode. Taxes, spending, etc. all were on the rise. The new members of the city council did not continue on with the city character we all moved here for. Things need to start turning back around and Tom Wilharber can help us do that.
Thank you,
Mike Schweitzer
Centerville, MN
Saturday, March 20, 2010
One Resident Questions Why
Her property was assessed $90,000 while the street in front of her driveway was dropped approximately 5 ft due to the Clear Water Creek Development.Centerville City officials are on record stating the assessment payments would not have to be paid until the driveway was fully corrected. Payments came due last December, ironically the same time this homeowner was hit by a following vehicle while entering the unsafe drive. Prior to the Clear Water Creek Development start this driveway was level with the street and there were no safety issues.
The real question may be who is responsible for repairing the collapsed drive? The City of Centerville or the Developer?A Little History Review
Per The Citizen July 10, 2008
Fruth had appeared before Centerville City Council at a previous meeting, at which she claimed her drive had been left four feet above street level since the road improvements had been made.
She was offered two options to remedy the situation by the city engineer at the July 10 meeting, but explained she would need further time to decide which course of action she wished to pursue. The City Council voted to delay the passing of a resolution on Old Mill Road residents’ special assessments until a later meeting when Fruth’s situation had been resolved.
The Citizen
Ms. Fruth questions why the City of Centerville is insisting her property is potentially worth over one million dollars while the Anoka County property tax statement shows her property value has dropped approximately $50,000 and Zillow.com estimates a value of $272,500. Ms. Fruth is willing to sell to any developer willing to pay the price (One Million) the current council claims the property is worth.
Why do Council members continue to insist they know everything? We see every day how their pretending to be decorators influenced the colored concrete and street lights on Main Street!
As you can see the driveway issue has still not been resolved by the City of Centerville yet the resident has already been assessed $90,000. Curiously, the Developer (previous member of Planning and Zoning history) has had his assessments deferred.
Additional history Here
Friday, March 19, 2010
Are Downtown Redevelopment Plans “Holding Property Hostage”?
“We are taking this input,” Commission Vice Chair Tom Wood said, “so we can sit down and make a decision based on what our constituents are looking for.”
It wasn’t a public hearing— or at least, that’s what several city council members in attendance kept reminding Wood, who ran the meeting.
But it certainly looked, walked and quacked like a public hearing: council chambers were filled by citizens, many of whom took the opportunity to speak.
The zoning changes were made in anticipation of immediate purchase off ers from the Beard Group, the development company working with the City of Centerville on its downtown redevelopment project.
As the economy slowed, however, the purchase offers never materialized, and homeowners who welcomed the opportunity to sell their homes—as well as those who had no intention of moving— have been left in a holding pattern for well over three years.
Olaf Lee, who with his wife Margaret owns a home at 1724 Heritage Street, said that he wanted to add onto his garage, add another bedroom, and possibly build a sunroom. “To date,” Lee said, “I’ve been told [by the city] that there is no possibility of ever [making improvements to] that house.”
Randy Gnadke, 1751 Main Street, said that he would add on to his home, possibly up to 20% of its existing square footage.
Patricia Camp, 7121 Centerville Road, said she was surprised to find out that her home is a nonconforming use. “I’ve been a resident of this community for 31 years,” she said. Although she has no current plans to expand her home, she objected to limitations posed by the rezoning restrictions.
Wendy Brilowski, who in 2004 purchased the 150-yearold residence at 7124 Main Street “with the intention of making a lot of changes,” said that she wasn’t sure whether her home was included in the rezoned area, but has a number of long-term plans, including bumping out a wall in the kitchen and adding a porch. With market conditions the way they are, and with the added penalty of being a non-conforming use, Brilowski said, selling is likely not an option. “I honestly don’t think I could get fair market value,” she said.
Bryce Wasiloski said that although he has a “pretty decent” understanding of what the downtown redevelopment plan is, “it looks a little diff erent when you’ve been rezoned.” He said, “It’s a very uncertain feeling; it’s like you’re living on borrowed time.”Resident Lenae Marshall, who resides outside the rezoned area, referred to what she called the city’s desire to make Centerville a destination town as “a want, and not a need.” She said, “It is unethical to take what is not theirs and redistribute it to another … it is not the mayor’s role to elevate the collective good.”
City Attorney Kurt Glaser advised, “We cannot take people’s property for redevelopment [purposes]—we can’t. It’s not legal.”
But Olaf Lee asked, “Isn’t indefi nitely holding our property hostage, ‘condemnation’? Where we have to maintain it, with no future? Otherwise, you don’t buy a fixer-upper. Why bother?”
Mayor Mary Capra, who last month said that allowing nonconforming uses to expand would cost city residents money in the long run, reminded attendees that the downtown redevelopment plan was “reviewed by the entire community.”
Deb Barnes
The Citizen
3/17/2010
Link Here
It wasn’t a public hearing— or at least, that’s what several city council members in attendance kept reminding Wood, who ran the meeting.
But it certainly looked, walked and quacked like a public hearing: council chambers were filled by citizens, many of whom took the opportunity to speak.
The zoning changes were made in anticipation of immediate purchase off ers from the Beard Group, the development company working with the City of Centerville on its downtown redevelopment project.
As the economy slowed, however, the purchase offers never materialized, and homeowners who welcomed the opportunity to sell their homes—as well as those who had no intention of moving— have been left in a holding pattern for well over three years.
Olaf Lee, who with his wife Margaret owns a home at 1724 Heritage Street, said that he wanted to add onto his garage, add another bedroom, and possibly build a sunroom. “To date,” Lee said, “I’ve been told [by the city] that there is no possibility of ever [making improvements to] that house.”
Randy Gnadke, 1751 Main Street, said that he would add on to his home, possibly up to 20% of its existing square footage.
Patricia Camp, 7121 Centerville Road, said she was surprised to find out that her home is a nonconforming use. “I’ve been a resident of this community for 31 years,” she said. Although she has no current plans to expand her home, she objected to limitations posed by the rezoning restrictions.
Wendy Brilowski, who in 2004 purchased the 150-yearold residence at 7124 Main Street “with the intention of making a lot of changes,” said that she wasn’t sure whether her home was included in the rezoned area, but has a number of long-term plans, including bumping out a wall in the kitchen and adding a porch. With market conditions the way they are, and with the added penalty of being a non-conforming use, Brilowski said, selling is likely not an option. “I honestly don’t think I could get fair market value,” she said.
Bryce Wasiloski said that although he has a “pretty decent” understanding of what the downtown redevelopment plan is, “it looks a little diff erent when you’ve been rezoned.” He said, “It’s a very uncertain feeling; it’s like you’re living on borrowed time.”Resident Lenae Marshall, who resides outside the rezoned area, referred to what she called the city’s desire to make Centerville a destination town as “a want, and not a need.” She said, “It is unethical to take what is not theirs and redistribute it to another … it is not the mayor’s role to elevate the collective good.”
City Attorney Kurt Glaser advised, “We cannot take people’s property for redevelopment [purposes]—we can’t. It’s not legal.”
But Olaf Lee asked, “Isn’t indefi nitely holding our property hostage, ‘condemnation’? Where we have to maintain it, with no future? Otherwise, you don’t buy a fixer-upper. Why bother?”
Mayor Mary Capra, who last month said that allowing nonconforming uses to expand would cost city residents money in the long run, reminded attendees that the downtown redevelopment plan was “reviewed by the entire community.”
Deb Barnes
The Citizen
3/17/2010
Link Here
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Development Not Likely Anytime Soon
We are concerned over the proposed current Comprehensive Plan situation facing residents of Centerville. When we moved into the City of Centerville seven years ago there was no talk of zoning changes or development issues. Over the next few years we attended several meetings to discuss a Comprehensive Plan for Centerville. Many residents raised valid concerns over the plan.
In the end, the council did decide that the 2006 plan was in the best interest of the city. The 2006 Comprehensive Plan has not accomplished its proposed intent and is nowhere close to being implemented. Under the 2006 plan the ability of current residents to improve their properties is severely restricted. The City Council is placing an unfair and undue hardship on many of the residents. Over the past years we have been told that this Comprehensive Plan is looking towards the future.
We firmly believe that this future development is not likely any time soon. If the city council is to continue with these restrictions it needs to prove that the current comprehensive plan, which was very unpopular with many, is viable. Given the current economic conditions it does not appear to be so. We agree with Council Member Broussard Vickers who is quoted as saying “I think this is a big deal, and it’s having a significant impact on people who live in downtown.” We also agree with the City Attorney, who is quoted as saying “The best thing to do is to listen to the public as to what they want.” We do not want a City Council and Zoning Board that severely limit our ability to improve our property without a good reason. We agree with Council Member Broussard Vickers, “It could be ten years before we see the downtown develop.”
Mark & Wendy Brilowski
Letter to the Editor
The Citizen
03/03/2010
In the end, the council did decide that the 2006 plan was in the best interest of the city. The 2006 Comprehensive Plan has not accomplished its proposed intent and is nowhere close to being implemented. Under the 2006 plan the ability of current residents to improve their properties is severely restricted. The City Council is placing an unfair and undue hardship on many of the residents. Over the past years we have been told that this Comprehensive Plan is looking towards the future.
We firmly believe that this future development is not likely any time soon. If the city council is to continue with these restrictions it needs to prove that the current comprehensive plan, which was very unpopular with many, is viable. Given the current economic conditions it does not appear to be so. We agree with Council Member Broussard Vickers who is quoted as saying “I think this is a big deal, and it’s having a significant impact on people who live in downtown.” We also agree with the City Attorney, who is quoted as saying “The best thing to do is to listen to the public as to what they want.” We do not want a City Council and Zoning Board that severely limit our ability to improve our property without a good reason. We agree with Council Member Broussard Vickers, “It could be ten years before we see the downtown develop.”
Mark & Wendy Brilowski
Letter to the Editor
The Citizen
03/03/2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Who Has The Right to Decide What One Can Do With Their Private Property?
CENTERVILLE’S DEBT
2004 $5,710,0002009 $ 11,272,000
A 97% INCREASE IN FIVE YEARS!
What do we have to show for it?
As the current Mayor & Council continue to push forward a downtown redevelopment vision, they have delegated the Planning & Zoning Board to have a Public Hearing in regards to recently rezoned “nonconforming” downtown resident’s property. Even though the City can no longer legally eminent domain private property (exception being roads, bridges, parking lots and trails ) they are currently holding hostage many residents in the downtown area. The nonconforming designation stops the citizens from making improvements to their property which might increase its value as these homes wait to be purchased by a developer. Although The Beard Group has backed out of the Downtown Redevelopment citing the poor economy and there are STILL NO OFFERS on the table to purchase these properties our four members of Council and the Mayor continue to hold these fellow Citizens at their mercy.
In their glorious wisdom, they have voted to punt the nonconforming issue to the Planning and Zoning Board for a decision. Could it be that the Mayor and Council believe this board is more qualified to make that decision or is it a duck and cover move?
This push is exploding our debt, property taxes and we ALL are paying the price!
The Planning & Zoning meetings are no longer televised. Ironically, in the interest of "saving money" the Council voted to discontinue this important public service last year.
UPDATE 03/03/2010
The entire Council (excluding Jeff Paar) sat in on the Public Hearing/Input Meeting last night. City Attorney Kurt Glaser and City Administrator Dallas Larson were also in attendance. More information to follow soon.
Here We Go Again!
Downtown bike trail to feature two new parks
Two new city parks are planned for summer construction that will coincide with completion of a downtown bike trail along Main Street. The parks were officially named “Cornerstone” and “Trailside” at a Feb. 10 City Council meeting. The names were recommended by the city’s parks and recreation committee.
Centerville collects a park dedication fee from every new development within the city. Although the funding has run dry, City Administrator Dallas Larson said the parks are moving forward thanks to federal funding dollars totaling around $800,000. That money will help pay for both the bike trail and the parks, which Larson described as trail “rest stops.” The city is committing around $400,000 for the project, money that had to be borrowed against future development dedication fees, Larson said.
“Those fees will be reimbursed when development moves forward again,” he noted.
Cornerstone Park will sit just west of St. Genevieve Church in downtown Centerville. It will be anchored by a water feature containing a monument that will likely read “May peace prevail on earth” in various languages, according to city engineers. Plans aren’t cemented, but the words could appear in English, French, German and Lakota.
Nicholas Backus
Quad Editor
LINK FULL STORY HERE
Two new city parks are planned for summer construction that will coincide with completion of a downtown bike trail along Main Street. The parks were officially named “Cornerstone” and “Trailside” at a Feb. 10 City Council meeting. The names were recommended by the city’s parks and recreation committee.
Centerville collects a park dedication fee from every new development within the city. Although the funding has run dry, City Administrator Dallas Larson said the parks are moving forward thanks to federal funding dollars totaling around $800,000. That money will help pay for both the bike trail and the parks, which Larson described as trail “rest stops.” The city is committing around $400,000 for the project, money that had to be borrowed against future development dedication fees, Larson said.
“Those fees will be reimbursed when development moves forward again,” he noted.
Cornerstone Park will sit just west of St. Genevieve Church in downtown Centerville. It will be anchored by a water feature containing a monument that will likely read “May peace prevail on earth” in various languages, according to city engineers. Plans aren’t cemented, but the words could appear in English, French, German and Lakota.
Nicholas Backus
Quad Editor
LINK FULL STORY HERE
Friday, February 19, 2010
Does the Mayor's "Vision" Trump Reality?
Building Activity Continues to Stagnate Through 2009
According to recently released figures, new building activity in Centerville, Hugo and Lino Lakes continued to stagnate through 2009, continuing a trend that has been evident since building activity dramatically declined in all three cities from 2005 to 2006.
In Centerville three permits for new residential units were issued last year, a three fold increase from the single permit issued in 2008. However, no permits for commercial or industrial uses were pulled in 2009.
The Citizen 2/17/2010
Aaron Ruper
No Available Link
Read the City News Section for Full Story.
Three years ago, Mayor Mary Capra envisioned “the biggest change to the community in the past 150 years”
Link Full Story Here
Was she correct?
According to recently released figures, new building activity in Centerville, Hugo and Lino Lakes continued to stagnate through 2009, continuing a trend that has been evident since building activity dramatically declined in all three cities from 2005 to 2006.
In Centerville three permits for new residential units were issued last year, a three fold increase from the single permit issued in 2008. However, no permits for commercial or industrial uses were pulled in 2009.
The Citizen 2/17/2010
Aaron Ruper
No Available Link
Read the City News Section for Full Story.
Three years ago, Mayor Mary Capra envisioned “the biggest change to the community in the past 150 years”
Link Full Story Here
Was she correct?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Should Centerville Spend $800,000 On a Vision? D. Love Thinks Maybe Not!
City turns attention to storm water drainage.
With spring thaw months away, the City Council mulled over a project designed to disperse storm water at the Feb. 10 regular meeting and work session.
The time to get moving on the project is now, City Engineer Mark Statz said.
A new pond south of Laurie LaMotte Park would receive water from the east and from the new downtown development, according to Statz. Water that would normally drain into Centerville Lake would drain into the new pond, helping the city meet Rice Creek Watershed District requirements for runoff water volume control. The water that runs into the new pond would provide irrigation for ball fields at Laurie LaMotte Park.
The system, which Statz called “very green”, has already received approximately $300,000 in grant funding and is expected to cost approximately $1.1 million. He asked council members whether they were ready to commit the remaining $800,000 to move the project forward.
Mayor Mary Capra and City Administrator Dallas Larson were worried that delays may cause the city to lose the grant funding. “We have a nucleus for a good project; let’s see if agencies will let us downsize,” Larson said. “This gives basis for something that would be good for downtown – it would be a shame to throw away those dollars.”
Full Story Here
02/10/2010
Council discussed the status of the new trail project. Glaser said that two property acquisitions remain unresolved with the city expected to achieve acquisition by March 1.
Statz said that plans and specifications are ready, the bidding process will soon start and that construction will start in 2010. Statz said that grant monies of $791,280 might be available to the city in 2010, rather than 2012. Capra recommended that Statz attend a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting to receive requests and suggestions. Larson said that city staff would prepare a budget and other items for council to start taking official action at an upcoming meeting. The project is estimated to cost $1.2 million.
Unresolved property acquisitions mean pending litigation and hourly fees paid to the City Attorney No mention of Centerville's obligation for the trail grant. See above Pond Grant.
Exit question, what will Statz charge the City for sitting in on the Parks and Rec. meeting?
With spring thaw months away, the City Council mulled over a project designed to disperse storm water at the Feb. 10 regular meeting and work session.
The time to get moving on the project is now, City Engineer Mark Statz said.
A new pond south of Laurie LaMotte Park would receive water from the east and from the new downtown development, according to Statz. Water that would normally drain into Centerville Lake would drain into the new pond, helping the city meet Rice Creek Watershed District requirements for runoff water volume control. The water that runs into the new pond would provide irrigation for ball fields at Laurie LaMotte Park.
The system, which Statz called “very green”, has already received approximately $300,000 in grant funding and is expected to cost approximately $1.1 million. He asked council members whether they were ready to commit the remaining $800,000 to move the project forward.
Mayor Mary Capra and City Administrator Dallas Larson were worried that delays may cause the city to lose the grant funding. “We have a nucleus for a good project; let’s see if agencies will let us downsize,” Larson said. “This gives basis for something that would be good for downtown – it would be a shame to throw away those dollars.”
Full Story Here
02/10/2010
Council discussed the status of the new trail project. Glaser said that two property acquisitions remain unresolved with the city expected to achieve acquisition by March 1.
Statz said that plans and specifications are ready, the bidding process will soon start and that construction will start in 2010. Statz said that grant monies of $791,280 might be available to the city in 2010, rather than 2012. Capra recommended that Statz attend a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting to receive requests and suggestions. Larson said that city staff would prepare a budget and other items for council to start taking official action at an upcoming meeting. The project is estimated to cost $1.2 million.
Unresolved property acquisitions mean pending litigation and hourly fees paid to the City Attorney No mention of Centerville's obligation for the trail grant. See above Pond Grant.
Exit question, what will Statz charge the City for sitting in on the Parks and Rec. meeting?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Three Years Later: Centerville Rezoning Still Causing Ripples
Thank you Deb Barnes, for bringing this to the attention of the Citizens!
Three years ago, Mayor Mary Capra envisioned “the biggest change to the community in the past 150 years” as the city adopted its Master Plan and Development Guidelines for the city’s Downtown Redevelopment Plan.
City officials worked closely with Anoka County on the reconstruction of Main Street. And then the economy went belly up. When the recession comes to an end, Centerville leaders are hopeful that their planning may yet bear fruit in the realization of the city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which established a goal of “sustaining a population above 5,000.”
But in the meantime?
When the recession comes to an end, Centerville leaders are hopeful that their planning may yet bear fruit in the realization of the city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which established a goal of “sustaining a population above 5,000.” But in the meantime? Most of the grant money has had to be returned, unspent. Bond payments for the Main Street improvements will be paid out of the tax levy for the foreseeable future instead of from TIF District proceeds. For the owners of the 40 or so nonconforming residences in that area, the plans they may have had to expand their homes to meet the needs of their growing families are now prohibited under zoning rules.
One family...
That dream came true in 2006. It wasn’t long, however, before they heard about the city’s plans to build townhouses where their home, originally built by the La-Motte family in 1953, now stands. “I just sat on the steps and cried,” Wasiloski, who received her first communion at St. Genevieve’s one block away, told The Citizen. “We want to put a full front porch on the front of our house, maybe a 3- season porch on the back,” she said. “We have blueprints that my dad drew up before he passed. A house is a house: [but] it takes a family and many years to create a home.” Her husband, Bryce, concurs. “This whole idea of tearing our property down and building something else makes no sense to us,” he said.
Another family...
Lewellen said he was surprised to find that the new design guidelines for his block, guided for multifamily units, limited him to a 100-square-foot deck. “I would have liked it to be bigger,” he said. Lewellen’s sales job may soon require him to put his home at 1721 Heritage Street on the market. He is concerned that the city’s zoning rules will make his property less attractive to buyers. That may be: the last “arms-length” sale—that is, a sale between two disinterested parties—of residential property to occur in the rezoned area occurred on July 20, 2007.
Another family...
Tom Neisius is disappointed that nothing is happening in his neighborhood: he was poised to sell his property to Beard Group with the intention of rebuilding in the area. If forced to stay in his 94- year-old home, Neisius said, he would like to reconstruct his garage and move it back away from the road.
Another family...
Richard (Dick) Kinning, 79, has lived at 7059 Progress Road for 53 years. Kinning saw the downtown project as an opportunity for him to continue to live in Centerville while downsizing to “something easier to care for.”
Another family...
Together, the Lees’ blended family numbered seven. The couple needed more elbow room, and they considered selling. In consulting a realtor, the news wasn’t good: the recommended sale price wouldn’t begin to pay off the mortgage, Margaret, now 40, said. “How am I supposed to sell my property, when [the city] is telling the community that this area is blighted?” she asked. The couple then hoped to add on a great room, where the family could all be together. But the city’s newly zoning code will no longer allow the Lees to expand the use of their home.
When cities adopt new zoning rules for an area, City Administrator Dallas Larson told The Citizen, it doesn’t make sense for the city to allow the nonconforming uses within that area to grow. New decks, swimming pools, tool sheds and fences are now allowed “to a limited degree,” Larson said. And maintenance of nonconforming structures can continue. “They can put on new siding, a new roof.” But there is a limit. “Specifically,” Larson said, “you can’t expand the nonconformity, so if you had a three bedroom home, you can’t add a fourth bedroom, you can’t add a story.”
“They’re cheating us out of time,” Margaret Lee said. “Where we want to spend our money, we can’t. Is it the role of government to control your standard of living?” But Mayor Mary Capra doesn’t see it that way. She said allowing nonconforming uses to expand would cost taxpayers money in the long run. “We also need to look out for the rest of the community, and that’s my role,” she said. “We’re not trying to push anybody out. I understand the hardship this causes.
Three years later, Beard Group has yet to complete a property purchase. The city, however, has acquired additional land adjacent to the old public works site west of Centerville Road. Capra reports that the city is “still progressing” with the project, and is now focused on building affordable housing. “We’re still looking for additional funding to make that happen,” she said.
Meanwhile, City Council Member Linda Broussard Vickers admits that she is thinking about the rezoning impacts on area residents. “There was a good plan or a vision,” she said. “[But] the vision was always bigger than I thought we could achieve in our town in a short time.”
Full story here
Three years ago, Mayor Mary Capra envisioned “the biggest change to the community in the past 150 years” as the city adopted its Master Plan and Development Guidelines for the city’s Downtown Redevelopment Plan.
City officials worked closely with Anoka County on the reconstruction of Main Street. And then the economy went belly up. When the recession comes to an end, Centerville leaders are hopeful that their planning may yet bear fruit in the realization of the city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which established a goal of “sustaining a population above 5,000.”
But in the meantime?
When the recession comes to an end, Centerville leaders are hopeful that their planning may yet bear fruit in the realization of the city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which established a goal of “sustaining a population above 5,000.” But in the meantime? Most of the grant money has had to be returned, unspent. Bond payments for the Main Street improvements will be paid out of the tax levy for the foreseeable future instead of from TIF District proceeds. For the owners of the 40 or so nonconforming residences in that area, the plans they may have had to expand their homes to meet the needs of their growing families are now prohibited under zoning rules.
One family...
That dream came true in 2006. It wasn’t long, however, before they heard about the city’s plans to build townhouses where their home, originally built by the La-Motte family in 1953, now stands. “I just sat on the steps and cried,” Wasiloski, who received her first communion at St. Genevieve’s one block away, told The Citizen. “We want to put a full front porch on the front of our house, maybe a 3- season porch on the back,” she said. “We have blueprints that my dad drew up before he passed. A house is a house: [but] it takes a family and many years to create a home.” Her husband, Bryce, concurs. “This whole idea of tearing our property down and building something else makes no sense to us,” he said.
Another family...
Lewellen said he was surprised to find that the new design guidelines for his block, guided for multifamily units, limited him to a 100-square-foot deck. “I would have liked it to be bigger,” he said. Lewellen’s sales job may soon require him to put his home at 1721 Heritage Street on the market. He is concerned that the city’s zoning rules will make his property less attractive to buyers. That may be: the last “arms-length” sale—that is, a sale between two disinterested parties—of residential property to occur in the rezoned area occurred on July 20, 2007.
Another family...
Tom Neisius is disappointed that nothing is happening in his neighborhood: he was poised to sell his property to Beard Group with the intention of rebuilding in the area. If forced to stay in his 94- year-old home, Neisius said, he would like to reconstruct his garage and move it back away from the road.
Another family...
Richard (Dick) Kinning, 79, has lived at 7059 Progress Road for 53 years. Kinning saw the downtown project as an opportunity for him to continue to live in Centerville while downsizing to “something easier to care for.”
Another family...
Together, the Lees’ blended family numbered seven. The couple needed more elbow room, and they considered selling. In consulting a realtor, the news wasn’t good: the recommended sale price wouldn’t begin to pay off the mortgage, Margaret, now 40, said. “How am I supposed to sell my property, when [the city] is telling the community that this area is blighted?” she asked. The couple then hoped to add on a great room, where the family could all be together. But the city’s newly zoning code will no longer allow the Lees to expand the use of their home.
When cities adopt new zoning rules for an area, City Administrator Dallas Larson told The Citizen, it doesn’t make sense for the city to allow the nonconforming uses within that area to grow. New decks, swimming pools, tool sheds and fences are now allowed “to a limited degree,” Larson said. And maintenance of nonconforming structures can continue. “They can put on new siding, a new roof.” But there is a limit. “Specifically,” Larson said, “you can’t expand the nonconformity, so if you had a three bedroom home, you can’t add a fourth bedroom, you can’t add a story.”
“They’re cheating us out of time,” Margaret Lee said. “Where we want to spend our money, we can’t. Is it the role of government to control your standard of living?” But Mayor Mary Capra doesn’t see it that way. She said allowing nonconforming uses to expand would cost taxpayers money in the long run. “We also need to look out for the rest of the community, and that’s my role,” she said. “We’re not trying to push anybody out. I understand the hardship this causes.
Three years later, Beard Group has yet to complete a property purchase. The city, however, has acquired additional land adjacent to the old public works site west of Centerville Road. Capra reports that the city is “still progressing” with the project, and is now focused on building affordable housing. “We’re still looking for additional funding to make that happen,” she said.
Meanwhile, City Council Member Linda Broussard Vickers admits that she is thinking about the rezoning impacts on area residents. “There was a good plan or a vision,” she said. “[But] the vision was always bigger than I thought we could achieve in our town in a short time.”
Full story here
Friday, January 1, 2010
Amended 2009 Budget Includes Cost Of State Audit
Council members also amended the city’s 2009 City Budget from $2,042,320 to $2,013,016.
The move formally addresses the loss in Market Value Homestead Credits this year as well as a $40,000 decrease in building activity from that anticipated when the budget was set a year ago. Financial Administration expenses were adjusted by $15,000 to include the charges levied by the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office for the petitioned city audit.
Funds remaining in three inactive debt service funds, closed by council approval later in the meeting, resulted in income to the general fund of $72,935. Overall, Finance Director Mike Jeziorski reported, a net loss of $35,242 for fiscal year 2009 was realized.
Deb Barnes
The Citizen Link Full Article Here
The move formally addresses the loss in Market Value Homestead Credits this year as well as a $40,000 decrease in building activity from that anticipated when the budget was set a year ago. Financial Administration expenses were adjusted by $15,000 to include the charges levied by the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office for the petitioned city audit.
Funds remaining in three inactive debt service funds, closed by council approval later in the meeting, resulted in income to the general fund of $72,935. Overall, Finance Director Mike Jeziorski reported, a net loss of $35,242 for fiscal year 2009 was realized.
Deb Barnes
The Citizen Link Full Article Here
Happy New Year!
New Fee Schedule Reflects Water Rate Changes
At its regular meeting of Dec. 9, the Centerville City Council approved an ordinance updating the city’s fee schedule for 2010.
Under the new fee schedule, water usage rates will vary depending on the amount used.
For residential users, to a quarterly fee of $21 will be added a charge per thousand gallons used. For up to a total of 90,000 gallons used, the rate per thousand is $2.00; for the increment of water used in excess of that amount up to 150,000 gallons, a rate per thousand of $2.20 will apply; and for the amount used in excess of 150,001 gallons, a charge of $2.50 per thousand will apply.
For commercial users, to a quarterly fee of $21 will be added a charge per thousand gallons of $2.00 for up to 500,000 gallons used. For more than 500,001 gallons, the rate per thousand gallons will be $2.50.
At its regular meeting of Dec. 9, the Centerville City Council approved an ordinance updating the city’s fee schedule for 2010.
Under the new fee schedule, water usage rates will vary depending on the amount used.
For residential users, to a quarterly fee of $21 will be added a charge per thousand gallons used. For up to a total of 90,000 gallons used, the rate per thousand is $2.00; for the increment of water used in excess of that amount up to 150,000 gallons, a rate per thousand of $2.20 will apply; and for the amount used in excess of 150,001 gallons, a charge of $2.50 per thousand will apply.
For commercial users, to a quarterly fee of $21 will be added a charge per thousand gallons of $2.00 for up to 500,000 gallons used. For more than 500,001 gallons, the rate per thousand gallons will be $2.50.
Centerville Property Tax Levy Up 9%
Despite cuts in the City of Centerville’s operating budget for 2010, many residents will see increases in their city taxes once the city’s bond payments are added in to the 2010 tax levy, City Finance Director Mike Jeziorski advised council members at their Dec. 9 meeting.
Like other cities, Centerville has had to cope with challenges posed by the current economy, not the least of which was a shortfall dealt by the State of Minnesota when it again withheld the city’s Market Value Homestead Credit (MVHC) of $66,231 in 2009; the city is projected to lose $68,783 in 2010, Jeziorski said.
In his memorandum, Jeziorski stated that to achieve a budget reduction, employee salaries were frozen, as were city contributions to employee insurance plans; “significant” cutbacks in Fête des Lacs funding were made; equipment purchases were deferred; and some interfund loans were restructured.
City officials chose not to levy for the loss of the city’s MVHC, although the 2009 legislature would have allowed that cost to be passed on to citizens in a “one-time” make-up levy.
As it is, the city’s tax rate—a formula for allocating the share of the city’s tax levy to each parcel—will is influenced by not only the amount being levied,” Jeziorski explained, “but by the [city’s] tax capacity.
“Because valuations decreased, the tax rate is higher to just generate the same revenue,” he said, adding that an additional bump to the tax rate comes as a result of the increase in the levy.
What will be the effect of the tax levy on residential properties in Centerville?
Jeziorski provided several examples: a home with an assessed value in 2009 of $208,500 would likely see a reduction in value to $183,500 in 2010, he said; its city taxes would increase from $964.34 in 2009 to $997.33 in 2010, an increase of 3.42%.
A home valued at $366,500 in 2009 would likely see a decrease in its assessed value to $342,600 in 2010; city taxes would increase from $1,695.11 to $1,862.04, an increase of 9.85%.
But not everybody will see a decrease in property value, Jeziorski cautioned. “Lake[front] property values went up,” he said. “They’re holding their value very well.”
Resident Eric Marshall took the opportunity to address council members during the public hearing. Marshall said that taxes on his lake shore property on La Valle Drive increased from $4,200 in 2007 to $5,600 in 2009.
“I wondered why [taxes are] increasing when my business revenue is decreasing,” he said. “It’s driving me out of here.”
Larson stressed that Marshall’s taxes include taxes levied by the county, the school district, and other taxation authorities as well as the city, adding that an increase in the school levy in 2005-06 “bit everybody.”
Deb Barnes
The Citizen Link Full Story Here
Like other cities, Centerville has had to cope with challenges posed by the current economy, not the least of which was a shortfall dealt by the State of Minnesota when it again withheld the city’s Market Value Homestead Credit (MVHC) of $66,231 in 2009; the city is projected to lose $68,783 in 2010, Jeziorski said.
In his memorandum, Jeziorski stated that to achieve a budget reduction, employee salaries were frozen, as were city contributions to employee insurance plans; “significant” cutbacks in Fête des Lacs funding were made; equipment purchases were deferred; and some interfund loans were restructured.
City officials chose not to levy for the loss of the city’s MVHC, although the 2009 legislature would have allowed that cost to be passed on to citizens in a “one-time” make-up levy.
As it is, the city’s tax rate—a formula for allocating the share of the city’s tax levy to each parcel—will is influenced by not only the amount being levied,” Jeziorski explained, “but by the [city’s] tax capacity.
“Because valuations decreased, the tax rate is higher to just generate the same revenue,” he said, adding that an additional bump to the tax rate comes as a result of the increase in the levy.
What will be the effect of the tax levy on residential properties in Centerville?
Jeziorski provided several examples: a home with an assessed value in 2009 of $208,500 would likely see a reduction in value to $183,500 in 2010, he said; its city taxes would increase from $964.34 in 2009 to $997.33 in 2010, an increase of 3.42%.
A home valued at $366,500 in 2009 would likely see a decrease in its assessed value to $342,600 in 2010; city taxes would increase from $1,695.11 to $1,862.04, an increase of 9.85%.
But not everybody will see a decrease in property value, Jeziorski cautioned. “Lake[front] property values went up,” he said. “They’re holding their value very well.”
Resident Eric Marshall took the opportunity to address council members during the public hearing. Marshall said that taxes on his lake shore property on La Valle Drive increased from $4,200 in 2007 to $5,600 in 2009.
“I wondered why [taxes are] increasing when my business revenue is decreasing,” he said. “It’s driving me out of here.”
Larson stressed that Marshall’s taxes include taxes levied by the county, the school district, and other taxation authorities as well as the city, adding that an increase in the school levy in 2005-06 “bit everybody.”
Deb Barnes
The Citizen Link Full Story Here
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