I’m Just Baffled at How This Stuff Works

"I am the best candidate with the most experience and have proven I can handle difficult issues and make tough decisions. I make all of my decisions based on all of the residents of the city, not just one special interest group. I have been elected twice because I keep my promises, I am honest, and the residents trust me. "

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In other action, the council:

Agreed to submit a grant application through the Safe Routes to Schools program in the hope that the old adage, “Third time’s a charm” will be true for this particular project. The application for funds to construct a tunnel crossing under CSAH 14 near Centerville Elementary School has been rejected twice previously, but city engineer Mark Statz said the city had been given a “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” from MnDOT that the application would likely succeed this time around. Council members expressed concern that if successful, the project would require the digging-up of a section of the newly relaid Main Street, but agreed that they would make a decision on whether to proceed if the funds were allocated to Centerville. “I’m just baffled at how this stuff works,” said Council Member Jeff Paar, commenting on the news that the application might be successful after the reconstruction of CSAH 14 had occurred.

The Citizen

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New Fee Structure Examined For Street Project

Water Portion Of Project May Not Be Charged To Homeowners

CENTERVILLE - City officials have announced they are examining a proposal to drop special assessments on the water portion of the 2009 street improvement project.

Instead, a connection fee would be charged to all homeowners as and when they choose to hook up to the municipal water.

In the meantime, the immediate cost of the improvements would be paid for out of the utilities enterprise fund, according to minutes of a Nov. 5 special session.

The possibility was discussed at the Nov. 12 city council meeting. “We had looked at the potential of pulling out of special assessments for the water part of the project,” explained Mayor Mary Capra. “One of the largest assessments in this project is the improvement of the city water.”

It was also announced that the Dec. 1 public hearing on the special assessments to homeowners affected by the project had been postponed to allow city council members more time to investigate options.

The special assessment hearing, at which homeowners will be permitted to challenge the exact amount of their assessments under the project if they wish, is now likely to be scheduled for the first week in January.

Discussion at the special council session convened on Nov. 5 had raised several issues, including the possibility of the connection charge rather than assessment on the water part of the project.

Other areas to be investigated include asking the Rice Creek Watershed District to relax its requirements on rain gardens (accounting for about $250,000 of the project cost), and extending the drop-dead date for water hook-up in the city.

Figures presented at the Nov. 12 meeting indicated that the cost of the city portion of the 2009 street improvement project was $2.8 million, which is an impact to all property owners across the city, amounting to approximately $152 for a home valued at $250,000 or $259 for a commercial property at the same rate.

Louise Edwards

The Citizen 11/26/2008