03-18-99 PHCITY OF OTSEGO PUBLIC HEARING ON STREET OVERLAY
IMPROVEMENTS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1999 - 'TPM
- MINUTES -
File: 99CCHEAR.WPS
1. Mayor Larry Fournier will call the meeting to order.
Mayor Fournier called the meeting to order at 7:09PM.
A. Welcome. Introduction and Roll Call:
Council: Mayor Larry Fournier, Council Members, Vern Heidner, Virginia
Wendel and Suzanne Ackerman. Council Member Mark Ben -ting was absent.( hospital)
Staff: Mike Robertson, City Administrator, Elaine Beatty, City Clerk/Zoning
Administrator, Larry Koshak, City Engineer and Ron Wagner, Assistant City Engineer.
Mayor Fournier told the public the area of the project and gave introductions. He
also informed the public how the meeting would be run.
2. Mike Robertson City Administrator will give presentation.
Mike Robertson explained that this process is required under state law. The
purpose of the hearing is to obtain input from the public. There will be no decisions on
assessments tonight. That will be another assessment hearing. The assessment is only a
portion of the cost and 429 is the State Statute this process is governed by. The
assessments are only estimates. We are looking at testimony as to if this project should go
ahead or not. The Notice of Assessment will be the official notification of the amount of
the assessment.
B. Open Public Hearing.
Mayor Fournier opened the public hearing.
3 Meeting will be turned over to the City Engineers Larry Koshak and Ron Wagner
who will make a presentation of the improvement project information.
Mayor Fournier turned the meeting over to Larry Koshak, City Engineer. The area
of the project was reviewed by Mr. Koshak. The Engineering Staff prepared a Roadway
Management Plan, which inventoried all the streets in the City and the streets were graded.
Each street reviewed with a set criteria. The project identified streets under the most stress.
Halls Additions is in very poor shape and just an overlay wouldn't work. Sewer and water
and new street construction is probably not an option for quite some time in this area. The
streets need repair in the meantime. The solution proposed is that the property owners
would pay for 2" of asphalt and the City will fund the rest of the costs with a bond for 20
years. If the City just patches and crackfills the streets, the estimated cost is $250,000
over a 5 -year period. We might as well use that money to pay bonds. It is a two year
project to improve all the streets in the City that have 2" or less bituminous and are in bad
condition. $1,290.97 is the estimated assessment for each homeowner. The rest of the
cost will be picked up by the City.
Ron Wagner, Assistant City Engineer reviewed the additions and showed what
work is intended to be done in each area other than the overlay.
#1. Halls Addition: Full pavement reclamation and chew up the asphalt. Make a
uniform surface by lying it back down and adding +2" of overlay. Restoration of
disturbed areas.
CITY OF OTSEGO PUBLIC HEARING ON STREET OVERLAY
IMPROVEMENTS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1999 - 7PM MINUTES - PAGE 2 -
#2. Deerfield Acres/Hidden Valley: Pavement is decent and we can patch it and
then overlay 2" and topsoil and seed.
#3. Walesch Estates and 2ND Addition: A pavement reclamation and widen the
roadway to a uniform width and overlay 2".
#4. Vasseur's Oak Grove 1 ST, 2ND ,3RD and 4TH Additions: Patching the
road which is narrow. Widen shoulder to 22' and then add a 2" overlay (Pavement is 18 to
20" now).
Larry Koshak - The project is proposed to be completed this year (1999). Most of
the construction will occur fast. Patching/tacking followed by a 2" lift of bituminous and
later any soils disturbed will be restored and seeded.
4 Any questions for Mayor. Council or Staff
Mayor Fournier - If we were not picking up a portion of the project, what would be
the cost to the residents?
Mike Robertson - The estimated cost the City picks up is 60% with 40% to be
assessed. $3,225.00 is the estimated amount of the assessment without the City's portion.
Mayor Fournier - If we do nothing and continue driving on the roads, what
happens? Larry Koshak explained that the roads may become almost impassable in some
areas. You may loose some streets entirely and the cost would be more to rebuild them.
Vern Heidner - The roads would require $250,000 of repairs over the next 5 -years
just to keep them open. Our intent is to use money along with other funds to improve the
roads. When the roads are finished, we believe they will last 20 years. The Council does
not believe that sewer and water will be in these areas in the next 10 years.
5. Question and answer period from the property owners.
HEARING WAS OPENED TO THE PUBLIC by Mayor Fournier.
Scott Reinhardt, 14125 89TH ST - He lives on 89th and Odean and how many of these
streets are feeder streets going to Odean? Part of the Federal funding on Odean pays for a
portion of these roads. Why not wait until Odean is done?
Larry Koshak answered we wouldn't overlay into Odean. We will not go over the
same area twice. Mike Robertson noted that we got 1.2 million dollars from the Federal
government for the Odean Improvement and because of that, we don't have total control
of the timing of the Odean project.
Doug Korus, 14556 - 78TH ST NE - You said Deerfield acres is not that bad. I have a
paved driveway. How can you tie a 2" drop to the end of the driveway? There would be
a big water puddle. In '99 and 2000 is everyone charged the same for this improvement?
Answer: Yes, everybody gets the same assessment. It is the City's decision to do
the projects two separate years. Larry Koshak explained that there would be overlays into
the driveways and it would be feathered out. We can work out the details with the
homeowners.
Mr. Korus - Brought up the disparity in the Deerfield project area and discussed Walesch
Estates.
Mr. Heidner - We are trying to get 3-1/2" to 4" of asphalt on these roads. Three Council
Members live on these roads in these projects and will also be paying these assessments.
CITY OF OTSEGO PUBLIC HEARING ON STREET OVERLAY
INIPROVEMENTS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1999 - 7PM MINUTES - PAGE 3 -
Gary Riggs, 14320 78TH ST - I work road construction in the summer and you
pay for bituminous by the ton. Since there will be no more residents in these areas, what is
the point of widening the road?
Answer: Walesch Estates roads are not being widened, just borrow being added to
widen the edges explained Larry Koshak. Vasseur's 1st and 2nd will be widened. A
standard 22' road is what we are trying to accomplish for every residential neighborhood.
Mailbox turnouts will be installed where we can.
Chris Adams, 7824 Odell - Discussion of amount of $188.00 yearly payments per
resident. He thought roads could be left undone until sewer comes.
Mr. Heidner - Sewer will be expensive and will only be put in if neighborhood's
petition for it and he doubts they would want it due to the cost.
Pat Meyer - 7764 Odell Avenue - Maintenance issue, how much of my tax dollar is going
for maintenance now? I don't feel this should be assessed. What are they assessed on
gravel roads?
Mr. Koshak - The gravel roads are not assessed, it is a maintenance item.
Maintenance is sealcoat, cracksealing, gravel, etc. Overlay is a road improvement. More
discussion of assessment and maintenance money.
Mike Robertson - One funding source to pay bonds is the savings on street
maintenance on the newly improved streets. Thirty percent of City's spending is for street
maintenance.
Pat - As a taxpayer in Otsego, I already pay. Why are the tax dollars as high as they are? I
don't feel another $1, 200 to $1, 400 is fair.
Mr. Robertson explained this is an improvement project, not a maintenance project.
He also noted that about 25% of your taxes goes to the City. The rest goes to the School
District and the County.
Kathleen Woodford 14106 - 82ND ST NE - Walesch Estates - Do Odean first and
then come back. We don't really need it at this point. What happens with the lawn mower
w/2" difference from pavement to lawn?
Mr. Koshak - We are adding topsoil and seeding to make up the difference.
Mr. Thomas - Deerfield Acres (talked earlier) - 2" of bituminous is preventative
maintenance. I don't feel we should have it either.
Eileen Gerads - NE 85TH ST - (She was not part of this project and did not receive a
notice). Asked if the City can be more strict on septic pumping? I am concerned with the
water quality. Wanted us to remind people in the newsletter.
Chris Adams - (talked earlier) - What's the likelihood of the value going up and taxes
increasing?
Mr. Robertson - The possibility is zero as values are based on sales of comparable
value homes. Values do not go up because of street improvements, they go up because
similar homes to your's sell for higher prices.
Gary talked earlier) - It's a matter of 20 years you want these streets to last. You can
justify a 2" overlay is an improvement?
CITY OF OTSEGO PUBLIC HEARING ON STREET OVERLAY
IMPROVEMENTS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1999 - 7PM MINUTES - PAGE 4 -
Mr. Koshak - Yes, it adds strength.
Mr. Heidner noted that some of these roads are 5 to 7 ton roads. We are trying to
get the others increased. A 9 ton road is the City standard. The asphalt is 1 to 1-1/2" and
deteriorating. It cannot always be maintained by sealcoating or crackfiliing.
Dana Anderson, 8720 Ohland Avenue NE - Halls Add. - The road needs repair. It is
deteriorated. Something needs to be done. I am in favor of the water and sewer. The
septic and water does not last much over 20 years. I don't have a problem of justification
spreading the cost evenly as we live in a community.
Mr. Robertson - Referred to a letter received from Mr. Lawrence Leonard of
Halls 2nd Addition on Ohland and 87TH St. He requests a sealcoating rather than an
overlay.
Mayor Fournier - Some of you say this should be the City's cost. We are the City
and we are trying to do this as fairly as we can.
Mr. Heidner - If the City starts paying for 2" of asphalt in front of the house, the
gravel road people will want 2" of asphalt. That will cause everyone's tines to skyrocket if
the City does that.
Cheryl Pratt. 8274 Oakwood Ave. NE - When we pay our taxes, part goes for the streets,
why should we pay more? They are not doing anything to our street.
Mr. Robertson - Every year some road maintenance is done. Snowplowing is a
maintenance cost.
Cheryl asked how much more would she pay? Answer: 10 years with 7-1/2% interest,
$188.00 per year or $1,290.00 if paid in a lump sum without interest.
Hearing no further comments,
VIRGINIA WENDEL MOTIONED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. VERN
HEIDNER SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
6. Anv Other Business.
There was none.
7. Adjourn Meeting:
VERN HEIDNER MOTIONED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. SUZANNE
ACKERMAN SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY. MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:40PM.
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LARRY FOURNIER, MAYOR
AT ST:
INFCBEATTY,T CLER /ZbNING ADMINISTRATOR