Laserfiche WebLink
Overview <br />Roughly half of Ramsey's 178 miles of roads were constructed between 1976 and 1985. With routine maintenance, the average <br />expected life of these roads is 40 years, which means that between now and 2025, the city expects an estimated $90 million or more <br />in road reconstruction to be necessary to repair or replace its aging streets. While approximately 20 percent of Ramsey's roadways <br />may qualify for state aid, at least 80 percent will be the responsibility of local taxpayers. Currently, the city does not have a street <br />reconstruction policy or a reliable funding source apart from costly individual property assessments. <br />Recently, the Ramsey City Council agreed to take a more proactive approach to street maintenance and directed staff to develop a <br />policy and funding approach to this long -term issue. Specifically, the city aims to establish a program that: <br />• Spreads the cost over time so individual property owners are not surprised by burdensome multi -year assessments <br />■ More fairly distributes the cost to all property owners who benefit from well- maintained roads <br />• Removes roadblocks to maintenance such as insufficient funds or property owner petitions against street repairs, which <br />delay projects and ultimately increase costs <br />• Better positions Ramsey for the future by ensuring high - quality streets that are safe and attract housing, commercial and <br />other economic growth <br />To measure and better understand public attitudes about these issues, the city conducted a public opinion survey of Ramsey <br />residents in June 2011. The results indicated that street maintenance is one of the most serious issues facing the city, according to <br />respondents. In addition, nearly three - quarters of respondents indicated support for developing a long -term policy for street <br />maintenance and reconstruction. <br />The survey, however, revealed a lack of majority support for a specific funding source and highlighted general concerns that exist <br />and should be addressed. They include: <br />• A challenging economic environment in which home and business owners will find it difficult to support higher taxes or fees <br />• Currently well- maintained roads that have not shown visible wear <br />■ Limited public awareness about the history and anticipated expense of maintaining the city's road system <br />• Public sensitivity to any increase in taxes or fees — as well as increased government spending <br />2 <br />Revised — Nov. 10, 2011 <br />