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October 24, 2016 City of Ramsey, MN Objection to Special Assessment Page 2 of 5 to or exceeding the amount of the special assessment. Especially with regard to street improvements, it can be difficult to demonstrate that there is an increase in market value as a result of the resurfacing or reconstruction, though not impossible, depending on the circumstances. The Reconstruction of Andrie Street and 164th Lane Northwest is Deferred Maintenance According to the feasibility study, the proposed pavement design of the new road should result in a pavement life of at least 60 years, assuming that proactive, regular pavement maintenance treatments are performed during the life of the pavement. These roads were originally constructed to city standards approximately 31 years ago (1985). The feasibility report cites an inadequate number of catch basins for storm water as the primary reason for deterioration. The standards were set by government, not the homeowners, at that time and the government needs to take responsibility for that. While that may or may not have contributed to isolated areas of failure, lack of proper maintenance of the road over its life is the primary reason it is in the current state of disrepair. The only planned maintenance on the road was seal coating in 1992 and 1999. The city proposed reconstruction in 2008 when the road was only 23 years old! Since that time, no significant maintenance of any kind including seal coating or overlayment has been done. There has only been minimum pothole filling and patching, which according to the feasibility study was done to maintain the streets in passable condition. That is 17 years without maintenance! The newly reconstructed road would never last 60 years with the same maintenance schedule that was performed on the existing road. Therefore, the reconstruction is now needed primarily because of lack of proper maintenance and constitutes deferred maintenance, which is not subject to special assessment according to the special assessments policy unless an overlayment was performed.