Agenda - Council - 09/24/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Jerry Walz, 18030 Krypton Street, asked if the removal of the gravel and tar was included in the cost of the project. He noted that material was provided to another area where fill was desired. City Engineer Westby stated that the City has a contract for the removal of that material that specified an amount for that service and wherever the contractor takes that material is up to the contractor. Mr. Walz stated that he also now has an issue with water in his front yard. City Engineer Westby stated that the City is still working with the contractor to resolve that issue. He stated that staff can follow-up to ensure that his concerns are addressed. Mr. Walz stated that the increased amount of the assessment is hard for the residents in that area to swallow. He noted that he is retired, as are three or four others in the project area and the difference of almost $3,000 for the assessment is huge. Mayor LeTourneau appreciated the input and noted that there will be continued discussion. He stated that it is clear what the assessment policy is and the importance of consistency, noting that this was an unusual situation that arose with the costs that came in that were out of the control of the City. He noted that the current assessment proposed of $6,600 falls within the City policy. Motion by Councilmember Riley, seconded by Councilmember Musgrove, to Adopt Resolution #19-217 Ordering Preparation of Assessment Roll, increasing the estimated assessment equal to the percentage of increase in the overall project cost (approximately $5,174) and Calling for Assessment Hearing for Improvement Project #19-01, Ford Brook Estates Street Reconstructions. Further discussion: Councilmember Menth asked for additional information on what is proposed by Councilmember Riley. City Engineer Westby believed that the proposed assessment would be 25 percent of the eligible project cost, based on the difference between the engineer's estimate and amount bid, which was an increase of 32 percent. Councilmember Menth asked if the assessment would then be based on the engineer's estimate rather than the actual cost. City Engineer Westby stated that the assessment would be based on the difference between the engineer's estimate and low bid received whereas the larger amount of $6,600 would be based on actual project costs. Councilmember Kuzma stated that while he understands where Councilmember Riley is coming from, the policy for assessment is 25 percent of the cost and therefore to be consistent the assessment should remain at 25 percent. Mayor LeTourneau asked if there have been any instances in the past five years where the assessment have been this high. City Engineer Westby commented that the bidding environment drove up the cost of the project and noted that there have not been any assessments of this level. Mayor LeTourneau stated that if the bidding project for the Andre project would have been similar to this environment, those assessments would have perhaps reached $9,000. Councilmember Heinrich asked for clarification on whether there have been other exceptions made to the amount assessed when the initial assessment and proposed assessment have such a large change. City Administrator Ulrich noted that this is the first time the City has faced this situation. He noted that staff could possibly reach out to other cities to determine how they handled similar situations. He explained that City Council / September 10, 2019 Page 13 of 16