Memorandum 13-022 Homer Natural Gas Special Assessment District Objection Status

Office of the City Clerk  491 E. Pioneer Avenue
  Homer, Alaska 99603
  (907) 235-3130
Jo Johnson, CMC, City Clerk (907) 235-8121
Melissa Jacobsen, CMC, Deputy City Clerk II ext: 2224, 2226, 2227, or 2251
Renee Krause, CMC, Deputy City Clerk I  Fax: (907) 235-3143
Christine Szocinski, Clerical Assistant      Email: clerk@ci.homer.ak.us

M E M O R A N D U M 13-022

TO:   MAYOR WYTHE AND HOMER CITY COUNCIL

FROM:  CHRISTINE SZOCINSKI, CLERICAL ASSISTANT
THROUGH:     JO JOHNSON, CMC, CITY CLERK

DATE:   JANUARY 28, 2013

SUBJECT:  HOMER NATURAL GAS SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT OBJECTION STATUS 

After close of the objection period for the Homer Natural Gas Special Assessment District, the City Clerk’s Office has completed the final tally on the number of objections. There are a total of 540 valid objections. This represents 14% of the parcels within the 3,855 parcel district. For your information the objections have been broken down into the following categories and percentage of objection:

• Costs (to homeowner and/or to the city)- 44%
• Concerns of future gas supply- 16%
• Safety concerns (explosions)- 2%
• People on fixed incomes- 6%
• Rather see renewable energy instead (ie: solar, wind, or tidal)- 10%
• Would like the public to vote- 2%
• Doubts of it really coming to their area- 3%
• Condo owners- 4%

Memorandum 13-018 stated there were 388 objections. Upon careful review of those objections there were five parcels that were excluded from the count. This was due to objection forms that were incomplete.

In reviewing Kenai Peninsula Borough Tax Information it appears that 4 percent of people objecting to the SAD own property inside city limits but reside outside city limits and 10 percent live out of state.

The objection period closed on January 25th at 5:00 pm.

Recommendation: Informational only