MEMORANDUM 03-65

 

To:                   Walt Wrede, City Manager

From:               Carey Meyer, Public Works Director

Date:                April 23, 2003

Subject:           Water and Sewer Assessment Methodology

                        Final Recommendations

 


 

 

 


After looking at the four different LID assessment methodologies on six different LID’s and public presentations to and discussions by the City Council; Public Works has developed the attached rules for establishing assessments for future water and sewer LID’s.   City Council concerns, comments and remarks were incorporated into the proposed rules.  Public Works supports using an area method (modified to take into account areas not benefited by the improvements).   This methodology applies the cost of the project to all benefited property owners in the fairest manner.

 

 

Recommendation:  The City adopt the attached water and sewer LID assessment methodology. 

 

Proposed

Water and Sewer LID Assessment Regulations

City of Homer

 

 

I.  Assessment Area Calculations

 

Each parcel within a water or sewer Local Improvement District shall be assessed its pro rata share of the assessable project costs of the Improvement District. A parcel's pro rata share of the cost of a Local Water or Sewer Improvement shall be that fraction of the total assessed project cost determined by dividing the benefited area of the parcel by the total benefited area for the improvement. Sewer and water assessments will be created based on the square footage of the property benefited; with the following reductions in square footage applied to individual lots within the LID boundary.

 

  1. On property larger than 4 acres (175,000 square feet) assessment areas shall be calculated based on the area of property that fronts the ROW containing the improvements to a lot depth as shown below:

 

Rural Residential   - 200’

Urban Residential  - 150’

Commercial             - 300’

All Other               - 200’

           

The assessment area calculated using this modification shall be reduced an additional

25% to account for future right-of-way dedications within the assessed area.

 

2.      That portion of the property that cannot be developed and will not benefit from the improvement shall not be included in the assessment area calculated for any lot.  Examples of land generally considered undevelopable include, property steeper than 33%, areas influenced by the tide, ravines and other extremely low areas, utility and access easements that significantly limit the lots buildability, conservation easements which eliminate the possibility for development, and high value wetlands.  The City Council will at the time an assessment district is formulated assume responsibility for the pro-rated share of the assessments attributed to areas containing conservation easements and high value wetlands.

 

The City Manager or their designee is responsible for recommending to the City Council what areas will be used in determining the assessment for properties within a Local water or sewer Improvement District.  The City Council will review the calculations prior to a petition being circulated and has final approval of the assessment methodology at the time the LID is formulated.