Title
Requesting City Council approval of amendments to the 2024 adopted Special Assessment Policies.
Body
WHEREAS, representatives from the Office of Financial Services, the Department of Public Works, and the Office of City Attorney have been engaged in updating the Special Assessment Policies and Procedures for Public Improvement Projects ("Current Policies"), as adopted by the City Council on June 26, 2024 (RES 24-720), attached hereto as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the Current Policies provide guidance on the determination of special assessments for street reconstruction projects, mill and overlay projects, and other city infrastructure projects; and
WHEREAS, since the adoption of the Current Policies and the ratification of numerous public improvement projects in 2024 and 2025, city staff have identified provisions that if amended would improve clarity, understanding, and the calculation of assessments for property owners; in particular, amendments to definitions of Total Project Cost, Net Project Cost, City Cost, Assessable Cost, eligible projects, and exceptions for residential properties, as provided in the proposed Amended Policies, attached hereto as Exhibit B; and
WHEREAS, it is the City's continued desire to establish policies that are comprehensive, understandable, transparent and fair, so that solid guidance is provided to those who process the assessments and those who pay the assessments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby supports and adopts the proposed Amended Policies, as provided in Exhibit B attached hereto.