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Roseville council updates special-assessment deferral policy to add military service
Summary
The council adopted a resolution May 5 modernizing the city's special-assessment deferral policy to add active military service as a qualifying category and to clarify disability determinations and record-keeping.
The Roseville City Council on May 5 unanimously approved a resolution updating the city's special-assessment deferral policy, adding active military service as an eligible category and modernizing how the city determines disability and records deferred assessments.
Assistant Public Works Director and City Engineer Jennifer Lowery told the council the city reviewed a 1981 deferral resolution and state law, noting that "in 02/2008, the state did, add military service, active military service to their list of, possible qualifiers for deferral. So, wanted to bring kind of the policy as a whole back to the council just to ask if we want to add that item, and also, just some cleaning up of it and modernizing." Lowery said other changes propose deferring to established federal determinations or a physician affidavit for defining permanent and total disability rather than creating a city-administered test.
Lowery stressed that deferral delays payment; it does not cancel the assessment. "It just defers it and that deferment continues to accrue interest," she said, and staff noted deferred amounts are filed with the county and recorded on the property so the obligation remains attached to the parcel.
Council members asked clarifying questions about process and collection in cases of transfer, foreclosure or tax forfeiture. Lowery and other staff explained the city records the assessment with Ramsey County and the county tracks deferred status; when a property ceases to be homesteaded, the deferred amount becomes due and will be collected when payment triggers occur. Councilmember McGrath asked specifically whether the deferred amount is "held in trust" and staff answered that the assessment is filed with the county and recorded on the property.
Councilmember Graff moved to adopt the resolution in the packet (attachment 1) revising and amending the special-assessment deferral policy; Councilmember Strachan seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Council discussion stressed public notice and that the deferral route is voluntary and accrues interest; it is not a reduction of the obligation.
