Minot council amends sidewalk special assessments, removes 25% administration charge

The Minot City Council on Sept. 2 approved 2025 sidewalk curb and gutter special assessments as amended, voting to eliminate the city’s 25% administration charge from the assessment amount.

Alderman Holden Samuelson moved to amend the assessment motion to remove the 25% administration fee; the amendment passed and council then approved the assessments as amended. Council members and staff spent substantial time discussing why the administration charge exists, how inspections and permits are handled, contractor availability for small homeowner jobs and financing options for assessed owners.

Why it matters: The change reduces the upfront special assessment amount that affected homeowners will be charged for city‑administered sidewalk replacements. Council and staff also addressed whether the city should bond the work, use reserves, or leave the current special assessment financing structure in place; staff said issuance and equity considerations drive that choice and that the 25% cap comes from state law as implemented by the city.

Key points from the discussion - Administration fee: Staff said the 25% administration fee is the maximum the city has charged under state law and is intended to recover city engineering, inspection, certified mail and finance work when the city arranges and performs repairs for noncompliant property owners. - Permit and inspection process: Staff said sidewalk permits for homeowner‑directed work have an $80 inspection fee, and that contractors or homeowners may schedule inspections in advance via the online permitting system or by phone. Staff said they typically can accommodate inspections on short notice if notified. - Contractor availability and small‑job economics: Council members and residents said local contractors often prioritize larger commercial work and that small residential sidewalk repairs can be expensive or harder to schedule late in the season. - Financing and bonding: Finance staff said the city is not required to issue bonds for these special assessments; bonding or funding from reserves carries tradeoffs (issuance costs, equity across assessments and interest pass‑through). For a relatively small special assessment program (about $75,000 in the example discussed), issuance costs may be relatively large per assessment. - Average figures cited in debate: one council member quoted an average administrative charge of about $578 and an average total assessment of about $2,900 per property; staff characterized these as illustrative, not universal.

Formal action (as discussed at the meeting) - Amendment: Motion to eliminate the 25% administration fee from the sidewalk special assessments; moved by Alderman Holden Samuelson; second by Alderman Fuller (as recorded in the meeting). The amendment carried and was adopted by the council. - Final approval: Council approved the 2025 sidewalk curb and gutter special assessments as amended (administration costs removed).

Clarifying details and staff notes - Licensing and enforcement: Staff explained that contractors working in the public right‑of‑way must be licensed, bonded and insured with the city; licensing helps the city hold contractors accountable and protect property owners. Staff also said the city uses a complaint‑driven program with walkovers of a block when complaints are received, and typically gives property owners several months to obtain a contractor before the city proceeds with work. - Inspections: For standard replacement permits, the inspection/permit fee is $80; staff said they do not stand and watch every pour but inspect forms, cross‑slope and depth and typically return the next day to check tooling or saw joints. - Financing options: Finance staff outlined tradeoffs between using reserves, issuing bonds, or otherwise financing the work; small projects can carry a comparatively large issuance cost if the city issues debt for a relatively small total assessment amount.

Speakers (first reference shown as in the meeting): - Alderman Holden Samuelson, Alderman (moved amendment to remove administration fee) - Alderman Fuller, Alderman (seconded amendment) - Lance Meyer, City Engineer (explained permit, inspection and engineering role) - Dave (Finance Director, first name used in meeting), Finance Director (explained bonding and financing tradeoffs) - Alderman Hayes, Alderman (asked about permit fees and inspection coverage)

Provenance (selected spans): - Topic intro: exchange beginning when council pulled item 5.7 for discussion of sidewalk special assessments (transcript block beginning ~1934 seconds). - Topic finish: vote sequence showing amendment and final motion (transcript block covering votes at ~3247–3285 seconds).

Ending: Council adopted the assessments without the 25% administration fee and directed staff to proceed under the revised terms; financing and scheduling questions remain for affected property owners and staff said they will continue to work with residents who request more time or assistance.