Commission hears plan for $4.6 million 3 Islands guardhouse and traffic-calming project funded by city-imposed special assessment

City staff recommended a city-imposed special assessment to pay for a planned 3 Islands guardhouse, roadway and traffic-calming project, telling the Commission on May 7 that the approach would avoid a voter referendum and allow construction to start this year.

Assistant Finance Director Sean Lee and outside counsel Christopher Rowe (Bridal Miller Olive) presented a funding strategy that sizes the project at roughly $4.6 million (about $4.0 million direct construction plus contingency, outreach, legal and advisory costs). Paul Lambert of Lambert Advisory said the recommendation would spread the cost across about 4,142 tax folios in the district and estimated a maximum per-parcel assessment of roughly $1,000 (about $200$260 per year over five years under staff calculations). Staff noted the assessment calculation can be adjusted if actual construction costs come in lower.

Rowe, the city's bond counsel, told commissioners that a city-imposed special assessment typically does not require a referendum and can be implemented quickly; that collection can be performed by putting the assessment on the…