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Council adopts amended assessment roll for Shorewood Drive improvements after resident concerns
Summary
After a presentation by city engineer John Pratt, the Detroit Lakes City Council adopted assessment rolls for the Shorewood Drive street and utility project but amended the roll to remove seven parallel‑frontage properties following resident questions about fairness and the city’s assessment policy.
The Detroit Lakes City Council on a unanimous voice vote approved the assessment roles for the Shorewood Drive Street and Utility Improvement Project after amending the roll to remove seven properties that raised fairness concerns.
City engineer John Pratt told the council the Shorewood Drive project includes full‑depth reclamation of the roadway, minor realignments, curb and gutter in erosion‑prone spots, pavement markings and a short extension (about 800 feet) of sewer and water mains to serve a potential subdivision. Bids opened in June produced a low‑bid project cost Pratt said was “about $2,250,000,” with roughly $2 million for street work and about $200,000 for sanitary sewer and water extensions. Funding sources include municipal state aid, general city funds, utility funds and special assessments to benefiting properties, Pratt said.
The council heard questions from residents and members about how the city calculates assessments for irregular and double‑frontage lots. Resident Dan Josephson identified himself and said he lives at a parcel with frontage on Bay Ridge Drive and Shorewood Drive and that the project confers little direct benefit to his property. Josephson told the council he found roughly 42 double‑frontage parcels in Detroit Lakes and questioned why some were assessed and others were not.
Pratt and staff explained the city’s assessment policy: standard street full‑depth reclamation is split as a typical 50% assessable/50% city share in principle, while new sewer and water mains are generally assessed 100% to benefiting lots; the city also absorbs costs for non‑developable footage (wetlands) when calculating rates. He provided example assessment rates and terms, and noted options such as prepayment of assessments and eligibility for a deferral program for qualifying owners (age, disability, military service and income criteria).
After discussion, Chairman Zeman moved to adopt the assessment rolls. Councilmember Matt moved to amend the motion to remove seven parallel‑frontage properties from the assessment roll; the amendment was seconded and passed. With that amendment, the council approved the resolution to adopt the Shorewood Drive assessment roles.
The council will proceed to final certification of the rolls as amended; staff said they expect construction to begin later this summer once the contractor finalizes a schedule.
