Andover council adopts ordinance levying special assessments across six neighborhoods

The Andover City Council on March 31 adopted an ordinance levying special assessments for improvements in Meadowark 4th, Tuscanyany 5th, Prairie Creek 7th, Green Valley Greens 11th, Posties Patch, and Red Bud Trail, and authorized staff to mail final corrected notices with a May 4, 2026 noon deadline to pay in full.

The council took the step after a public hearing in which JT Klaus, the city attorney, described the purpose and legal requirements for the hearing and explained that the improvements were requested by property owners and developers. "The public hearing is not to decide whether or not we're going to have special assessments on these properties," Klaus said, adding that notices were mailed and published in advance and that a final exact computation will be mailed to each affected lot owner.

Klaus told the council the city financed the projects from city funds rather than issuing temporary notes, which reduced borrowing-related costs and therefore reduced the special-assessment amounts charged to property owners. He reviewed final project costs and sample per-lot assessments: the Green Valley Greens sewer line was listed at $37,682.32 and the water work at $33,149, for a total assessed amount shown as $61,287.68 for that lot type; the Red Bud Trail paving project carried a final cost of $337,827.78, with the single lot in that addition assessed $168,913.89; Prairie Creek's sewer project final cost was reported as $325,551 and noted as about $8,347 per lot over 20 years, and Posties Patch sewer work was listed at $40,851.75 (about $13,617.25 per lot). Klaus said property owners will receive corrected final notices after the ordinance is adopted and that owners may pay off the assessments by May 4 to avoid interest tied to debt issuance.

A councilmember moved to adopt the ordinance and to authorize staff to send final notices; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote (motion carried 6-0). The council also instructed staff that, following mailed corrections, it will likely call a public sale for 2026 general obligation bonds to permanently finance the spread assessments unless changes from recently introduced state legislation affect timing or cost.

What happens next: the city will mail corrected, itemized assessment notices and publish the ordinance. A public sale of GO bonds to permanently finance the improvements is expected at a future meeting, subject to legislative or market conditions.