Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Street Assessments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. James holds final assessment hearing on Seventh Street/13th Avenue upgrades; council delays final vote
Summary
City staff presented the scope and financing of a $2.3 million street, storm and utility improvement project for Seventh Street South, 13th Avenue South and Molten/Parson Drive. Property‑owner assessments were described as capped for residents; council kept the assessment roll open and will act at the next meeting.
Adam, a city presenter, told the St. James City Council at its Oct. 21 meeting that the Seventh Street South, 13th Avenue South and Molten/Parson Drive project received about $1.4 million from the Local Road Improvement program and had construction costs a little over $2.3 million. He said the city typically assesses property owners roughly 20% of project costs and that residential assessments for this project were capped at $12,500.
Why it matters: The assessment determines what individual property owners will pay and whether those costs go on property tax statements. Adam said the city’s formula charges street and storm sewer assessments based on front footage and spreads sanitary and water costs on a per‑service basis, which affects corner lots and commercial parcels differently.
City staff described key financial and timing details. Adam said property‑owner assessments summed to about $291,000 (staff presentation language was briefly garbled in the live remarks), the city’s net out‑of‑pocket cost after grant funding was reported as about $600,000, and the council’s financing plan contemplates equal annual payments over a 20‑year period at a stated rate of 5.5 percent. Staff also said assessments may be prepaid with no interest if paid within 30 days of adoption; unpaid assessments would be certified to the county auditor and added to property tax statements beginning in 2026.
Residents asked operational questions during the open hearing. One homeowner asked why a driveway drain had been capped; staff replied crews stubbed a pipe to the north side of the driveway but capped the existing connection because it discharged to the sanitary system, which staff characterized as an illicit connection and said the homeowner is responsible for reconnecting. Other residents asked about temporary seeding and watering (staff said the city will not water and that homeowners should water desired turf), the location of tree plantings (staff said final planting decisions will come later), and why sidewalks were placed on only one side of the street (staff cited multimodal access to the hospital, cost considerations and the city’s sidewalk plan).
What the council decided: Councilmembers opened the public hearing and took comments but did not act on the final assessment roll that night. Chris, the mayor, told the room the council will take formal action at the next city council meeting; staff urged affected property owners to note the 30‑day prepayment window if the council adopts the roll.
Next steps: The council will consider adoption of the assessment roll at its next scheduled meeting. Homeowners with technical questions were invited to meet with staff after the meeting for location‑specific details.
Attribution note: Technical and financial details in this article are sourced to Adam’s staff presentation to the council. When the transcript provided numbers or phrasing that appeared garbled in the live record, the article flags uncertainty and reports approximate figures as stated by staff.
