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<br /> <br /> <br />ECC <br />UGENE ITY OUNCIL <br />AIS <br />GENDA TEM UMMARY <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Work Session: Street Assessment Policy <br /> <br /> <br />Meeting Date: September 28, 2009 Agenda Item Number: B <br />Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Mark Schoening <br />www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5243 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ISSUE STATEMENT <br /> <br />The purpose of this work session is to review issues with the existing Eugene Code regarding <br />assessments as identified by the City Council in previous work sessions and for the council to consider <br />the formation of a council subcommittee to develop recommended changes in the Eugene Code to <br />address the issues. <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />Council Work Sessions <br /> <br /> The City Council has held work sessions on the City’s street assessment policy on June 23, 2008, and <br />March 9, 2009. From those two work sessions there was general consensus that street assessments are <br />too high, and that there are inequities in the existing Eugene Code regarding street assessments. <br /> <br /> Subsequent to the March 9, 2009, work session, the council adopted resolutions forming three separate <br />local improvement districts for street improvement projects. The council took the following actions to <br />help mitigate the cost of the individual assessments for the three projects – <br /> <br />? <br /> <br />Allocated additional funds to each of the projects to decrease the assessable costs for each of the <br />projects by approximately 13 percent. The council may take similar action on future assessment <br />projects, provided a source of funds can be identified. <br /> <br />? <br /> <br />Directed staff to amend the administrative order that establishes the interim interest rate to tie the <br />rate more closely to the market rate. This change will be in effect for the three current <br />assessment projects and for future assessment projects. <br /> <br />? <br /> <br />Directed staff to include in the ordinances levying the assessments for the three current <br />assessment projects the option of financing the assessments over a 15-year period of time. <br />Extending the repayment period will lower the monthly or semi-annual payments, but will also <br />increase the interest costs. The council may take similar action on future assessment projects. <br /> <br />Assessments too High <br /> <br />There are three avenues to reduce the assessments that individual property owners pay. An overview <br />of each avenue and specific options follows: <br /> <br /> Z:\CMO\2009 Council Agendas\M090928\S090928B.doc <br /> <br />