CC Minutes - 09/23/98 Work Session

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Mr. Farr turned the meeting back over to Mayor Torrey. Mayor Torrey acknowledged Ms. Nathanson's upcoming birthday and the group sang "Happy Birthday." IV. WORK SESSION: SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS Les Lyle, Public Works, reviewed the meeting packet material and distributed a map depicting the area's unimproved arterial/collector street system, including those that are substandard and those slated for construction and improvement. He indicated that streets are financed in two ways: through SDCs (systems development charges) or assessments to property owners. Mr. Lyle defined "special benefit," as used here, as adding "convenience, accessability, and use of the property." He reviewed "irrevocable petitions" describing it as an "in-lieu-of" approach where improvements are made after a number of properties have developed in an area. It is not practical, in most cases, to improve a roadway when a single development occurs since it may only represent a small percentage of the project. Mr. Lyle listed the following among the policy issues for the council: irrevocable petitions; double frontage assessments; and alley assessments. He said the council may want to consider within this context whether the ongoing adoption of the TransPlan Update, the Arterial/Collector Street Plan, and the Land Use Code Update process will influence the policies council is considering. On double frontage properties, Mr. Lyle said, the council may wish to retain the current policy, expand the local improvement district (LID) boundaries, consider an interim approach, or consider an access approach based on a primary access unless the owner choses to take a secondary access off the adjoining street. He said the council's action on access approach could potentially affect arterials, collectors, and local streets. He noted that the latter approach reduced the assessable share so the gap in funding would have to be addressed. Addressing a question from Mayor Torrey about spreading the costs of corner lots and double frontage lots over more properties, Mr. Lyle said that was possible but it would drive the cost up per front foot. He said another option would be to expand the boundaries of the LID to include all the parcels within both an existing and a new subdivision, which would take into account the special benefit derived for a subdivision. Mr. Lyle further described an in-lieu-of approach and increasing the SDCs as additional approaches, including one that might be a mix of the options. He noted that corner lots were similar to double frontage lots, except that some already have primary access to the adjoining street. On alleys, he said, the primary issue is density, and whether zoning best represents density or some other factor should be used. Mr. Lyle said the meeting packet included a staff recommendation that if the council choose an increase in SDCs, it wait until the Public Works Department's Rates Advisory Committee has had a chance to discuss a transportation SDC (currently scheduled to begin in July 1999). He concluded his report by saying that any change to the assessment code requires a two-thirds majority vote on the council and takes six months to implement. MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 23, 1998 Page 6 11:30 a.m.