Ordinance No. 20007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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of these members of the public expressed concern about collecting those costs when construction is completed, rather than at some time in the future, such as when property is sold or further divided. This is an assessable project, which means there is no significant source of funds other than assessments paid by benefiting property owners to pay the actual costs of constructing the sewers. In order to meet its financial obligations, the City must levy and collect assessments in a timely manner. There are a number of financial options designed to make assessments affordable for individual property owners. These options include 10-year financing and special programs for property owners with limited incomes that allow them to defer a portion or all of their assessment. Property owners are informed well in advance of the final assessment about the method of assessment and the practice of not assessing undeveloped vacant} lots that meet specific criteria at this time. Property owners who have the option of dividing their lots and thereby delaying the assessment and who choose not to divide their lots have, in effect, decided that the benefit of a single lot outweighs the cost of an immediate assessment for the entire property. The method of assessment by square footage is set forth in Eugene Cade 7.I75. The City Council has previously reviewed this method of assessment. The Council's decisions have reaffirmed that no other method would be more a unable than the one historical) used b the q Y Y City. The alternative of assessing properties according to the potential sewer usage plumbing fixtures} suggested by several members of the public appears to be significantly more expensive to implement and subject to a great deal more dispute. This alternative also apparently would lead to nearly the same result as the present method. One property owner, Rudy Ebenbeck, expressed concern about what he felt had been increased costs for the project over time. According to Mr. Ebenbeck, the Public V~orks Department had provided him with different cost estimates during the time the project was under development. Subsequent investigation showed that Mr. Ebenbeck was correct; some of the estimates given Mr. Ebenbeck were lower than some later estimates and cower than the final cost. The change in estimates was due largely to changes in the scope of the project being discussed with Mr. Ebenbeck. Previous estimates of work similar to the work that was actually done to benef ~t Mr. Ebenbeck's subdivision were very similar to the final costs of the project. A copy of the Public Works Department's letter of explanation to Mr. Ebenbeck is attached as Exhibit F. Several property owners questioned the City's authority to levy assessments in the Santa Clara area outside the City limits. ~regan Revised Statutes, Oregon case law, the adapted Metropolitan Area General Plan, and the findings and recommendations of rior hearin s P g ofl~icials have consistently upheld the City's authority to construct sewers in the River Road- Santa Clara area and recover the costs of construction through assessments. State law clearly establishes the City's authority to construct sewers outside the city limits, particularly when the conditions of EPAIDE~ directives require timely sewer construction to resolve a groundwater contamination problem. The financial support of the sewer construction project SANTA CLARA SEWER BASINS "L" "M" AND "V" Page 5 FINAL ASSESSMENT -FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS