Item 8: An Ordinance Concerning Assessments for Street Improvements

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Action: An Ordinance Concerning Assessments for Street Improvements Meeting Date: December 13, 2010 Agenda Item Number: 8 Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Mark Schoening www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5243 ISSUE STATEMENT The City Council is requested to adopt Ordinance Version C and pass the recommended motion to amend the ordinance. The ordinance and amendment will change the computation, apportionment and deferral of street improvement assessments. BACKGROUND At its March 9, 2009, work session, the City Council identified issues of concern with the City’s current assessment policy and expressed interest in forming a council subcommittee to review the issues of concern and to propose revisions to the Eugene Code to the council. A Council Subcommittee on Street Assessment Policy was formed in late 2009, and included Councilors Taylor, Solomon and Poling. The subcommittee established the following charge to guide its work – Review the existing Eugene Code on assessments and the inequities in the Code identified by the City Council and develop recommended changes in the Code for the consideration of the City Council. The council subcommittee met five times over the course of four months and reached consensus on a number of recommendations for the City Council to consider. There were also several issues that the council subcommittee did not reach consensus on. At its September 22, 2010, meeting, the City Council reviewed the recommendations of the council subcommittee and the issues where there was not consensus by the council subcommittee. The City Council directed the City Manager to develop an ordinance to implement the proposed changes to the Eugene Code and schedule a public hearing on the ordinance. On several issues the City Council deferred making a decision until after the public hearing. The City Council held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance on November 15, 2010. Based on City Council discussion at the public hearing, attached to this agenda item summary (AIS) as Attachments A, B and C are the three options for apportioning assessable costs among non-residential properties. As discussed at the public hearing, the method of apportionment may be based upon lot frontage (Ordinance Version A, Attachment A), lot area (Ordinance Version B, Attachment B) or a combination of lot frontage and area (Ordinance Version C, Attachment C). Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M101213\S1012138a.doc