Regular 3.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 01/25/2016
- TITLE
- Public Hearing and Resolution Creating SILMD 321
- PRESENTED BY:
- David Mumford
- Department:
- Public Works
Presentation:
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
The Engineering Division has a street reconstruction project planned for Grand Avenue between Zimmerman Trail and Shiloh Road in the summer of 2016. The project will include the installation of new street lights between 30th Street West and Country Manor Boulevard. At the December 21, 2015 meeting, Council passed the Resolution of Intention to Create SILMD 321 and set a public hearing for January 25, 2016. Legal notice of the proposed district was published and mailed to all property owners in the proposed district in accordance with State law.
The new lighting will use steel mast arm style poles with LED lamps and underground wiring. The cost of installing the new lighting will be paid for by the street reconstruction project. The adjacent property owners will only pay for electrical energy and maintenance, through an assessment billed annually on their property tax statements. Light district assessments will average $423 per property per year and are based on the lineal footage of property frontage along Grand Avenue. Pursuant to 7-12-4327 Montana Code Annotated, properties outside of, but contiguous to, the city limits will be assessed for their share of the energy and maintenance costs for the lighting.
The deadline for written protests is Friday, January 22nd. The number and percentage of valid written protests received and a recommendation for council action will be presented at the January 25th Council meeting. As provided in State law, the City Council cannot create the district if the legal protest exceeds 50%.
The new lighting will use steel mast arm style poles with LED lamps and underground wiring. The cost of installing the new lighting will be paid for by the street reconstruction project. The adjacent property owners will only pay for electrical energy and maintenance, through an assessment billed annually on their property tax statements. Light district assessments will average $423 per property per year and are based on the lineal footage of property frontage along Grand Avenue. Pursuant to 7-12-4327 Montana Code Annotated, properties outside of, but contiguous to, the city limits will be assessed for their share of the energy and maintenance costs for the lighting.
The deadline for written protests is Friday, January 22nd. The number and percentage of valid written protests received and a recommendation for council action will be presented at the January 25th Council meeting. As provided in State law, the City Council cannot create the district if the legal protest exceeds 50%.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED
City Council may:
- Approve the resolution creating SILMD 321 to provide a source of funding for operation and maintenance of the streetlights if valid protests are less than 50%; or
- Not approve the resolution that creates the district. If the Council does not adopt the resolution, the property owners cannot be assessed for operation and maintenance of the streetlights and the new lighting will not be installed.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
All costs of maintaining and providing energy for the lighting are paid from assessments against the properties within the light district. There are no City owned properties within the district.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff will make a recommendation to Council at the January 25th meeting.