Public Hearing and Levy of Special Assessments for City Improvement Project #09-25; Dysprosium Street Improvements

The segment of Dysprosium Street between Bunker Lake Blvd and Nowthen Blvd has been in poor condition for a number of years.  Uncertainty regarding its status as a collector or arterial street was the primary reason for postponing costly work on this segment in the past.  In addition it was desired to include improvements which might be made in order to enhance safety conditions within the Flintwood Hills neighborhood.  The project area extends from south of 140th Ave to Nowthen Blvd and the scope included the following:

• Narrowing the pavement width from 47 feet to 34 feet and restricting parking on the east side of the street.
• Reconstructing the entire pavement section through the corridor.
• Adding six foot wide sidewalks on both sides of the street.
• Adding chokers at intersections.  Chokers narrow the street width by extending the curb into the parking lane; the narrower width tends to slow traffic speeds and contributes to increased pedestrian safety by reducing the crossing distance.
• Improving drainage by expanding the existing storm sewer system in the roadway.
• Installing street lighting and boulevard trees.

The City Council received the feasibility study on February 9, 2009, and held the public hearing on March 9, 2009.  Prior to the public hearing each property owner received written notice of the pending hearing.  In addition, several informational meetings were held with property owners in the neighborhood throughout the process.  As a result of comments received at the public hearing Council directed a couple of revisions to the feasibility study; including:

• The ability for staff to work with residents that have existing shared driveways, and allow them the opportunity to separate the driveways if they should so choose.
• Parcels should be assessed based on the mid-lot width to eliminate the discrepancies in assessment between a pie shaped lot and a rectangular lot of the same size.

This project has been substantially completed and the final costs determined.  Since this is an MSA road it was Council direction to assess only 50% of the pavement work; thereby creating an assessment commensurate with that of a standard mill and overlay project completed under the annual street maintenance program.  Attached is the final assessment roll that summarizes the proposed assessments, and compares them with the estimated costs mailed to property owners prior to the March 9, 2010 public hearing.  The final assessments were slightly higher than those originally proposed due to the high water table experienced during construction, and the need to rework the base material.

Following the close of the Public Hearing adopt the attached resolution which levies the special assessments for Improvement Project #09-25; Dysprosium Street Improvements.

The Dysprosium Street improvements are financed via the City MSA Fund, Water Utility Fund, and special assessments to benefiting property owners.  The funding breakdown is as follows:

FINAL COSTS	FUNDING SOURCE
	MSA	WATER UTILITY	ASSESSMENTS
$904,950.13	$733,669.97	$         63,786.25	$107,493.91

Motion to adopt Resolution #11-10-XXX levying assessments for Improvement Projects #09-25; Dysprosium Street Improvements.