North Branch Council approves assessments

By Barbara Brown
The North Branch City Council last week approved an assessment roll for the Grand Avenue sewer project.
The project, just completed a couple months ago, took all summer to run new sewer and water pipes along Grand Avenue. Most of the work was repair and replace work, while some of it was to prepare the lines for access from future development projects.
The construction stretched nearly a mile along Grand Avenue on both sides of the street.
During the public hearing on the assessments, Tom Alvin asked the council to reconsider the $14,992 assessment engineering staff had proposed on his parents property along Grand Avenue.
Alvin told the council in a half-hour presentation that the project did not enhance his 80-year-old parentsí property where they have lived for 50 years.
During the public hearing on the assessments, Tom Alvin asked the council to reconsider the $14,992 assessment engineering staff had proposed on his parents property along Grand Avenue.
Alvin told the council in a half-hour presentation that the project did not enhance his 80-year-old parentsí property where they have lived for 50 years.
Originally, the Alvins were set to be assessed more than $27,000 for the connections to city services. That assessment had been reviewed and reduced prior to the assessment hearing.
Alvin told the council that neighbors along Grand Avenue had approached the council about four years ago with a plan to connect to sewer and water, but that the plan had been denied.
He said his parents would have been happy to upgrade then because their septic system needed to be repaired anyway.
The Alvins protested the assessment also because of the inconvenience they had during the construction.
According to their son, the Alvinsí phone, gas and electric lines had been cut during the project, they missed their newspaper delivery and mail often was not delivered.
Alvin also told the council that he had requested the appraisal information from the city but was refused access to it.
During the discussion part of the hearing, the council inquired about access to the appraisal of the property.
They were told by Chris Johnson, an associate in the cityís attorneyís office, that the city had restricted the appraisal in case a lawsuit would be filed about the assessments.
Basically, Johnson told the council, if the council approved the assessment and any resident affected filed an appeal, that would be the equivalent to a lawsuit and it would be handled in the district court system.
After further discussion, the council approved the assessment roll with a 4-1 vote. Council member Amy Oehlers voted no because she did not agree that the assessment was fair, she said.
The council also agreed to release the appraisal to the Alvins.
Although the appeal has been filed, the Alvins and city may further negotiate on the assessment on the property.
Alvin, in a Monday phone conversation, said his family was basically satisfied with the appraisal.
He said that had his family seen the assessment prior to the assessment hearing, they may not have protested.
ìTo the credit of the council,î Alvin said Monday, ìthey opened it.î
Other assessments for the project include:
ï Little Sweden ñ $12,138
ï North Branch school district property ñ $62,285 and $20,385
ï Patricia and Michael Marfiz, Keith and Katheryn Hals ñ $13,749
ï Karen Thompson ñ $1,029
ï Michael and Michelle Prokott ñ $1,029
ï Steven and Jacqueline Gorsuch ñ $1,029.
In other council business, the council agreed to offer the job of school liaison officer for the North Branch Schools to Steven Lamont dependent on drug, physical and psychological screenings. Lamont currently is a school liaison officer at the White Earth Indian Reservation. Lamont could start Dec. 2.

Top of Page

©ECM Post Review

6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com