By Steve Morris

Eighty-one year old Robert "Rabz" Anderson is accustomed to swallowing big pills. At a recent Rush City council meeting, he was faced with one of the toughest pill he has yet to swallow.

Under the current proposal, Anderson and other property owners along Jay Avenue will get assessed around $800 to $1,000 an acre for a street improvement.

For Anderson, that may mean a nearly $60,000 bill with his name on it.

Fear of assessments brought community members to the Rush City Council meeting June 11. The subject was the Jay Avenue improvement project.

The project seeks to upgrade Jay Avenue to a nine-ton bituminous road with flat curbs, from County Road 7 to 14th Street. Council member Mick Louzek said it would make the street less residential. The city council has proposed all benefiting property owners be assessed for a portion of the improvements.

After hearing from the public, the council voted to proceed with the project and begin soliciting bids. Property owners affected by the project were sent letters in advance informing them of the public hearing.

Mayor Jim Ertz wants the project done to avoid future problems on the road.

"If we threw black top on it, it would be a maintenance nightmare in three to five years," Ertz said.

City Engineer Barry Peters said the preliminary cost for the project is $315,671. Louzek said if the price went much higher, chances are they wouldn't go through with the project.

Residents may be expected to foot 25 percent of the bill while the city would pay the remainder. Currently, it is estimated residents affected by the project would be assessed $800 to $1,000 per acre.

First Lutheran Church has 11.41 assessable acres and has a proposed assessment of $12,546.63. Anderson has the highest proposed assessment of $56,828.20.

Anderson said at his age, he'd be lucky if he were to benefit at all from the project. He isn't opposed to paying for the project. Rather, he's just frustrated and overwhelmed with the possibility of such a large amount to pay.

Anderson is talking with Rush City administrator Amy Mell about deferring the cost of the payment and other options he has available.

But, he is taking the news in stride and understands there's isn't much he can do.

"You can't fight city hall," he said.

In other council news, the council approved:

• claims of $62,732.85;
• two street name changes. 13th Street was changed to 14th Street and Dickenson Avenue was changed to Dylan Avenue.;
• the gambling lease renewal for Rush City VFW Club;
• the minutes of the June 4 meeting;
• a donation of $650 to the Initiative Foundation;
• the Minnesota Strike Team task force agreement;
• Jaycees to have a permit for Bingo;

The council announced the Rush Line Task Force listening session for a commuter coach bus study for June 19, from 5-7 p.m. at the RC community center.

Comment from Garland Gibbs, 6/22/07

Now I know the individuals trying to run Rush City are completely out of there minds. First of all there is know reason for that road to be paved. The only reason for it is to bring in more industrial businesses. So let them pay for it. The lovely subdivisions that were put in by the roller rink and the Holiday station show that these people are in a dream land thinking Rush City is the next North Branch or Cambridge and they can lure people and businesses here. Wake-up, don't make an 81 year old man pay for one of your pipe dreams. If he doesn't have an attorney yet he should get one or two or three.