Special Assessment Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 9:00 AM Engineering Conference Room #E258 2nd Floor, City Hall

Minutes
SA Commissioners Present: Randy Engelstad, Steve Bladholm, Dylan Dunn
City of Fargo Staff Present: Doug Durgin, Thomas Knakmuhs, Steve Sprague, Brenda Derrig, Sue Thompson, Linda Stewart, Nancy Morris, Mike Redlinger, City Commissioner Michelle Turnberg

The meeting was called to order at 9:00 AM with all Special Assessment Commissioners in attendance.

Special Assessment Coordinator Doug Durgin provided an overview of the meeting's goal, emphasizing that the Special Assessment Commissioners are tasked with determining the benefit in dollars, independent of project costs, for various improvement districts.

The Commission held a detailed discussion on how to determine the benefit to a property for various types of improvements. Commissioners explored the value of both tangible and intangible benefits related to different types of infrastructure, including:

• Sanitary sewers
• Water mains
• Storm sewers
• Paving which includes street lighting, and street amenities
• Paving for street rehabilitation projects

The Commission further discussed how to calculate the value of these benefits, considering both tangible and intangible aspects. The Commission decided to establish a benefit amount to a typical lot size of 80' x 150' which then could be used to determine a front and square foot benefit amount that could be used for the calculation of benefit for all lots.

The amount of benefit determined by the commission for a typical lot size of 80’ x 150’ was as follows:

• Sanitary sewer - $272,000.00
• Water main - $302,000.00
• Storm sewer - $332,000.00
• Paving which includes street lighting, and street amenities - $1,120,000.00
• Paving for street rehabilitation projects - $280,000.00

The Commission instructed the special assessment staff to use the total benefit value they determined for a typical 80’ x 150’ lot to establish a benefit per front footage and a benefit per square footage that could be used to compare against the assessments for each property in the upcoming 2024 assessment run.

Motion by Randy Engelstad, seconded by Dylan Dunn and passed:

“To approve the “conservative” determination of actual present and future benefits as determined, taking into account the tangible and intangible benefits, and to direct staff to affirm that the value of the benefit exceeds the amount of assessment, as determined by a typical lot size of 80’ x 150’.”

Adjourned at 10:30 AM
Next Meeting: October 15, 2024, at 8:30 AM Engineering Conference room #E258