MONROE - A public hearing Tuesday night yielded possible progress for residents of 16th Avenue upset with street reconstruction assessments.
In a 9-1 vote Monday night, the council passed an amended resolution for 2008 street reconstruction. The amendment calls for a public hearing to be held prior to finalizing assessments to property for street work on 16th Avenue.
In the meantime, Mayor Ron Marsh said after the meeting, the city will discuss funding options.
After hearing from 15 residents at a public hearing, council members tried to amend a final resolution for 2008 street construction to eliminate assessments on 16th Avenue reconstruction. Five other streets scheduled for less drastic repairs, listed in the resolution, were not assessed.
However, eliminating assessments for 16th Avenue residents would have involved creating another policy to pay for the reconstruction costs. City Attorney Rex Ewald advised council members to find another method of dealing with the changes they wished to make.
The complication came during a discussion period after a motion and a second to pass the resolution. Alderman Jan Lefevre made a motion that was intended to allow the construction to go ahead, but eliminate assessments on the residents along 16th Avenue.
The public hearing was closed by Mayor Ron Marsh at 8:15 p.m. But confusion ensued as to how to amend the resolution and the procedures to rescind previous motions. Marsh called for a 10-minute recess.
It took the council another 10 minutes to verify the amendment would work.
"Will this take care of what we are trying to do?" Alderman Keith Ingwell asked Ewald.
The amendment allows the 16th Avenue reconstruction project to proceed, while committing the council to another public hearing before assessments are levied in November.
The amended resolution was passed 9-1 at 9:10 p.m.
Alderman Thurston Hanson voted against the amendment and the resolution.
"I'm cynical of government in general," Hanson said. "I am leery of anything with the word assessment in it."
Alderman Mark Coplien told Hanson that he had to trust his fellow council members.
"But will the citizens trust us?" Hanson asked.
Coplien turned to the residents and said, "Trust us."
Marsh addressed the residents after the vote.
"We will take up the issue of a levy with a public hearing. Bear with us. We're going to get this done," he said.
In a 9-1 vote Monday night, the council passed an amended resolution for 2008 street reconstruction. The amendment calls for a public hearing to be held prior to finalizing assessments to property for street work on 16th Avenue.
In the meantime, Mayor Ron Marsh said after the meeting, the city will discuss funding options.
After hearing from 15 residents at a public hearing, council members tried to amend a final resolution for 2008 street construction to eliminate assessments on 16th Avenue reconstruction. Five other streets scheduled for less drastic repairs, listed in the resolution, were not assessed.
However, eliminating assessments for 16th Avenue residents would have involved creating another policy to pay for the reconstruction costs. City Attorney Rex Ewald advised council members to find another method of dealing with the changes they wished to make.
The complication came during a discussion period after a motion and a second to pass the resolution. Alderman Jan Lefevre made a motion that was intended to allow the construction to go ahead, but eliminate assessments on the residents along 16th Avenue.
The public hearing was closed by Mayor Ron Marsh at 8:15 p.m. But confusion ensued as to how to amend the resolution and the procedures to rescind previous motions. Marsh called for a 10-minute recess.
It took the council another 10 minutes to verify the amendment would work.
"Will this take care of what we are trying to do?" Alderman Keith Ingwell asked Ewald.
The amendment allows the 16th Avenue reconstruction project to proceed, while committing the council to another public hearing before assessments are levied in November.
The amended resolution was passed 9-1 at 9:10 p.m.
Alderman Thurston Hanson voted against the amendment and the resolution.
"I'm cynical of government in general," Hanson said. "I am leery of anything with the word assessment in it."
Alderman Mark Coplien told Hanson that he had to trust his fellow council members.
"But will the citizens trust us?" Hanson asked.
Coplien turned to the residents and said, "Trust us."
Marsh addressed the residents after the vote.
"We will take up the issue of a levy with a public hearing. Bear with us. We're going to get this done," he said.