Local Video
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| Postponements, delays, inaction reign at council |
By: By SUZANNE ROOK, Senior Reporter
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Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 8:57 pm
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NORTHFIELD — It was a long night at City Hall Monday as the council came away with little to show for its three-and-a-half-hour meeting.
It nixed discussion on board and commission appointments and a proposed separation agreement between the city and its departing administrator, postponed two public hearings on possible bond issues, and failed to approve opening discussion on changes to the city’s rental ordinances, needed after the state Supreme Court in May struck down a similar ordinance.
IN OTHER ACTION
The council on Monday also:
• Postponed consideration of a proposed zoning ordinance that would allow no more than three unrelated adults to live in rental housing without approval from the city. The Planning Commission first needs to make a recommendation on the proposal.
• Held a public hearing on a new rental ordinance, but action couldn’t be taken on the item after the motion died for lack of a second. Councilor Jon Denison, who has long opposed a provision allowing no more than 20 percent of the homes in any low-density residential block to be designated as rentals, suggested the ordinance be retooled. Denison said he’d heard from two Northfielders who needed to move out of town and couldn’t sell their homes. The houses couldn’t be rented either, he said, because of city density regulations.
Councilor Arnie Nelson said he, too, was concerned about the plight of the two homeowners. Jim Pokorney, who represents the city’s First Ward, has, along with Denison, opposed the density rule.
• Approved 5-1 a $33,500 contract amendment with ACP, the firm assisting the city with its revision of the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations. The projects aren’t yet complete, while available funds ($147,000) have been exhausted. Mayor Lee Lansing opposed spending more money to complete the projects.
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The council held off on the public hearing and subsequent approvals to ensure residents opposing an expected bond issue would have sufficient time to mount a reverse referendum. State law allows residents to file a petition within 30 days of such public hearings, stopping potential bonds sales. The 30-day clock begins as soon as the public hearing closes.
The hearings are set to reopen at the council’s Aug. 4 meeting.
Five residents spoke about a potential $880,000 bond issue that would finance renovations to City Hall. All opposed the project.
The work, which hasn’t been approved by the council, would consolidate the city’s Public Services Department in what’s now the council chambers. The council would move to a space further down the hall. The changes, city staff have said, would improve work flow and customer service at City Hall.
Final costs for the remodeling project are expected to come back before council this fall.
Victor Summa was the lone speaker at the second public hearing for $1.45 million in street reconstruction bonds. He supported their possible issue, saying the projects, including the widening of Woodley Street and reconstruction of Fifth Street and the Water Street parking lot, would benefit the entire community.
Public comment on the proposed bond issues will still be taken Aug. 4.
If approved, City Finance Director Kathleen McBride said, the council is only declaring its intent to issue bonds. “Tonight is simply to begin consolidating plans and to give preliminary approval to bonds,” she said.
If the bond issues are approved, McBride projects taxes needed to repay the debt would increase by about $50 on a $220,000 home.
Bruce Kimmel of Ehlers & Associates, a firm which assists the city with bond sales, said Monday that Northfield has a solid credit rating and that Moody’s, the rating firm, has no concerns about the city’s ability to incur the more than $17 million debt projected over the next four years in the draft 2008-2012 Capital Improvement Plan.
— Suzanne Rook can be reached at srook@northfieldnews.com or 645-1113.
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Don't know about anybody else, but isn't $ 3000 to $4000 a year in property taxes enough already?
Geez I know we need structural improvements but couldn't we come up with a better solution then increasing property taxes?
$50 doesn't seem much per year but this only one of the taxes that increased this year.