At the October 3 Preston City Council meeting, resolutions were approved calling for assessment hearings on November 7 for Maple St. Improvements and Circle Heights Dr. Improvements. The hearings will be held during the regular meeting at city hall.
Affected property owners will have an opportunity to have any objection to proposed assessments considered; an objection can be provided in writing or given orally. Properties that have benefited from the improvements are to be assessed. The proposed assessments for Maple St. improvements total $22,670.58. The proposed assessments for the Circle Heights Dr. improvements total $50,411.53.
City Administrator Ryan Throckmorton recommended keeping the same term (15 years) and interest rate (2.45%) as was the term and rate for the 2021 Street and Utility Improvements. Assessments can be paid over 15 years or prepayments of the entire amount remaining due may be made to the county treasurer at any time prior to November 15 of any year. No interest is charged if the entire assessment is paid within 30 days from the adoption of the assessment roll.
City hall repairs
Throckmorton led a discussion about the water leaking issues in city hall, the council chambers, and the dilapidated condition of storage areas which are in need of repairs. He provided two quotes for gutters on the awning in front of city hall and two quotes for water control. He was directed to get quotes for water control that included the storage area. Hazardous debris will need to be removed. Additional work will include sheetrock installation and painting, the replacement of windows due to leakage on the west side of the library and city office, and the replacement of the furnace in the city office.
The city has about $65,000 left of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that could go toward these repairs. No action was taken this day. This issue will be brought back for the city council’s consideration when more quotes are obtained, likely at the October 17 meeting.
Other business in brief
• Victoria Musel, the current Preston Ambulance full-time EMT, has requested to return to a volunteer status. A motion was approved to advertise and interview candidates to fill the position of full-time EMT.
• The Preston EDA has unanimously recommended working with Stantec to update the Park Lane Feasibility Study. Gabby Kinneberg explained that the city recently extended option agreements with two landowners for this proposed housing area. Developers/builders have suggested obtaining a lot reconfiguration design for some duplex or triplex units, along with construction cost updates. The EDA voted to spend $2,500 with Stantec to complete the update. The cost was to come from the EDA’s Development Reserve.
Throckmorton noted to date there has not been a strong commitment for development. He said he had spoken with Mike Bubany about risks to the city. Mayor Kurt Reicks asked why taxpayer money should be used to reconfigure the lot design. Dwight Luhmann said the EDA believed the reconfiguration of the design may be more enticing to developers. Kinneberg noted the current 12 lot design is not appealing to developers. Luhmann said it is hard to build affordable housing, of which there is no shortage of demand.
Councilman Steve Hall said the study will not commit us to the housing business. Reicks noted the city’s risk due to the need for additional infrastructure. Hall moved to approve the feasibility study for Park Lane at a cost not to exceed $2,500. The motion died for lack of a second.
• Approval was given for American Legal Publishing to codify city ordinances at a cost not to exceed $5,000. The city’s ordinances were last codified in 2002. Codification will update ordinance hard copies as well as online access.
• The next council meeting will be held on October 17.
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