CITY MUST DECIDE HOW TO ASSESS FOR STREETS

Cape Girardeau councilmen say the city needs a comprehensive policy for establishing special assessments for street projects.

But drawing up those policies has proved difficult.

The City Council on Monday tabled action on a street assessment plan drawn up by the city staff. The council will hold a public hearing March 16 to give residents an opportunity to comment on the policy proposal.

It outlines how much property owners would be assessed for new roads or widening of residential, commercial and residential-commercial streets designated under the Transportation Trust Fund.

Excluding right-of-way expenses, costs to affected property owners would range from $35 a front foot for widening existing residential streets to $67 a front foot for widening existing commercial streets.

Voters approved a half-cent sales tax in August 1995. The money from that tax goes into the trust fund. It is earmarked to fund some 20 road and bridge projects.

But city officials said the tax was never intended to pay the entire cost of street projects. Property owners along the routes were expected to pay a share of the costs through special assessments, council members said.

"What we are trying to do is recoup some of the costs of these streets, because we don't have the money to build 100 percent free streets," Mayor Al Spradling III said Wednesday.

Spradling said the council has approved different assessment policies on a case-by-case basis in recent years.

The proposal would change that practice. "I would rather have a policy so everyone knows what playing field we are on," he said.

Spradling said the council should keep its promises that it made to voters prior to passage of the transportation sales tax in August 1995.

The council said at the time that property owners wouldn't be assessed any of the cost of expanding, widening or improving existing residential streets if owners donate the right of way.

City Engineer Mark Lester said the assessment plan is in keeping with what the council promised.

If all the right of way and easements are donated for the improvement of an existing residential or residential-commercial street, property owners wouldn't be tax billed for the project.

That policy was followed for widening Perryville Road. All the property owners have donated the land. As a result, they won't be tax billed for construction costs.

But Cape Girardeau resident Jay Hunze believes the provision also should cover construction of new streets. He also suggested the city shouldn't assess any property owner who donates right of way regardless of whether his or her neighbors do likewise.

Under the current practice, a property owner could donate land and still be assessed for the street work because of the unwillingness of neighbors to follow suit.

Hunze's mother, Bernice, is being assessed for 2,200 frontage feet for the extension of Hopper Road. She would be assessed at least $175,000 for her share of the property needed for the project.

Since the Hopper Road project involves construction of a new road, it doesn't come under the current land-donation provision.

But Jay Hunze said the city should expand its land-donation policy to apply to Hopper Road and other projects.

"My mother, I am sure, would much rather donate the land than get an assessment for $175,000," he said.

Hunze said the city's assessment policies affect many property owners and involve a number of road projects.

It isn't just a concern for Hopper Road area residents, he said.