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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, October 28, 2019 <br />7:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 2 of 9 <br /> <br />PUBLIC HEARING <br /> <br />11. CERTIFICATION OF DELINQUENT BILLS: RESOLUTION NOS. 7035 & 7036 <br /> <br />Olson stated each year the City certifies to Hennepin County unpaid general accounts receivable in the <br />amount of $50 or more to be collected with the following year’s taxes. At this time the City has one <br />invoice for a sewer connection fee in the amount of $5,250. Prior to issuing this invoice, the owner of the <br />property requested the City consider special assessing the connection fee, which is a departure from <br />normal. Staff informed the property owner that they cannot approve it but that the Council had to do it. <br />As a result, the accountant issued an invoice in the amount of the connection fee, which has not been paid. <br /> <br />Tonight the Council can either approve a special assessment with a three percent interest rate, which is <br />similar to what has been done in recent assessments, or certify it as a delinquent bill, at which point it <br />would be eight percent for one year and the property owner would likely just pay the invoice up front. <br /> <br />Walsh asked if the City has ever done something like this in the past. <br /> <br />Olson stated in the past the City had an illegal wetland that was filled, and the property owner claimed the <br />City jumped the gun on fixing the violation. In that situation the City approved a five-year assessment at <br />zero percent interest. There was also a property across the street where the City paid for their sewer <br />connection and special assessed it to the property because the person was not able to come up with <br />funding on their own. In that situation it was a leaking septic system. <br /> <br />Johnson asked if there is a primary residence on the property. <br /> <br />Olson stated there is. <br /> <br />Johnson asked if this is a hardship situation. <br /> <br />Olson stated if he remembers correctly, the property owner spent $30,000 getting the connection from the <br />house to the City’s sewer main. A sewer line was put in in the neighborhood, but this property was not <br />included in that original project and then their septic failed. <br /> <br />Edwards indicated they had received a failing septic service notice, and the options were to either replace <br />the septic or connect to the city sewer. The property was already in the MUSA, and because there was an <br />abutting sewer line, they asked whether they could connect to city sewer. The property owner is required <br />to pay for the physical connection, and they asked if the fees the City charges could be assessed to them <br />as opposed to a lump sum at the beginning. <br /> <br />Walsh commented the City does not want to be the bank for anyone who requests some special service. <br /> <br />Printup asked if Staff has a preference for how the City proceeds. <br /> <br />Olson stated if it is not assessed over time, his understanding is that the property owner will simply pay it. <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh opened the public hearing at 7:12 p.m. <br /> <br />There were no public comments on this item.