05-11-1998 Council Minutes Reconvened Board of Review

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MINUTES OF THE RECONVENED BOARD OF REVIEW MEETING i HELD MAY 11, 1998 ROLL The Orono Board of Review met on the above date with the following members present: Mayor Gabriel Jabbour, Councilmembers J. Diann Goetten, Charles Kelley, Barbara Peterson and Richard Flint. The following represented City staff. City Administrator Ron Moorse, City Assessor Rolf Erickson and Recorder Lin Vee. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Jabbour at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Jabbour asked if there was anyone who wished to speak at the Reconvened Board of Review. A. L. Kane, 2697 Casco Point, Road, PID #20- 117 -23 23 0004, addressed the Board. He stated he was not at the original Board of Review but had sent a letter. Erickson noted his information was on Page 10 of the Recommendations. Kane explained that the 40% increase was only on the property. His property is 15' below Casco Point Road and receives all the runoff from the area. Exiting in the winter is not easy because of the elevation. A property three doors away is valued at $900 less per lineal foot than his. The elevation of the neighboring property is at street level making it more desirable. He felt he was being discriminated against when the neighbor's property is a much better property but is valued less than • his. Jabbour explained that State laws require property to be based on market value, not lineal feet. For the Council to make comparisons, criteria such as the number of acres, number of bedrooms or sale of neighboring properties should be used. The neighboring property may go up in value the following year. Kane asked why his property was raised 40% when other lakeshore properties on Casco Point only went up 15 -20 %. Erickson explained that his 60' lot had been looked at a number of times. In the recommendation, an extra depreciation was giving for consideration of drainage problems and lower elevation. The value was decreased from $270,000 to $254,000 in the recommendation. Jabbour suggested that Kane have an appraisal done as Council cannot arbitrarily change the staff recommendation. Kane questioned again the neighbor's property being valued at $900 per lineal foot less than his. Erickson responded that another assessor had done the review on the neighboring property and may have valued the property as a 60' lot. This will be redone for next year's valuation. Erickson explained that Kane's 1999 taxes would be paid on the limited value, a 12% increase over the previous year's value, which is at $203,000. If nothing else changed, in four years the taxes