| | | | | | | |  | ITEM: | 5.B.
| COUNCIL MEETING DATE:
| October 22, 2015 | | SECTION: | Regular Agenda |
Description:
2015 Special Assessment Roll No. 640, $152,995.06 – Delinquent Utility Charges | Staff Contact:
Cathy Broughten, Assistant Finance Director | Department / Division:
Finance Department |
|
| | | | | | | | ACTION REQUESTED:
- Hold a public hearing.
- Adopt the resolution levying 2015 Special Assessment Roll No. 640, delinquent utility charges, in the amount of $152,995.06, minus any prepayments.
SUMMARY:
Attached please find the public hearing documents for the 2015 Special Assessment Roll No. 640 for delinqent utility account charges for those properties served by utilities. The public hearing notices have been mailed to the affected property owners and the affidavits of publication of the hearing notices have been received.
BACKGROUND:
The process followed is to complete a certification process of delinquent accounts twice per year. This twice per year process is unusual for metro area cities but protects the city by accelerating the process of establishing the unpaid amounts as a lien on the property and avoiding issues that may arise by property owners filing bankruptcy. The certification process also serves as the city’s “collection agency” and collection process.
The fall certification process started with a letter being sent in July 28, 2015 to all customers who have a delinquent balance, notifying them that if the account was not paid by August 27, 2015, the delinquent amounts would be certified for collection. Once this payment deadline had passed, a list of remaining delinquent accounts was prepared and is included for the certification process. Following the City Council calling for a public hearing, a certification letter was sent to the delinquent account holder notifying them of the public hearing and the proposed certification amount, which includes a $50 certification fee. Following the public hearing on October 2, 2015 and Council adoption of an assessment roll, property owners will have 30 days to pay at City offices prior to the list being certified to the county for collection.
The total amount of the assessment was originally $152,995.06 and represented 563 accounts. This amount is down from the spring 2015 certification total of $162,824.67, which included 515 accounts. It is also lower than the fall 2014 amount of $173,744.87 which included 637 accounts. We have received $11,236.60 payments to date, which brings the current balance down to $141,758.46.
|
Spring '12
|
Fall '12
|
Spring '13
|
Fall '13
|
Spring '14
|
Fall '14
|
Spring '15
|
Fall '15
|
|
Amount Certified
|
$177,615
|
$136,724
|
$ 177,414
|
$ 141,490
|
$ 168,683
|
$173,785
|
$ 162,825
|
$ 152,995
|
|
Number of a/c's
|
584
|
577
|
562
|
571
|
549
|
637
|
515
|
563
|
|
Average
|
$ 304
|
$ 237
|
$ 316
|
$ 248
|
$ 307
|
$ 273
|
$ 316
|
$ 272
|
Prepayments will be accepted by the City until Monday, November 23, 2015. At that time, the balance will be submitted to Dakota County to be levied on the 2016 property tax statements along with 8% interest from the date of the adoption of the assessment roll.
No written objections have been received.
BUDGET IMPACT:
N/A
|
|
|