According to an email received yesterday from Paul Chiu,
"...a letter of notification will be mailed out this week to invite homeowners to attend an informational meeting two weeks from today. This meeting will be the first official meeting to engage the neighbors. Thanks."
That should make it on Tuesday, October 16th.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Tiny Mountainview LID of 2004-05 Very Costly
In 2004 the City of Newberg developed an LID just a few blocks north of us called the "Mountainview LID." Mountainview Dr. in-between N. Main St. and Crater Ln. (1 block stretch of road) and 1/2 of Crater Ln. for 2 blocks to the north of Mountainview Dr. was selected for this LID.
Apparently, after reading this archive from The Newberg Graphic, it appears as though the City TOOK ADVANTAGE of the fact that 27 homeowners along this stretch had NON-REMONSTRANCE's on their titles! In other words, these homeowners were sitting ducks.
"Mountainview LID (http://www.newberggraphic.com/news/archive/1-1-05/index.htm)
Readers of The Graphic expanded their vocabulary when the story of the Mountainview LID started making headlines.
The local improvement district issue was born when the city of Newberg tried to make good on non-remonstrance agreements — a contract a property owner signs saying that he or she will not protest assessments on his or her property for improvements, such as streets — that 27 homeowners in the area signed.
The city asked homeowners and the St. Peter Catholic Church to help pay for an extension of Mountainview Drive one block west of Main Street and for half street improvements to two blocks of Crater Lane. The initial estimates put the neighbors on the defensive, and protest ensued; curt letters to the editor were submitted and printed, and neighbors made regular appearances at city council meetings to point out the inequities they saw in the assessment.
The city of Newberg and the neighbors have since come to a de facto peace pact, the neighbors settling when an engineer’s report — with more accurate, and lower, assessments on property owners — was released and passed by the council.
But the effects of the LID opposition linger. As a way of defeating the assessments, some neighbors drafted a pair of initiative petitions and gathered enough signatures to place them on the March ballot. One initiative is specific, asking Newberg voters whether the city’s LID ordinance should be eliminated. The other is more general, asking whether the city should retain its authority to create special assessments of any kind.
City councilors are organizing a campaign to defeat the initiatives, and anticipate the support of some of the neighbors affected by the Mountainview LID."
That little stretch of improvement cost those homeowners over $177K.
From http://ci.newberg.or.us/website/Mayor_Council/Agendas/2005/Council%20Agenda%202005-0222.pdf reads,
"Resolution No. 2005-2560 authorizing the City Manager to award the contract for the
Mountainview Local Improvement District (LID) project to the Saunders Company, Inc. in the
amount of $177,442.19."
Keep in mind this figure is only for the hands-on labor and materials of the improvement - this DOES NOT include the planning, the figuring, the meetings, and any other costs associated with the LID the City incurred and passed on to the community.
The City has not provided me with any information regarding property owners or who has non-remonstrances on their titles. Do you think we're in the same boat as our neighbors to the north?
Something else to think about is that a long stretch (600.06 feet to be exact) of this LID belongs to Chehalem Parks and Recreation District (CPRD), who according to their home page deem themselves, "Community Partners" with the City of Newberg (http://www.cprdnewberg.org/). Obviously, they will not protest this LID. CPRD already receives our tax money each year when we pay our property taxes, yet they have an equal vote. Is this type of double-dipping fair?
Apparently, after reading this archive from The Newberg Graphic, it appears as though the City TOOK ADVANTAGE of the fact that 27 homeowners along this stretch had NON-REMONSTRANCE's on their titles! In other words, these homeowners were sitting ducks.
"Mountainview LID (http://www.newberggraphic.com/news/archive/1-1-05/index.htm)
Readers of The Graphic expanded their vocabulary when the story of the Mountainview LID started making headlines.
The local improvement district issue was born when the city of Newberg tried to make good on non-remonstrance agreements — a contract a property owner signs saying that he or she will not protest assessments on his or her property for improvements, such as streets — that 27 homeowners in the area signed.
The city asked homeowners and the St. Peter Catholic Church to help pay for an extension of Mountainview Drive one block west of Main Street and for half street improvements to two blocks of Crater Lane. The initial estimates put the neighbors on the defensive, and protest ensued; curt letters to the editor were submitted and printed, and neighbors made regular appearances at city council meetings to point out the inequities they saw in the assessment.
The city of Newberg and the neighbors have since come to a de facto peace pact, the neighbors settling when an engineer’s report — with more accurate, and lower, assessments on property owners — was released and passed by the council.
But the effects of the LID opposition linger. As a way of defeating the assessments, some neighbors drafted a pair of initiative petitions and gathered enough signatures to place them on the March ballot. One initiative is specific, asking Newberg voters whether the city’s LID ordinance should be eliminated. The other is more general, asking whether the city should retain its authority to create special assessments of any kind.
City councilors are organizing a campaign to defeat the initiatives, and anticipate the support of some of the neighbors affected by the Mountainview LID."
That little stretch of improvement cost those homeowners over $177K.
From http://ci.newberg.or.us/website/Mayor_Council/Agendas/2005/Council%20Agenda%202005-0222.pdf reads,
"Resolution No. 2005-2560 authorizing the City Manager to award the contract for the
Mountainview Local Improvement District (LID) project to the Saunders Company, Inc. in the
amount of $177,442.19."
Keep in mind this figure is only for the hands-on labor and materials of the improvement - this DOES NOT include the planning, the figuring, the meetings, and any other costs associated with the LID the City incurred and passed on to the community.
The City has not provided me with any information regarding property owners or who has non-remonstrances on their titles. Do you think we're in the same boat as our neighbors to the north?
Something else to think about is that a long stretch (600.06 feet to be exact) of this LID belongs to Chehalem Parks and Recreation District (CPRD), who according to their home page deem themselves, "Community Partners" with the City of Newberg (http://www.cprdnewberg.org/). Obviously, they will not protest this LID. CPRD already receives our tax money each year when we pay our property taxes, yet they have an equal vote. Is this type of double-dipping fair?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Response from Mr. Chiu
Here is Mr. Chiu's indirect response to my email inquiry regarding public meetings (below) and a complete list of property owners:
"Sue,
We appreciate your inquiry with two emails. We are just starting this project. Informational and progress meetings will be arranged for homeowners in the next month or two. We'd be more than happy to share with you and we'll certainly contact you and work with you when we reach that point. Thank you.
Paul Chiu, P.E."
"Sue,
We appreciate your inquiry with two emails. We are just starting this project. Informational and progress meetings will be arranged for homeowners in the next month or two. We'd be more than happy to share with you and we'll certainly contact you and work with you when we reach that point. Thank you.
Paul Chiu, P.E."
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Public Meetings
What kinds of meetings can we attend??
I've sent an email to Paul Chiu:
"Dear Mr. Chiu - In addition to the information I requested from you four days ago, I also have another question. Would you please tell me what types of meetings the property owners within the proposed Main Street LID are entitled to attend? Are we welcome to attend any meetings being held between the City and the newly-hired consultant? If we are ultimately responsible for paying their salary should the LID pass, it would seem a reasonable assumption that we would be welcomed attendees. Please advise. Thank you. Sue Lampson."
I'll let you know his response.
I've sent an email to Paul Chiu:
"Dear Mr. Chiu - In addition to the information I requested from you four days ago, I also have another question. Would you please tell me what types of meetings the property owners within the proposed Main Street LID are entitled to attend? Are we welcome to attend any meetings being held between the City and the newly-hired consultant? If we are ultimately responsible for paying their salary should the LID pass, it would seem a reasonable assumption that we would be welcomed attendees. Please advise. Thank you. Sue Lampson."
I'll let you know his response.
REPRESENTATION?
One of our neighbors recently contacted me. She had been talking with some of her neighbors who thought we would only be able to fight the proposed LID if we had some sort of representation.
Please read the flyer I put at your door, which is also the first post on the blog (below), as we need only use our voices. Our ability to remonstrate is our ability to overturn this project.
Two important points:
1. If you have a non-remonstrance on your title you won't be able to vote.
2. We have to wait until the consultant has come up with a plan, they've received bids, and put together their master plan on how much the improvement will cost and who gets charged what. It isn't until that point we can actually do the math and figure out if 60% of the value of the improvement is actually fronting properties that can vote, and if those property owners actually don't want the LID.
Please read the flyer I put at your door, which is also the first post on the blog (below), as we need only use our voices. Our ability to remonstrate is our ability to overturn this project.
Two important points:
1. If you have a non-remonstrance on your title you won't be able to vote.
2. We have to wait until the consultant has come up with a plan, they've received bids, and put together their master plan on how much the improvement will cost and who gets charged what. It isn't until that point we can actually do the math and figure out if 60% of the value of the improvement is actually fronting properties that can vote, and if those property owners actually don't want the LID.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
POLL
Please vote in the poll that's on the far left upper corner of the page. How do you think this LID will affect your property value?
CONSULTANT HIRED
Yesterday, September 7th, the City of Newberg hired a consultant to orchestrate the proposed Main Street LID. Their initial "kick-off" meeting was held yesterday, according to Dan Danicic of the City Public Works department.
Now that the LID is at this stage, the project engineer is PAUL CHIU and he would be the one to whom we would address any questions. His contact information is as follows:
PAUL CHIU, P.E., Senior Engineer
CITY OF NEWBERG – Public Works Dept. / Engineering Div.
414 East First Street; Mailing: P.O. Box 970, Newberg, OR 97132
Tel: 503-554-1751 Fax: 503-537-1277
Email: Paul.chiu@ci.newberg.or.us
I will ask him for a property list and keep you posted of any new information I receive.
Now that the LID is at this stage, the project engineer is PAUL CHIU and he would be the one to whom we would address any questions. His contact information is as follows:
PAUL CHIU, P.E., Senior Engineer
CITY OF NEWBERG – Public Works Dept. / Engineering Div.
414 East First Street; Mailing: P.O. Box 970, Newberg, OR 97132
Tel: 503-554-1751 Fax: 503-537-1277
Email: Paul.chiu@ci.newberg.or.us
I will ask him for a property list and keep you posted of any new information I receive.
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