Notice of Hearing on
Proposed Assessment
City of Maple Lake,
County of Wright, State of Minnesota
Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Maple Lake will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at the Maple Lake City Hall, located at 10 Maple Ave. S., Maple Lake, MN, for a meeting and will hold a public hearing to consider, and possibly adopt, the proposed assessment roll for the 2023 Mill & Overlay Project, which includes street restoration via bituminous mill and overlay and certain drain tile improvements within the following city street segments: Forest City Blvd NW (between west end and Spruce Ave N), Aspen Circle, Chestnut St (between west end and Cedar Ave N), Cedar Ave N (between Forest City Blvd and Spruce Avenue N), Cedar Ave N (between Forest City Blvd and Lincoln St NW), Lincoln St NW (between Cedar Ave N and Forest City Blvd NW), Lincoln Circle, Lincoln St NW (between Cedar Ave N and west end), Cedar Ave N (between Lincoln St and NW 6th St NW), Cedar Court, 6th Street NW (between Spruce Ave N and Cedar Ave N), Cedar Ave N (between 6th St NW and Geneva Rd), 5th Street NW (between Cedar Ave N and Albion Pl), Albion Circle, Albion Place (between 6th St NW and Congress St W), Congress St W (between west cul-de-sac and Spruce Ave N), Geneva Rd (between west end and Spruce Ave N), Spruce Avenue N (between north end and 6th St NW), Spruce Avenue N (between 6th St NW and HWY 55), Congress St W (extending approximately 1000′ east of Spruce Ave N), Congress St W (between Maple Ave N and CSAH 8), Maple Ave N (between Division St W and 6th St NW), Elm St N (between HWY 55 and CSAH 8), and 1st St E (between Elm St S ad CSAH 8). The properties proposed to be specially assessed include property that abuts the above-described street segments and property that is otherwise provided a special benefit by the improvements due to direct access from the above-described street segments to shared common areas. Adoption by the City Council of the proposed assessment against the properties benefited may occur immediately following the hearing.
The total cost of the above-referenced project is estimated to be $1,600,000, of which $558,908 is proposed to be specially assessed to benefiting properties. The proposed assessment roll is on file for public inspection at the City Administrator’s office at City Hall. Such assessment is proposed to be payable in equal annual installments extending over a period of 15 years, the first of the installments to be payable on or before the first Monday in January 2024, and will bear interest at the rate of no greater than 4.5 percent per annum from the date of the adoption of the assessment resolution. To the first installment shall be added interest on the entire assessment from November 1, 2023 until December 31, 2024. To each subsequent installment when due shall be added interest for one year on all unpaid installments.
The owner of any property so assessed may, at any time prior to certification of the assessment to the County Auditor, pay the entire assessment on such property to the City Administrator. No interest shall be charged if the entire assessment is paid before November 1, 2023. An owner may at any time thereafter, pay the entire amount of the assessment remaining unpaid, with interest accrued to December 31 of the year in which such payment is made. Such payment must be made before November 15 of any year or interest will be charged through December 31 of the succeeding year. If an owner decides not to prepay the assessment by November 1, 2023, the rate of interest that will apply is the rate determined in the assessment resolution, which shall not exceed 4.5 percent per annum. The right to partially prepay the assessment is also available.
Written or oral objections will be considered at the meeting. No appeal to district court may be taken as to the amount of an assessment unless a written objection signed by the affected property owner is filed with the City Administrator prior to the assessment hearing or presented to the presiding officer at the hearing. The City Council may at the hearing or at any adjournment thereof upon such further notice as it deems advisable to the affected property owners consider any objection to the amount of a proposed individual assessment.
Under Minn. Stat. §§ 435.193 to 435.195, the City Council may, in its discretion, defer the payment of this special assessment for any homestead property owned by a person 65 years of age or older, one retired by virtue of a permanent and total disability, or a member of the National Guard or other reserves ordered to active military service for whom it would be a hardship to make the payments. When deferment of the special assessment has been granted and is terminated for any reason provided in that law, all amounts accumulated plus applicable interest become due. Any assessed property owner meeting the requirements of this law may, within 30 days of the adoption of the assessment, apply to the City for the prescribed form for such deferral of payment of this special assessment on the owner’s property. Deferrals are also available for undeveloped property pursuant to the City’s assessment policy.
An owner may appeal an assessment to district court pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor or the City Administrator within 30 days after the adoption of the assessment and filing such notice with the District Court within 10 days after service upon the Mayor or City Administrator.
Renee Eckerly,
City Administrator