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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1969/04/21 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST . LOUIS PARK , MINNESOTA April 210 1969 1 . CALL TO ORDER at 8 : 08 p . m . by Mayor Thiel . The meeting was called to order 2 . ROLL CALL followin Councilmen were present at roll call : The g Richard Graves James Heltze r Frank Howard Richard Koch Leonard Thiel Also present were the Acting City Manager , Director of F City Attorney , Director of Public Works , City Assessor , and Acting Secretary . 3 . PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGES Mrs . Pepper Nypan , president of the League of V omen Voters, spoke to the Council on the proposed charter changes . She stated that the League has not taken a position on the proposed changes but she was concerned about the procedures the Council was following . Mrs . Nypan requested that the Council withdraw their request to the State Legislature on the charter changes . Councilman Graves explained that the proposed charter changes would be coming back to the City Council before they were enacted . He also explained that in the meantime the Charter Commission would be studying the changes . Councilman Howard moved and Councilman Graves seconded a motion to have a special meeting at 7 : 00 p . m . on Monday , April 28 , for the discussion of .ro osed charter changes , It was suggested that the twoP P g gg Representatives and the State Senator be invited to this meeting , beCaIse there is some concern that the Legislature will not act upon the proposed changes . 4 . GARBAGE COLLECTION SERVICES ontl3 ` . Mr . Drury of V`loodlake Sanitation Service discussed the garbage with the Council Councilman Heltzer asked about the provision in \ ,ire contract that the hauler have his office located in St . Louis park• 117 Council Minutes , April 21 , 1969 Drury reminded him that the Council had waived that provision before the contract was accepted . Mr . Bob Martin , Acting City Manager , explained to Councilman Heltzer the normal complaint procedure . Whenever anyone calls the City Hall the name , address , and location of the cans are written on a special list . Twice a day the foreman for Woodlake comes into the office , picks up these slips and takes care of the complaints . Councilman Koch asked Mr . Drury if he could continue picking up leaves in the summer and fall also . Mr . Drury stated that he could , for additional money , it was moved by Councilman Heltzer , seconded by Councilman Graves , that the City Manager be authorized to pay Vk, oodlake Sanitation an additional $ 700 per week for four weeks to pick up the leaves from the residences . The motion carried unanimously. 5 . PROPERTY VALUATIONS Mayor Thiel stated that individual assessments would not be taken up at this meeting , but they would be discussing the assessment policy of the City . Mr . Bob Locky , City Assessor , began by telling Council and residents of his background in assessing . He next stated that in the summer of 1967 he received a letter from the County Assessor stating that as of August , 1967 the City ' s assessed valuation to sales ratio had gone down from 31 . 9 % to 27 . 4 %. The County Assessor also stated that if the sales ratio was not up to 30 % when the assessments were certified , there would be an across - the - board assessment increase to make up the difference . The City Assessor then stated the procedure he used to bring the sales ratio up and that St . Louis Park ' s assessed valuation had gone up 23 . 4 %. He then gave the assessed valuation increases of the six largest com - munities in Hennepin County , excluding Minneapolis . Bloomington 37o9 % Brooklyn Center 26 . 9 % Minnetonka 15 . 676 Richfield 21 . 3 % Edina 23 . 9 % St , Louis Park 23 . 4 % lie also stated that all of the assessed valuations in Hennepin County excluding Minneapolis went up 22 . 1 % . Next the Assessor stated that if there had not been any increase in the budgets of the Hennepin County , the Independent School District 283 or the City , the mill levy would have dropped 100 mills because of the increased valuations . He also stated that if there had not been an increase in the valuation of the 118 Council Minutes , April 21 , 1969 but the budgets had still increased , there would have been properties , resent levy * an additional 90 mill levy over the p several residents addressed the council and the After the presentation, idents included : Assessors asking questions . These res Mr . Nathan Neff , 2700 Xenwood , representing the Citizens Tax Relief Committee of St . Louis Park , stated that he had astatement es ons bilit with several signatures on it requesting the City to use fiscal r p y Mr . Art Myers , 2720 Ottawa Avenue , wanted to know the relationship between the assessed valuation of the whole City and the assessed valuation Locky stated that he did not have those of the commercial property . Mr . I appealing assessments were figures on hand . Next the methods of explained to the audience . 1 . The property owner may appeal to the City Assessor . 2 . He may appeal to the County Assessor . 3 . The local board of review which meets on the fourth Monday of June may review the appraisals of the assessor that he has made in the current year . 4 . The County Board of Equalization which meets on the third Monday in July . 5 . The State Board of Equalization which meets on the second Tuesday in September . 6 . If the property owner feels that he still has not been satisfied or he decides not to use the other methods , he may file a petition with the Clerk of District Court and take his case directly to district court . Councilman Howard asked if there was any method of notifying the people when their property is being re - evaluated . Mr . Locky stated that his department is working on a method of sending out a postcard to all property owners when their property is being reassessed . Mr . Mervyn Levin of 2620 Monterey Avenue asked if there was anyone acitizen of St . Louis Park can discuss his assessment with besides the City Assessor . He was advised to contact the County Assessor . i i Gene Strommen , Executive Director of St . Louis Park Chamber of Commerce , asked if St . Louis Park is on par with the other communities as far as assessed valuation to the sales ratio . Mr . Ambrose Kotteschate , the Executive Director of the Minnesota Lakeshore League spoke to the Council about high land evaluations * Mr . Dave Braner , 1643 Texas Avenue asked about the large increase in their valuation. It was explained to � him that theinc rease was an 119 4J r-- Council Minutes , April 21 , 1969 assessed valuation , not in taxes collected . Mr . Fred Harrington , Lincoln , Nebraska , representing a taxpayer of St . Louis Park , asked what is the last day the assessor can change an evaluation . Mr . Locky stated that it is the fourth Monday in June . Mr . A . Lampe , 3924 Dakota Avenue spoke briefly to the Council about the market value of the properties in St . Louis Park and about the policy of the assessors using income as part of their approach for determining the market value for commercial buildings . Mr . Harold Miller , manager of the Ambassador Motel , addressed the Council and gyre the staff add Mr . Locky a compliment , stating they were doing a good job . 5 . RESOLUTION OF CONCURRENCE REVOKING AND RE DESIGNA TING A PORTION OF CSAH NO, 5 AS CSAH NO, 17 RESOLUTION NO, 3 713 It was moved by Councilman Heltzer , seconded by Councilman Howard , to waive reading and adopt Resolution No . 3713 entitled , " Resolution of Concurrence Revoking and Redesignating a Portion of CSAH No . 5 as CSAH No . 17 . " Motion carried unanimously . 6 . COMMUNICATION FROM PHILLIP STERN Councilman Howard moved to table the communication from Phillip Stern concerning charges for services of the Assessing Department . Councilman Heltzer seconded and the motion carried unanimously. 7 . APPOINTMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION It was moved by Councilman Heltzer , seconded by Councilman Koch , to appoint Mr . Robert Thompson to fill the vacancy on the Human Rights Commission . Motion carried unanimously . The meeting was adjourned at 11 : 35 Pm . Le and J . ThieYlfayor Attest ; eter G. Cotton , Acting Secretary 120