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. . " MAYOR WOODBURN: Mr. popovich, these are written things - do you want to comment later or now? MR. POPOVICH: No, you should any further matters that corne up. to give written communications and here. take them in consideration with They're required under the law they've been properly summarized MAYOR WOODBURN: The meeting is open for verbal comment - I guess I don't have to say for or against. You will have to identify yourself for the tape. We're required to make a verbatim recording of the proceedings, so please identify yourself. MR. JAMES STEILEN, Member of the Popham, Haik, Schnobrich, Kaufman & Doty Law Firm, 4344 IDS Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota: I'm here tonight on behalf Of corporate citizens of Arden Hills, R. L. Gould, Hunter Sales and the Eugene Colestock family, Roberts Construction, which also has a property owned by subsidiary Starco, A & D Development. Some of these properties are owned by the corporation, some by the individuals who own the corporation, but basically all of these are good corporate citizens of the City of Arden Hills - good taxpayers, good friends of the City. They called because they are extremely concerned about the nature of these assessments. These companies are located in the industrial park south of the freeway. We did try and meet with City staff today but we were employed on short notice and were unable to schedule a meeting with City staff. That's not a criticism of City staff because it was extremely short notice for them. We did try to meet but weren't able to do so. But based on our conversations with these corporations and individuals who own and manage them, it would appear that they have very strong bases for challenging these assessments. The industrial park has not had a drainage problem. The drainage problem - if it exists - exists north of the freeway. It does not exist in the industrial park. The industrial park does not have a roadway problem. until such time as the City constructed the sewer and destroyed the road and, therefore, had to rebuild the road, there really wasn't any neces- sity for the owners in the industrial park to have new sewer and to have new roads. It follows from that that the value of their property has not increased because of these projects. As far as we can tell, they have enjoyed no increase in market value that would justify these special assessments. There has, in fact, been no special benefit to the industrial park as is required by law to justify these assessments. When I look down our roll, Roberts Construc- tion is looking at $154,000 - their property hasn't increased that way. Hunter Sales' properties have been assessed in excess of $35,000; R. L. Gould, $49,000; A & D Development, $47,000. Their properties simply have not increased in those proportions to market value and the assessments cannot be justified unless those properties have received special benefit and that is - unless those properties' market value has increased in that fashion. 5