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. . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - MARCH 30.1998 5 Kerstin Leonard, 1954 Edgewater Avenue, stated they received notice the end of November and were shocked. She stated they believe this was a short notice and suggested the City provide a longer notification period to allow people to prepare. Mayor Probst stated the process followed now allows notice three to four months earlier than provided in the past. Hc explained a three year program was identified to create an improvement project where the roads are in close vicinity for cost benefit. Mayor Probst noted that Edgewater A venue was on the list a year ago since it was included as a candidate for reconstruction, but it did not proceed. Britt Lundgren, 1977 Gramsie Road, stated she has a corner lot and asked if she will be assessed again when the other road is improved. Mayor Probst explained that the corner lot formula provides a credit so it is not a full assessment on the second side. George Rehbein, 1759 Crystal Avenue, stated there is a five-year window on the application of the corner lot formula street credit and, if it is more than five years, the resident has to pay for the full assessment on both sides of the corner lot. Mayor Probst stated this is correct. Barbara Haake, 3024 County Road I, Mounds View, stated she was invited to the meeting tonight by several residents. She reported that the City of Mounds View just completed a street project and reviewed her past municipal service and citizen involvement with a group of residents who received a different road outcome by working with the Mounds View City Council. Ms. Haake reviewed her involvement in a road project and commented on the typical view of Councils who wants to do what is best for the city by fiduciary judgement and the typical resident's view that the council will do what they want whether it is best for the residents or not. Ms. Haake stated in Mounds View it was proposed to construct a road at 32 feet wide with curb and gutter at a $41.04 per front foot assessment. Most lots are 100 feet wide so the average assessment would have been $4,100 per house. Residents wanted the road to be 24 feet wide without curb and gutter. She advised of the action of a residents committee to counter the City's direction and which groups they involved to challenge the City on this street project. Ms. Haake cautioned the Council about future costs to maintain the roads the City is planning to construct and explained how Mounds View found exceptions that can be made on MSA funded roads to eliminate curbs and gutters from the road design. She reviewed the assessments charged by Arden Hills for road projects over the past Jew years. Ms. Haake asserted that Arden Hills has sandy soils which is a good permeable soil so curb and gutter (which would result in additional costs) is not necessary to install. She advised that Mounds View reduced the street width as requested by the residents which reduced the assessment costs by 75%. Then, over next two weeks, the residents said the neighborhood and aesthetics were the real issues and the Council then agreed to a 24 foot wide street without curb and gutter with no assessment since MSA funds will be applied.