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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,July 21,2014 Page 23 pleted. Based on the current anticipated schedule, Mr. Culver suggested the first improvement be the County Road C-2 signal; and then proposed levying all three improvements in 2016. Discussion At the request of Councilmember Etten, Mr. Culver provided information on how the benefit area had been determined by looking at an origin destination study from a certain point and then proceeding accordingly. Mr. Culver advised that staff looked closely at the dividing line in using the model to best determine how far the benefit area extended to both tank farms and the clear break defined from that model and based on their current traffic patterns and flow. Councilmember Willmus opined for the benefit of City Manager Trudgeon, that he didn't' see much difference in this proposed process than that of the previous overlay district; and by taking out the Chapter 429 process, it seemed to accom- plish the same thing. City Manager Trudgeon advised that this remained a work in progress; but through the Chapter 429 process and definitive benefit test, it provided solid ground from which to work from; and in those areas that didn't work out, alterna- tive funding may need to be identified or projects scaled back accordingly, using the trip generation model based on land use. Councilmember Willmus cautioned that the City and property owner appraisals and any discrepancies would result in delayed development as they sat in court rooms for the next fifteen years awaiting a determination. Mr. Culver suggested that, through spreading out the costs among property own- ers it provided the City with the ability through State law and City Code to ex- pand those costs beyond just abutting properties to other benefitting properties based on the benefit test. As the improvement moved further out in the benefit area, Mr. Culver noted that those outer parcels would experience a much reduced assessment than those abutting properties based on preliminary projections, with the cost to smaller parcels in those outlying areas not that significant. Mr. Culver noted that the question remains of whether property owners see the benefit and be willing to pay or prefer to fight the cost even though receiving benefit from the improvement. Referencing Mr. Trudgeon's comment, the City would have to prove the benefit on all those properties within the benefit area. At the request of Mayor Roe, Mr. Culver reiterated that staff intended to have pre- liminary conversations with all property owners in the benefit area, and planned to do so yet this fall.