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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,January 10, 2011 Page 18 City could prove any actual benefit to the parcel that would substantiate such an assessment. Ms. Bloom reviewed the proposed assessment map and the City's Assessment Policy, advising that the townhomes having access on Woodhill and MacKubin would not be assessed as they had no access to Dale Street; and that remaining properties would have an estimated assessment of $48.66 per foot based on a standard lot width of 85 feet and assessment average of $4,136.10. Ms. Bloom reviewed the timing for the project and subsequent assessments and assessment deferral process; and funding for the project. Ms. Bloom noted that if the City Council approved the project, staff would work on final plans and specifications and return to the City Council for approval to go to bid. Discussion among Councilmembers and staff included location of proposed speed tables and potential noise concerns as cars drove over them, and potential disrup- tion to the neighborhood; speed reductions achieved over three years of operation by the City of St. Paul, based on comment by their Engineer; no impediments to snow removal or drainage from the speed tables; and sunset provisions for city- wide CRFS for undergrounding utilities over a three year window, and how to ad- dress consistent criteria for determining undergrounding. Councilmember Willmus advised that he was not generally supportive of under- grounding utilities. Further discussion included the City's Assessment Policy assessing property owners for 25% of the cost of road construction for a 32' wide, 7-ton road, even if built to higher specifications; the City's road rating index and Pavement Man- agement Plan (PMP): condition of turnback roads and recourse for the City to ad- dress those turnback road conditions; negotiation by staff on maintenance of turn- back roads prior to accepting them and options to accept or not accept them; and types of curbing, including ribbon curbing to minimize stormwater runoff. Ms. Bloom assured Councilmembers and the public that staff considered many options when reviewing various road projects based on the specific area and unique situations of that particular section. Ms. Bloom reviewed the concept of ribbon curbing, noting that it was another tool to consider, and further noting that there was only a small portion that would have ribbon curbing, with staff not re- commending it for Dale Street based on the grading of the road and erosion con- cerns in the design of ribbon curbs. Further discussion included staff's recommended width for boulevard to facilitate trees and grass, and to provide additional protection for pedestrians from the roadway; and previous City policy (prior to 2001) for assessing portions of the cost for pathways or trails whether requested through petition or initiated through other avenues.