Hortonville OKs special assessments
By John Faucher
The Hortonville Village Board approved the final special assessment report for a newly reconstructed Grandview Road at its Oct. 17 board meeting.
Reconstruction of the road from Crestview Drive to the East village limits began in early summer.
The project included engineering, design, asphalt roadway reconstruction, storm sewer construction and curb and gutter improvements. Hortonville Public Works Director Carl McCrary provided a report to village board members last Thursday.
“I think all-in-all the project went pretty well,” said McCrary. “There were a few hiccups with storm sewer issues but it’s a project the village has been trying to figure out how to do for the last 40 years.”
Village Administrator David DeTroye said overall he felt contractors and residents were “very accommodating,” and things went pretty smoothly.
“They did a good job with restoration and it really turned out nice,” he said.
The total cost of the project submitted by MSA Professional Services Inc. is $796,050.
The village received a state grant to cover $173,985 of the project.
Special assessments
McCrary said the grant funding helped lower special assessment costs to adjacent property owners.
Thirty-one parcels will be assessed $3,900 each to cover $122,760 of the project.
Initial figures estimated assessments in the $3,000 to $3,500 range. However, storm sewer issues and two change orders in the project increased the overall costs.
McCrary informed board members there were a few last minute land combinations and some potential easements they couldn’t get in addition to the storm water issues they experienced.
“So we probably spent about $50,000 more than we were thinking going into the project,” McCrary said.
He recommended the board give residents four years to pay on assessments because they came in closer to the $3,900 range.
“We try to stay at $1,000 or less per year on residential assessments. That’s a lot of money, I don’t think I would go any higher than that,” said McCrary.
Interest rates
Village President Jean Bellile asked what interest rates were.
DeTroye said rates on were at 3.25 percent when he checked earlier that day on the costs of a one-year $100,000 note.
“We don’t have to set it at that, again, it’s a recommendation, you could do one, or two percent, but the going rate is 3.25 percent.
Bellile asked what percent they’ve used in the past.
McCrary said at least three percent.
Trustee Pat Lund Moe stated she sided with the lower end percentage.
McCrary noted that the village did make a concession for the parcel owners by deducting the grant before calculating the assessment numbers.
“It was the right thing to do,” said McCrary, even through legally they were not required to deduct the grant when calculating the assessments.
Trustee Peter Olk noted that the percentage should be consistent with what has been done in the past.
“Three is below what it would cost to borrow the money. And then we have to borrow money to cover any shortages in the budget and it’s going to cost us. So it’s actually giving a little bit I think, said Trustee Jim Moeller.
Trustee Daniel Nejedlo made a motion to set the interest rate at three percent with a payment terms of four years and Moeller seconded the motion.
The board approved the motion unanimously.