LID approved by council, public can still protest

By Clare Jensen

The Signal
cjensen@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: November 06, 2008

Edgewood City Council said yes to creating a sewer local improvement district (LID) Oct. 28. After a months long process of creating and assessing the citizen-proposed LID, the council approved the second reading of the ordinance, stating they would leave it up to the citizens to make the final decision.

The LID formation process started earlier this year when a citizen group representing about 72 percent of the affected area petitioned the city to create an LID as a way to pay for sewer installation. The residents now have the opportunity to petition the city to not create the LID. If 60 percent or more of LID proponents say they do not want the LID by Nov. 27, the council’s decision will be repealed.

“The citizens have gotten a chance to weigh in and give their input, and ultimately, the property owners who are going to have to pay for it…get to decide whether it goes forward or not,” said Deputy Mayor Dave Olson Oct. 28.

While the majority of LID proponents said they wanted the LID back in April, recent benefit appraisal assessments for the property owners created some concern.

City officials and LID advisors stressed that the preliminary assessments could differ from the final assessment role for the project once actual project costs and interest rates could be determined in 2010. Constituents would not make payments for the LID until 2012. Unknown and potentially unaffordable individual costs for the $23 million sewer project played into some property owners’ objection to the LID.

An informal assessment of opposition collected by LID advisor Gary Borne at a public hearing Oct. 14 concluded that about 3.9 percent of the property owners in the LID area were against the LID. Another 4.29 percent of constituents said they originally supported the idea of an LID, but that they no longer supported the LID or assessment results.

Council approved the ordinance five to one, with Councilmember Enid Duncan casting the dissenting vote and Steve Cope abstaining. Both Duncan and Cope own property in the LID area.

Council members who voted “yes” on the ordinance agreed on the notion that getting the sewers installed now would benefit the city and residents, and that property owners could petition the LID if they so choose.

“I just continue to be in support of this (LID) process,” Olson said. “There’s no perfect process, but I still think this is a good thing for the city, the citizens and the property owners overall. Not 100 percent, but overall.”

Property owners within the LID who oppose its formation should file written protests, including the address of the owned parcel within the LID boundary and must include the property owner’s signature. The 30-day LID petition time frame expires Nov. 27, but petitioners should consider that City Hall will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Submit written protests to Edgewood City Hall at 2221 Meridian Ave. E., or e-mail to cityhall@cityofedgewood.org.

Questions? Call (253) 952-3299.

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