Phases & Definitions

Phase I - Feasibility & Conceptual

• The time between when the City identifies a potential project and the time the city council orders a project may be as long as five years (5-year Capital Improvements Plan).
• Typically, six months to a year before a project is ordered, the City Engineer will be directed to prepare a feasibility study. A feasibility study is a project plan to identify the need and scope of the improvement, estimate the cost of the improvement, and estimate the method of financing.
• Up to this point, the project is only being considered. Assessments are only a possibility and are still not considered pending at this stage, even though the affected property owners may have been advised of a possible improvement in their area which could cause an assessment against their property.

Phase II - Public Hearing

• After the city council has determined that a project is necessary, feasible, and cost-effective, a public hearing is ordered. The Public Works Department develops a preliminary assessment roll of property owners and mails a Notice of Public Hearing to each known property owner of record. This Notice of Public Hearing is also published twice in the official local newspaper (The Maplewood Review), in compliance with Minnesota State Statute 429, prior to the actual public hearing before the city council.
• At the conclusion of the public hearing, the city council will determine if the project is necessary and in the best interest of the community. They must vote in favor of a resolution to proceed with (order) the project. If the council votes to order the improvement, the affected properties are considered to have a Pending Assessment status on them.
• Property owners that have received written notification of this public hearing are now legally required to disclose the property's possible assessment liability at the time of a sale of the encumbered parcel.
• The proposed assessment information is available at:
  Engineering Division of the Public Works Department
  1902 County Road B East
  Maplewood, MN 55109
  Phone: 651-249-2400

Phase III - Assessment Hearing/Payment

• In Maplewood, the actual assessments are typically levied after bids are received and reviewed but before a construction contract is awarded.
• Prior to holding an assessment hearing, the city engineer and city clerk will be directed to prepare the final assessment list, as well as to notify the affected property owners, again in compliance with Minnesota State Statute 429.
• The assessment hearing is held to allow all interested parties an opportunity to publicly voice their concerns for the city council to consider before it votes on adopting the assessment roll and constructing the project.
• Specific information about the assessments and hearing process are provided to the property owner with the Notice of Assessment Hearing.
• With a favorable vote and resolution adopting the proposed assessment roll, the status of the assessment will change from a pending assessment to a levied assessment.
• The adoption of the assessment roll begins the assessment payment process, again governed by state statute.