(Spirit Lake)– Property owners assessed for improvements made to branch 81 of Drainage District 22 will see a decrease in their assessments as a result of action Wednesday evening by the Spirit Lake city council.
Meeting in a hearing that was continued from last month, the council voted to increase the city’s share of points on branch 81, making them the same as those for the city’s share of the main project. It means property owners who were assessed for the branch 81 project in addition to the main project will see their assessments for the branch 81 project decrease by about 42 percent. Assessments for the main will stay about the same. The amount of assessments for the branch 81 project was a source of concern for many property owners who got hit twice–once for that and the other for the main line project. Branch 81 affects most property owners south of 23rd Street west of Hill Avenue.
After ruling on objections to assessments that were filed at last month’s hearing by 23 property owners, the council voted to set the payback period for assessments at 20 years at an interest rate of 8.25 percent. Assistant City Attorney Greg Owens says property owners will be able to pay off the assessment with no interest charge if they do so within 30 days of receiving the assessment notice. Owens says those notices will probably come out in the next 30 to 60 days. He says it’s something anyone buying or selling property on the south side of Spirit Lake will need to keep in mind. Owens says unpaid assessments will be assigned as a lien against the property that would have to be satisfied before the title is transferred.
