Use of Special Assessment Districts for Unimproved Roads

1. Use of Special Assessment Districts for Unimproved Roads Board of County Commissioners May 8, 2012

2. Recommendation Authorize staff to prepare a draft ordinance revising Chapter 37 of the Alachua County Code to include specific criteria for establishing Special Assessment Districts for the purposes of applying alternative surface treatments on County-maintained unimproved roads and to include language that allows for qualified low-income resident owners to apply for hardship assistance.

3. History • June, 2011 - Public Works staff requested policy direction on the use of Special Assessment Districts for the application of alternative surface treatment for unimproved roads. • BoCC expressed concerns of equity of such and program, particularly in regards to large property owners controlling the polling of individual property owners and the potential impact to low income residents. BoCC directed staff to come back with alternative proposals.

4. History • January, 2012 - Public Works staff requested authorization to amend Chapter 37 of the Alachua County Code relating to Special Assessment Districts for amended criteria for the application of alternative surface treatment for unimproved roads. • BoCC directed staff to take proposals to the Rural Concerns Advisory Committee and the Poverty Reduction Advisory Board for their recommendations.

5. History • January & March, 2012 - Public Works staff presented information relating to Special Assessment Districts (SADs) and amended criteria for the application of alternative surface treatment for unimproved roads to the Poverty Reduction Advisory Board (PRAB). • PRAB recommended moving forward with use of SADs with the amended criteria but also requested that staff add language to allow low-income residents that qualify to apply for hardship assistance.

6. History • February & March, 2012 - Public Works staff presented information relating to Special Assessment Districts (SADs) and amended criteria for the application of alternative surface treatment for unimproved roads to the Rural Concerns Advisory Committee (RCAC). • RCAC recommended moving forward with use of SADs with the amended criteria but recommended that the criteria for roadways with less than 10 residents be eliminated.

7. SAD Criteria for Unimproved Roads • For roads where multiple property owners control more than 20% of the number of parcels, 60% of the property owners must sign the resident initiated petition for it to be presented to the Board. 75% of the responders to the property owner interest poll must indicate approval of the assessment for the project to proceed to the Notice of Intent hearing.

8. SAD Criteria for Unimproved Roads • For projects where the estimated annual assessment is more than $250/year, 60% of the property owners must sign the resident initiated petition for it to be presented to the Board. 75% of the responders to the property owner interest poll must indicate approval of the assessment for the project to proceed to the Notice of Intent hearing.

9. SAD Criteria for Unimproved Roads • For roads where there are less than 20 property owners, 75% of the property owners must sign the resident initiated petition for it to be presented to the Board and 75% of the responders to the property owner interest poll must indicate approval of the assessment for the project to proceed to the Notice of Intent hearing.

10. Recommendation Authorize staff to prepare a draft ordinance revising Chapter 37 of the Alachua County Code to include specific criteria for establishing Special Assessment Districts for the purposes of applying alternative surface treatments on County-maintained unimproved roads and to include language that allows for qualified low-income resident owners to apply for hardship assistance.