Helper City is taking the first steps in creating a special improvement district to finance curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements by a tax levy on affected property. Last Friday, the city council directed City Attorney Angela Sampinos to begin drafting the provisions and to notify property owners in writing.
The special meeting was called because the latest phase of water, sewer and storm drain infrastructure has begun on south Main Street and grants and other funding which were available for improvements on the northern end of the street are not available now. “UDOT paid for a lot of that,” Councilman Gary Harwood explained. The section of Main now being torn up belongs to the city.
In previous discussions, the council has noted that this phase of construction is time-constrained. It is the heart of the business district and also is happening just before the summer season when the arts festival, car shows and baseball tournaments get under way.
Cost sharing
The city has been willing to pay 40 percent of the cost of sidewalk improvements, which vary according to frontage and extent of repairs needed. Councilman David Dornan noted that such improvements also add to property value for the owners. Owners would have several years to pay off the cost.
Ideally, the improvements could all be done at once, adding to uniformity and appearance. However, there is more than aesthetics involved. Different levels or slopes on individual sidewalks could create hazards for pedestrians or water damage to property. Attorney Sampinos said property owners have an obligation to fix sidewalks if they are in disrepair.
However, the city cannot negotiate with each property owner about price and timing. He and councilman Thomas Williams own Main Street properties. “You don’t want your building and I don’t want my building hampered by someone who doesn’t care,” he mentioned to Williams during the discussion.
The city’s massive infrastructure rebuilding began two years ago after years of planning. Some sections of underground pipe were up to 70 years old and breaks plagued maintenance crews. The city managed to get $18 million in grants and loans from the state’s Community Impact Board, but has since run into overruns that have added about $4 million to that.
For the first time in about eight years, crews have gone several weeks with having to patch pipes and streets, Harwood noted.