This is an e-mail I received from Jack Griffin in response to my inquiry concerning streets with assessment districts.

Theresa,

Please find attached the latest info item we sent to Council with the schedules.  Please note that two weeks ago, the First Avenue District vote did not pass.  There were 61 total ballots sent out.  Only 37 were returned.  Of the 37, 31 voted in favor, however those 31 votes only constituted 49% of the weighted vote which is how these votes are tabulated according to State Law.  The attached schedule was provided prior to that vote, so the First Avenue timeline will slide.  That assumes that the property owners a submit new petition and go through a new vote process.  Should that not occur, we would move on assuming First Avenue would not be undertaken.

I don't understand your comment with respect to Bob at Naples and Alpine.  I have spoken to him many times and I don't believe I ever told him that he didn't want to know where his street was with respect to others.  We have held meetings for property owners on his street and there was some disagreement among them as to whether they were interested in forming a district.  Once we complete the main streets as discussed below, we'll then have a better sense of when and how some of the local streets can get done.  It's also important to note that we have a $2.5+ million drainage improvement project under construction right now in the neighborhood and that none of the streets that cross that project should get done before the drainage project is complete.

I'm also not sure what you mean by the "City does not have the rest of the money".  With respect to this program, we have been very clear from the outset that we have $9.5 million from the HUD loan to do streets in the Castle Park neighborhood.  Council has directed us to undertake the main streets first, which in the case includes First Avenue, Second Avenue and Oxford Street.  Once those are done, which we anticipate will use approximately $6.5 million of the $9.5 million, the remaining funds will do as many blocks as the money takes us.  We have included Glenhaven as an upfront project since it ties in directly with First Avenue.  We estimate that it costs about $1 million to do a full block.  All of the projects include full reconstruction with new street, curbs, gutter and sidewalk.  The only exception to that may be Oxford as there are some areas with sidewalks and the street itself may not need full reconstruction.

I hope that's helpful.

Jack Griffin.

-----Original Message-----
From: THERESA ACERRO [mailto:thacerro@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:00 AM
To: Jack Griffin
Subject: assessment districts

There were many infrastructure questions at our meeting on Monday. Could I please get a list of the streets that have assessment districts already and a tentative timeline as to when they will get the repairs requested (mostly sidewalks and gutters I believe?

Thanks,

Theresa