Pantown Sewer and Sidewalk Project Approved Despite Funding Concerns

(KNSI) — Approval of a new sewer and sidewalk project in St. Cloud’s Pantown neighborhood was unanimously approved at Monday night’s St. Cloud City Council meeting, even after concerns were raised about who would pay for it.

The project is phase three of the Stormwater Resilience and Flood Mitigation Plan. The plan identifies flooding causes and proposes implementation strategies and solutions to mitigate flooding issues.

Resident Weston Nordhausen spoke out against it because of how much the project would cost homeowners.

Speaking with KNSI News after the meeting, he expressed his frustration at having to pay “$14,083 for 80 feet of road” after his taxes went up last year by 26.1% and increased over 10% this year. Those numbers have not been independently verified by KNSI. Nordhausen adds, “I don’t qualify for any of the special benefits amount for someone over 65. I don’t meet the income requirements, so it’s just kind of frustrating to see, especially when they had the Cooper Avenue and Wilson Avenue projects last year that weren’t subject to special assessment, and now apparently, they have a new rule coming into play that’ll be fair from here on out.”

The special assessment he is referring to is the one passed last month that will charge adjacent property owners a portion of the cost for major sewer and road repairs. Residents wouldn’t be charged more than the analysis would show. According to Public Works Director Tracy Hodel, the assessments for the Pantown project won’t be due until 2026 because the costs won’t be known until 2025. Property owners have ten years to pay back the assessment fee.

Nordhausen also claims there’s no storm drain on his road anyway and feels the city should be better at planning ahead and putting money away for infrastructure improvements such as the one in his neighborhood.

While he says he understands the need to make repairs and replacements, he wants to know why the city isn’t asking the state or federal government for grants. The change made last month also means property owners would be assessed regardless of whether the city got state or federal grants to help pay for a project.

Nordhausen also asked who covers the portion not paid for because of a tax-exempt status, such as a church, school, medical provider, or a nonprofit. Twenty percent of the landowners in St. Cloud qualify as tax exempt. Per the Stearns County Property Assessment Services Department, a property receiving a property tax exemption does not pay general property taxes. However, property exempt from the general property tax may be required to pay for special assessments, such as a sewer project, or, under certain circumstances, may be required to pay a portion of the income from the property in lieu of the general property tax. If a parcel in question is in St. Cloud, it may be subject to different rules.

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