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040297 CC BR Min . . '. CITY OF SHOREWOOD BOARD OF REVIEW WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1997 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD 7:30 P.M. MINUTES 1. CONVENE BOARD OF REVIEW MEETING Mayor Dahlberg called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. A. Roll Call Present: Mayor Dahlberg; Councilmembers Stover, McCarty, O'Neill and Garfunkel; Review Agenda B. The agenda was approved as presented for April 2, 1997. 2. PRESENTATION BY CITY ASSESSOR Rolf Erickson, City Assessor, explained his company performs the assessing functions for a number of different cities. He explained the work of the city assessor is guided by state law. Mr. Erickson explained the job of the city assessor is to value each property every year at market value and to correctly classify the property. Mr. Erickson stated in the City of Shorewood, the overall property increase was approximately 5 percent. He noted the market values in the eastern portion of the city did not increase as much as the values in the western portion of the city. The sales in the western portion of the city were much higher in relation to the values appropriated to them in the previous year. The eastern portion of the city showed increases of 2 to 3 percent with some neighborhoods not reflecting any increase. Mr. Erickson explained any resident requesting a revaluation will need to set an appointment for the assessor to view the home. At that point, a recommendation will be made to the Board. In the event a property owner is not satisfied with the valuation of their property, they may file an appeal with the County Board of Equalization. A property owner may also file in Tax Court at any time up until March 31, 1998, on this value. 3. TESTIMONY BY RESIDENTS William B. Wicka, 27930 Smithtown Road, PID 31-117-23-34-0001, stated he has an unfinished basement which is not up to code and the attic is unfinished. He feels the high value is due to lakeshore and noted he has the smallest property on Smithtown Bay. He has an easement for driveway purposes and actually shares the drive with his neighbor. The neighbors recently sold their property for approximately $405,000 and their lot is nearly three to four times larger. He felt a home which recently sold at 6300 Smithtown Road for less than $640,000 would be a comparable home. Mr. Wicka felt the plats would be helpful in revaluing his property. He purchased the home approximately two years and remodeled. The value last year was $420,000 and this year the value is $750,000. Mr. Wicka felt a figure of low $600,000 would be fair. BOARD OF REVIEW MINUTES APRIL 2, 1997 - PAGE 2 . Roger Dalum, 6000 Charleston Circle, PID 34-117-23-33-0031, stated his valuation increased $18,000. Last year, the estimated value was $162,000 and this year increased to $180,000. In comparing to other houses of the same size, the shape of the lot and the location adjacent to the Shorewood Shopping Center need to be taken into consideration. Mr. Erickson did not feel this increase to be unusual, and felt in this part of the city the homes in the $120,000 to $180,000 range are affected the most. Mr. Erickson further explained the mass appraisal is not perfect and he is looking at a range of values. Dennis Frisch, 6125 Chaska Road, PID 34-117-23-34-0010, stated when the Summit access was closed, the traffic in the area dramatically increased and this has negatively affected the privacy which he was accustomed to. He stated three-quarters of his property is swamp and run- off from Murray Hill. He stated his home was built in 1956 and is in need of a new roof. Mr. Frisch felt the tax system to be very unfair. He stated he was subject to a 12.5 percent increase. . Harvey Strohm, 5945 Christmas Lake Road, PID 35-117-23-42-0017, provided a sketch of the property. His value increased $25,000 despite the fact he lives in eastern Shorewood. He stated the home was built in 1906 and there are no comparable homes in the area which have been or will be sold based on the age and condition of the property. Mr. Strohm stated his valuation for 1996 increased 21,000. No improvements have been made on the property for approximately 20 years. His neighbor, who has approximately 15 additional feet of lake shore property, received an increase of 5 percent, although his own increase is 7.55 percent. Mr. Strohm stated the figures on the card he received do not add up to the final figure. In addition he pointed out several defects now present in the house including high levels of radon. Mr. Strohm provided pictures of the property to the Board for their review. Mayor Dahlberg expressed concern for property owners who are taxed out of their property and in some cases forced to subdivide. David Onan, 5525 Wedgewood Drive, PID 33-117-23-22-0029, stated his increase for the year to be 10 percent or approximately $16,000. Since the time of purchase, Mr. Onan felt the values had actually decreased. He commented his backyard is unusable for approximately four months in the spring due to water drainage problems. In addition, the sewer has backed up several times causing considerable damage to the home. Mr. Onan felt it would take approximately $2,000 to upgrade his driveway from the damage created by the heavy equipment. He noted his neighbors' properties have declined over the years. Due to the condition of his well, Mr. Onan noted improvements will have to be made to obtain water in addition to the water assessments which will be incurred. He noted his home needs some upgrading such as replacement of the current roof. Les Peltz, 23340 Park Street, PID 34-117-23-31-0039, stated his valuation increased 9.68 percent. He did not feel the circumstances would justify this degree of increase. Mr. Peltz stated the roof is 18 years old and he requested an inspection of the property. Mary Ann Davidson, 19730 Sweetwater Curve, PID 36-117-23-42-0020, provided a handout reflecting the valuations from 1993 through 1997. She felt the prior years to be fair, however, an increase of approximately $30,000 from 1996 to 1997 was excessive. Ms. Davidson provided a handout stating the two homes highlighted on the handout are very comparable to her home. She did not feel a reasonable buyer would spend $471,000 to purchase her home. Ms. Davidson provided information obtained from realtors regarding comparable homes to the assessor for his review. . BOARD OF REVIEW MINUTES APRIL 2, 1997 - PAGE 3 . L. E. Leipold, 5670 Wedgewood Drive, PID 33-117-23-23-0058, stated his valuation increased $13,000 from 1996. He asked if the average increase for Shorewood is 4.8 percent. Mr. Erickson clarified that is cumulative and not an average. The overall classification increased by 4.8 percent which excludes new improvements. The total residential increase was 4.6 percent which was not an average. The increases ranged from 0 to 20 percent. The reason for the decreases were due to properties selling for less than their valuation figure. Mr. Erickson explained he works in a one square mile geographic area. He reviews the sales and then makes a decision relative to what will happen with each section. Mr. Leipold inquired whether all properties in the same area, as defined by the assessor, increased at the same rate. Mr. Erickson stated they did not due to differing amenities and characteristics in the properties. Mr. Leipold requested a review of his home. Councilmember O'Neill remarked he would like to see an historical review of the market values in Shorewood. He felt this information would assist in being able to understand the valuations. Jo Cunningham, 28170 Woodside Road, PID 31-117-23-24-0010, stated her increase to be $17,000 this year in light of the fact there have been no improvements to the property. Jim Savoie, 5455 Gideon Lane, stated the Gideon Townhome Association has requested the president of the association, Fred Dresser, address the Board. He stated most of the home owners are senior citizens on a fixed income who moved to this area for the lower taxes. He stated that despite information he was given by the developer, the valuations have almost doubled. Mr. Dresser stated the quality of the water declined since being removed from the Tonka Bay system and becoming hooked into the Shorewood system. He stated Gideon Woods does not receive many benefits from the City noting they do not receive plowing services, road maintenance or lighting from the City. . Mayor Dahlberg stated he did not believe the services which are not provided by the City would drive the setting of valuation determinations. Jim Savoie reiterated the concerns of Mr. Dresser and stated there are problems with the developer and was uncertain whether this had affected the property values. He stated Gideon Woods is not a prime area. He stated the valuation is based on a completed purchase even though the landscaping and sodding has not been completed. Due to problems with the developer, a screen porch has not been completed even though it was paid for. Councilmember Stover suggested the surrounding neighbors join with the Gideon Woods neighborhood and meet with the Council relative to the problems in the area in an attempt to resolve these issues. Mayor Dahlberg also suggested meeting with the neighborhood on a Saturday to discuss their concerns. John Wood, 4915 Regents Walk, PID 25-117-23-23-0002, stated he recently purchased the home for $260,000 in November of 1996 and noted the valuation for 1997 to be approximately $313,000. At the time of purchase, he did review comparable homes in the area and paid a well negotiated price. Work has been completed on the home, however, he did not feel a valuation of $313,000 to be accurate. Mr. Wood requested the home be reviewed. . . . . BOARD OF REVIEW MINUTES APRIL 2, 1997 - PAGE 4 Brett Brooks, 5960 Galpin Lake Road, PID 34-117-23-42-0019, stated he lives on a hill which is a significant disadvantage. In addition, he lives in close proximity to Highway 7. Mr. Brooks stated the property was valued in 1996 at $93,000 and in 1997, $104,000. He requested the property be reviewed and it was re-assessed on March 27, 1997, resulting in a valuation which decreased from $104,000 to $98,000. Mr. Brooks felt this to also be excessive. Mr. Erickson explained physical and functional problems would result in a decrease in the value. Mr. Brooks pointed out the home was purchased in 1992 for $76,000. The value has increased considerably each year resulting in a $30,000 increase in a five year period of time. Mr. Brooks stated there have not been any improvements to the property other than minor maintenance. Mr. Erickson stated the properties will be reviewed even though an onsite inspection may not be necessary. If any questions arise, the property owner will be contacted. Linda Tilton, 5620 Covington, PID 36-117-23-24-0013, stated the valuation on her property has increased from $518,000 an additional $62,000 in two years with no improvements. The valuation has been increasing 7 percent in each of the prior two years. She pointed out this is a very old home. The driveway is extremely difficult and the amount of repair necessary on the property would preclude a sale. She noted most of the surrounding homes to be seven to eight years old with three car garages. This increase in value occurred after the increase which resulted from improvements which were made. Ms. Tilton noted there is considerable work which needs to be done and requested a review of the property. Lindy Aagaard, 5640 Harding Avenue, PID 33-117-23-23-0037, stated his valuation increased $14,000 for 1997. Since the property was built in 1987, the taxes have increased 40 percent. He stated he is being taxed out of the home. Mr. Erickson offered to view the property. George Greenfield, 24715 Yellowstone Trail, reported a 6.8 percent increase which resulted in an increase of $9,000 in a one year period. Mr. Greenfield expressed his belief that people in a particular financial level are being driven out of Shorewood. He expressed satisfaction with the services he receives from the City. Mayor Dahlberg commented the affordable housing needs to be preserved. He also stated he will do whatever he can to see the message reaches the legislators in St. Paul that this issue needs to be addressed. Councilmember McCarty expressed her agreement that this issue needs to be addressed. Councilmember Stover remarked extended items such as county services have been included in the property taxes and she felt the taxes collected through the property tax system should pertain to the property. Jerry O'Neill, 25540 Nelsine Drive, PID 33-117-23-22-0007, noted an increase in his property valuation of 26 percent in the past four years. This year, despite the fact there were no improvements made, the value increased $12,000. Mr. O'Neill requested a review of his property. John Garfunkel, 5665 Grant Lorenz Road, PID 32-117-23-13-0022, requested a review noting an increase of 9.6 percent this year resulting in a valuation increase of $12,000. Councilmember McCarty noted an increase in her valuation of $20,000 or 10 percent, although she was not protesting this figure. She explained the driving force of this to be the number of property owners who transfer in and out of the area. Mr. Erickson remarked 98 percent of the properties sell for more than their valuation price. . . . .. .., .. BOARD OF REVIEW MINUTES APRIL 2, 1997 - PAGE 5 Mayor Dahlberg feels the cities need to drive a change to the legislature to address this issue. Councilmember Stover noted the issue of the school portion of the property tax also needs to be addressed. She commented that arguments have been made the school portion could better be derived from income taxes. Letters from the following residents who were unable to attend the meeting were received by the Board of Review: Gregg and Dorothy James, 450 Lafayette Ave, PID 34-117-23-21-0028 Kim A. Culp, 6100 Apple Road Stuart L. Finney, 19710 Chartwell Hill, PID 36-117-23-13-0026 Charles J. Fox, 5660 Vine Hill Road, PID 36-117-23-14-0059 Earl Lund, 20965 Forest Drive Mark McClure, 5820 Eureka Road, PID 33-117-23-32-0024 Muriel Morrow, 19925 Waterford Court, PID 25-117-23-43-0036 & PID 36-117-23-12-0065 Jerry Simmons, 24365 Smithtown Road, PID 33-117-23-14-0041 Dorothy Lane, 5660 Christmas Lake Point, PID 35-117-23-14-0004 4. COUNCIL DIRECTION TO ASSESSOR Mr. Erickson explained any property in which reconsideration was requested will be reviewed. If a site visit has been made within the past two years, it may not be necessary to physically visit the site again. A recommendation will then be made to the Board. In the event a property owner is not satisfied with the valuation of their property, an appeal may be filed with the County Board of Equalization. An appeal may also be filed in Tax Court at any time up until March 31, 1998, on this valuation. 5 . ESTABLISH DATE FOR BOARD TO RECONVENE O'Neill moved, Stover seconded to reconvene the Board of Review at 7:00 p.m. on April 14, 1997, and reconvene, if necessary, on April 15, 1997. Motion passed 5/0. 6. ADJOURN McCarty moved, Garfunkel seconded to adjourn the Board of Review at 10:12 p.m. Motion passed 5/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Cheryl Wallat, Recording Secretary TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial ATTEST: ~L~ JA '. C. HURM, ITY ADMINISTRATOR U