Committee Minutes
MINUTES
CITY OF GRAND FORKS - BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
Monday, May 5, 2003
The city council of the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota was called to meet as the Board of Equalization in the council chambers on Monday, May 5, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. with Mayor Brown presiding. Present at roll call were Council Member Brooks, Hamerlik, Gershman, Christensen, Kerian, Kreun - 6; absent: Council Member Glassheim - 1.
The 4th grade from Sacred Heart Elementary School led the council and audience in the pledge of allegiance to the flag, Kristy Seim, teacher. After the pledge of allegiance each member of the 4th grade went to the podium and stated his/her name.
Mayor Brown stated that tonight they are having an award for ArtWise Annual Show and one of the pledge leaders is the artist for the 2003 Mayor's Choice Award for the Annual ArtWise Elementary Art Show and presented Andrew Banman with a letter of appreciation. He stated this is the first year for this designation and that he will hang this piece in the Grand Forks Mayor's Office for all guests and dignitaries to view and appreciate.
Mel Carsen, city assessor, stated that the assessor's office has placed a value on every taxable piece of property, that people have been notified of increases to the valuation, and tonight the council would hear official protests from people who feel their valuation is higher than it should be. He stated he placed a report before each of the council members, a narrative report outlining what they have done - increased about 80% of the residential property by at least 3% and some as high as 10% and the result of that on the existing property brings our residential property to within 96.7% of a property sold during 2002. He stated in commercial property the most notable change was that they increased most of the apartments by about a 9% increase and this will bring commercial property to about a 95.5% level of what it sold for last year. He stated the re-evaluations, whether total reappraisal or an index by neighborhood amounted to about half of the 6% increase. He noted the report includes the State law governing the City Board of Equalization, and a breakdown comparison of the valuation increases. He also noted they will have a more detailed breakdown of the valuation in a couple weeks. He stated tonight they will have some oral protests from the audience and the city council would have to determine how they are going to handle those, pass to a standby committee to be heard over the next several weeks and back to the full city council as a Board of Equalization.
Mayor Brown asked those wishing to protest to present their written or oral protests to the Board of Equalization:
Richard C. Soule, 3119 West Elmwood Street.
Ann Smith, 617 Cherry Street
and written protests from:
Sarita Bansal, 4732 River Oaks Circle
Executive Corners, 300 North 5th Street.
Protests were referred to the Finance Standby Committee with meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. in council chambers.
The meeting was continued to Monday, May 19, prior to the city council meeting and moved by Council Members Gershman and to adjourn. Carried 6 votes affirmative.
Respectfully submitted,
John M. Schmisek, City Auditor