Ratepayers on Fourth Street in Kipling have blocked a paving project proposed for this fall. Earlier this year, Town Council considered undertaking recapping the pavement on Fourth Street from 5th Avenue to the 605 Grid. Cost of the project was estimated to be $146,000.

Of these costs approximately $90,000 was to be financed through the General Revenue Fund and the Community Share Grant and approximately $56,000 through a local improvement special assessment levy. As the Town of Kipling is a property owner along Fourth Street, general revenue would have been responsible for an additional $31,000; this left approximately $25,000 to be assessed to the remaining property owners along Fourth Street.

As part of the process, property owners whose land is to benefit from this improvement may petition for or against the special assessment to be charged upon their property. This petition is binding on a Council; this means that if the property owners are not in favor of the local improvement assessment, a Council cannot, under law, proceed with the special assessment.
Town Council received a petition from land owners along Fourthstreet and over one half of the owners were not in favor of the special assessment.

As a result of the petition Council can not pursue the project as a local improvement for a period of at least one year. Funding options for this project could again be considered in 2007.
Kipling Town Council respects the democratic process and appreciates every-one’s input into this matter, Mayor Pat Jackson said.