The city of Bismarck will try a new method of notifying property owners within a proposed special assessment improvement district.

State law only requires publication within the city's official newspaper, but city commissioners want to take it a step further in an attempt to improve communication with Bismarck residents.

A new methodology was requested by commissioners following a snafu in regard to estimated special assessments for a project in northeast Bismarck. Property owners allowed creation of an improvement district based on estimates that were actually half of what the final project was billed at.

A special assessment notification committee was formed and developed a step-by-step process that includes letters sent directly to the affected property owners detailing the project along with a map of the improvement district, city administrator Bill Wocken told commissioners at their meeting earlier this week.

Commissioner Dave Jensen said he questioned the cost of such a notification, which he felt went far and beyond what state law calls for. Wocken said that each project would differ, some projects could result in the mailing of more than 10,000 notices, while others would involve just a handful of residents.

Commissioner Sandi Tabor said she didn't feel that newspaper publication was providing residents with the appropriate chances at seeing a notification.

"Did you ever see a legal notice, how small the type is? And not everybody gets a newspaper," Tabor said.

Commissioner Connie Sprynczynatyk said she wants to make sure people in the affected district get the information.

"It's a couple of steps beyond the state's requirements," Sprynczynatyk said. "Nobody loves special assessments, but there are benefits. This just gives property owners a couple of more opportunities to know what is going on."

Wocken said he suggested that staff monitor the process over a trial period, since it has never been tried before.

"It's possible the cure could be worse than the disease," Wocken said. "Your (city commission's) charge was to find a way to notify in as reasonable a means as possible so people will know what the costs are. We're getting into the special assessment season, and you've already created a couple of districts. We didn't want to wait another season."

The commission unanimously approved a motion to receive the committee's report and use the process for one season, before permanent adoption.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)