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Urbandale tax assessments for street construction could lose some sting under a policy change approved Feb. 26 by the City Council.

The new guidelines will apply to ongoing and future street construction projects, including two that have led to lawsuits against the city in Dallas and Polk counties.

Council members said the policy was less a reaction to the lawsuits than to concerns raised by property owners who protested their special assessments during a public hearing Jan. 15 regarding the reconstruction of 156th Street from the city’s southern border to Meredith Drive. At the time, special assessments ranged from $60 to $145,000.

Eleven of those property owners sued the city on Feb. 1 in Dallas County District Court, the same day a lawsuit was filed in Polk County District Court on behalf of two homeowners along an assessed project at 74th Street and Goodman Drive.

Since that time, the city has received construction bids that were nearly 30 percent lower than the initial estimates that resulted in the first round of assessments, meaning that the final assessments for the projects will be less than anticipated.

With the lower bids and new policy “a lot of those homeowners should have a substantially lower assessment,” said Councilman Ron Pogge.

The new policy applies to lots of at least 1.25 acres with 150 feet of frontage abutting a street project. It would result in the assessment being reduced by up to 25 percent. If the residence is rented or the property subdivided or sold for development within the levy’s 10-year life, the city would recoup the entire assessment, plus interest. The policy doesn’t apply to sidewalk construction, the other type of improvement project subject to special levies.

At least one plaintiff in the 156th Street lawsuit fails to see the benefit of the new policy.

“I don’t know why I would accept a 25 percent rate cut when the court has already ruled that these kinds of assessments are 70 percent too high. It’s well worth our time to get a ruling,” said Greg Nepstad.