Kerrville council approves deed of small triangular lot to bank after debate over appraisal

Kerrville — The Kerrville City Council voted May 13 to authorize the city manager to convey a small strip of city‑owned land behind the property addressed as 1015 Sidney Baker South to a bank buyer for a fee of $3,240, reserving a utility easement for the city.

Staff said the 0.183‑acre parcel was part of a vacated right‑of‑way that previously was deeded to adjacent owners and later reverted to city ownership; the buyer asked to include the strip in a pending bank sale because the piece sits in the bank’s driveway and parking area.

The Nut Graf: Staff recommended conveyance without a public auction or realtor because the parcel is narrow and has limited independent use under current development rules; council approved the sale but a public speaker urged the city to obtain a formal appraisal rather than rely on the tax‑roll value when setting the price.

City staff described the parcel’s history: the former right‑of‑way was abandoned in 2004 and split between two adjacent owners; one tract later returned to city ownership. Public Works and staff said there are no public utilities currently in the strip, and they proposed conveying the parcel to the bank buyer while reserving a city utility easement that would allow the city to install utilities later with restoration obligations.

Resident and frequent speaker George Brody argued the sale price should reflect a formal market appraisal rather than the tax assessor’s value; he said the bank’s overall property value suggests the strip could be worth more than the amount proposed. "For crying out loud, one time, just put the citizens — put your fiduciary responsibility in the forefront and get the true fair market value for this land and find out what that is before you do it," Brody said.

Staff replied that state law does not require an appraisal for small conveyances of surplus parcels that have no independent use and that prior vacating had already allocated property rights; staff said the $3,240 figure represented KCAD (Kerr County Appraisal District) valuation and that the city would retain a utility easement.

After discussion, Councilmember [name not specified in transcript] moved to approve the deed conveyance without warranty for the strip of land behind 1015 Sidney Baker South; the motion passed unanimously.

Ending: Staff noted the conveyance would place the strip back on the tax rolls and reserved an easement for future city utility needs. Public commenters asked the council to consider an appraisal practice for similar transactions in the future.