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Council discusses Clay Street Land Bank access, potential acquisition and trailer removal costs
Summary
Council members and staff discussed the canceled Land Bank meeting for Clay Street, options for acquiring property, estimated costs for removing mobile homes and the need to explore legal and grant funding options.
Council members discussed the Clay Street site and reported the scheduled Land Bank meeting for the parcel was canceled; council and staff said the cancellation gives the city another month to develop a financing and acquisition approach.
Staff and councilors debated whether the project should be treated primarily as a finance issue and whether the city should acquire land only or land plus personal property (mobile homes) on site. One council member recalled a previous estimate of roughly $90,000 to remove a set of trailers, a figure attributed in the meeting to the building inspector and described as a “spitball” estimate to be refined.
Council members said further steps would include determining financial tolerance for acquisition, identifying available state, federal and local grant avenues, and possibly hiring outside counsel to assist with title work and deeds if the city acquires the property. Staff noted some of the mobile homes were not included in prior foreclosure records, which could require separate legal processes to identify owners and proceed with removal or acquisition. Publication-based notice processes and searches in clerk and auditor records were described as potential next steps to locate owners.
No formal motion or vote was recorded on acquisition at the meeting; council members asked staff to pursue refined cost estimates, identify funding sources and report back to finance or the appropriate committee.
