College Place council authorizes capital projects manager to sign right-of-way acquisition documents

College Place City Council on March 25 authorized Capital Projects Manager Mike Holden to be added to the city’s right-of-way procedures, allowing him to sign right-of-way acquisition documents and administrative settlements for federal-aid projects.

City staff said the change is intended to keep acquisitions moving after Holden completed required training that previously left the city administrator as the sole authorized signer. Mr. McAndrews, city staff, told the council the city’s prior practice left the administrator as the only person able to sign and that Holden “has his certification” and should be added “to be added to the right of way procedures so that he can sign for right of way acquisition and administrative settlements.”

The item drew brief questions from council members about internal approval limits. Council Member Espinosa asked whether a threshold governs how much Holden could offer on land acquisitions; McAndrews said the city has an internal threshold that has been discussed at recent meetings (he referred to figures of about $30,000–$35,000 in the meeting) and that, in practice, staff would still run offers through the city administrator for approval, at least verbally. Council members Jessup, Cleveland, Peterson, Williams, Sherman and Boyle registered no objections during the discussion.

Council Member Jessup moved to authorize adding the capital projects manager to the right-of-way procedures; Council Member Cleveland seconded. The council voted and the motion passed with the ayes prevailing and no recorded opposition.

The change is administrative: it lets a certified project manager sign required documents to prevent delays on federally funded projects, but staff said it does not replace the city administrator’s approval role for offers above the discussed threshold.