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Land committee recommends $25,000 for Willow River park project; board approves auction and rail meeting dates

2677213 · March 19, 2025

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Summary

The Pine County land advisory committee recommended up to $25,000 from the dedicated parks and recreation fund for a Willow River project and requested reappraisal and reclassification of several tax-forfeited parcels for sale; the county board approved the committee recommendations and set a special rail authority meeting for April 1.

The Pine County land advisory committee asked the county board to contribute up to $25,000 from the dedicated parks and recreation fund to help develop roughly 23 acres at the Willow River “Big Bend” area, a floodplain parcel the committee said would become parkland with parking and a pavilion-style amenity.

At the committee report, members also recommended classifying certain tax-forfeited parcels as non-conservation for sale, withdrawing previously offered parcels from over-the-counter sale so the parcels could be reappraised in July, and approving resolutions (identified in the packet as Resolution 2025-13 and Resolution 2025-14) to implement those steps so the parcels could be returned to sale later in the year.

Land committee members explained the Willow River request is consistent with past county contributions to local recreational projects; the county has a designated parks and recreation fund available for such projects. Committee members also recommended establishing a clearer internal policy to guide future contributions (for example, fixed percentage contributions for larger projects), and county staff said they would develop that policy in coming meetings.

On the rail authority matter, the land committee recommended calling a special meeting of the county regional rail authority to consider easement and crossing items. Staff said they could prepare materials for either April 1 or April 15, and the board chose April 1 for the special meeting so staff could proceed.

The board moved and approved the three committee recommendations in separate motions: (a) contribution up to $25,000 to the parks and recreational fund for the Willow River project (motion by Commissioner Waldham, second by Commissioner Ludwig), (b) adoption of the tax-forfeited land classification and withdrawal resolutions (motions approved), and (c) scheduling the regional rail authority special meeting for April 1 (motion approved).