Mills council approves Cross Country Freight warehouse plan, approves parcel purchase; fails to override veto of Ordinance 8-19

The Mills City Council on a meeting date not specified approved a development plan for a proposed Cross Country Freight warehouse, approved purchase of a parcel of real property subject to resolution of title questions and voted to hire outside counsel, but failed to override the mayor's veto of Ordinance 8-19.

Staff summarized the development plan identified as case number 25O2DEV as a proposal for a 4,300-square-foot warehouse with loading docks and related site work on two lots in Opportunities Subdivision totaling just under five acres in I-1 (light industrial) zoning. "This is case number 25O2DEV, the development plan for the proposed, cross country freight warehouse," planning staff said, and noted the Planning and Zoning Commission on April 3, 2025, recommended approval pending completion of planning considerations. Staff said the outstanding items had been addressed and recommended approval and execution of a site plan agreement with the applicant.

Council approved Resolution 2025-16, the development-plan approval for the Cross Country Freight proposal. The motion passed; the transcript records council voting "Aye" multiple times but does not list the full roll-call for that motion.

An applicant representative told the council the subdivision had originally been served by the Wardwell Water and Sewer District, which no longer exists, and that service now is provided by the Town of Bar None. "So that being the case, what we would ask is that you inform Bar None and coordinate," the applicant said, urging the city and applicant to make the town aware of the project and existing infrastructure arrangements.

Separately, after returning from an executive session on a property matter, council moved and approved a motion "to approve the purchase of a parcel of real property subject to the resolution of certain title questions." The motion passed on recorded "Aye" votes; the transcript does not record a full roll-call with council member names for that vote.

Council later returned from an executive session on a legal matter and approved hiring outside counsel for that legal matter; the transcript references the name "Patrick" in the discussion of hiring counsel. The hiring motion passed on council votes recorded as "Aye." The council also conducted an executive session on a personnel matter and, on returning, stated that "no action is necessary."

Council members considered a motion to override the mayoral veto of Ordinance 8-19. Mayor [name not specified in transcript] read a prepared veto statement criticizing the proposed disposal of a right-of-way to a single individual, raising fiscal concerns, questioning the use of a bike-trail grant to cover vacation-of-right-of-way expenses and asserting there may be a conflict of interest with a voting council member. "Transferring this property should not take place," the mayor said, and asked the council to allow the state to review the matter further.

The council vote on the veto override was divided. The transcript records: Council Member Evelyn: No; Council Member McCarthy: Yes; Council Member New Miller: Yes; Council Member Butcher: No. The mayoral veto required a two-thirds majority to overturn and the motion to override failed.

Earlier in the meeting the council approved the consent agenda by voice vote and later adjourned after a final motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda: approved (voice vote recorded as multiple "Aye" responses; individual roll-call not specified). - Resolution 2025-16 (development plan, case 25O2DEV, Cross Country Freight warehouse): approved; staff recommended approval after Planning and Zoning recommendation; vote recorded as "Aye" (individual roll-call not specified). - Motion to approve purchase of parcel of real property subject to resolution of title questions: approved; vote recorded as "Aye" (individual roll-call not specified). - Motion to hire outside counsel for a legal matter (name referenced as "Patrick"): approved; vote recorded as "Aye." - Motion to override mayoral veto of Ordinance 8-19: failed (recorded votes include Evelyn: No; McCarthy: Yes; New Miller: Yes; Butcher: No). Two-thirds majority required; not achieved.

The meeting record shows multiple executive sessions (property, legal, personnel). The council returned from each and reported outcomes where applicable (approval of actions following legal and property sessions; no action following the personnel session). The record does not specify meeting date in the transcript provided, nor does it include complete roll-call vote lists for several motions. The council adjourned at the end of the meeting.