Boone council denies sale authorization for 117 West Ninth Street, orders sealed-bid process

The Boone City Council on the floor of a regular meeting voted to deny a resolution authorizing the sale of city-owned property at 117 West Ninth Street, and directed staff to reopen consideration through a sealed-bid process with bids due before the council’s next hearing. The motion to deny passed on a roll call vote with the majority in favor and one dissent.

The decision follows a public hearing in which two nearby residents — Julie Lynn Espinosa and Kristen Papples — urged the council to permit a fair, public opportunity to buy the lot. Espinosa said she has pursued the lot for nearly a year, described ongoing maintenance of the parcel, and told council, “I have an offer letter and a purchase agreement for the amount of $18,230 that I can present to you today.” Papples said her family needs a handicapped-accessible home for their youngest son and described specific accessibility requirements, saying the house would allow them “to bathe him safely” and accommodate a wheelchair.

A city staff member told the council the lot had been transferred to the city after a period of probate and that the city had incurred about $6,700 in expenses related to the property. The staff member also said a separate offer from the Pebbles family had already been submitted to the city before the public hearing. “The difference is you never submitted an offer,” the staff member said when addressing Espinosa’s claim she had tried to pursue the lot earlier.

Why it matters: The council’s vote halts immediate authorization of the sale and opens a competitive, sealed-bid process so the city can consider multiple offers and ensure the buyer will build a single-family home on the parcel as the city’s lot-sale program intends. Several speakers told the council they had not seen clear public notice that the lot was available, prompting council members to discuss a more transparent bidding process.

What council decided and next steps: A motion to deny the resolution authorizing the sale passed; the council directed staff to accept sealed bids with a submission deadline of the fourteenth (the council discussion specified that bids be due on the 14th so they could be considered at the council meeting on the 17th). Council members also said the sealed-bid results and any packet materials would be published ahead of the next public hearing. Staff advised that the city must publish a public hearing notice in advance in line with the notice rules cited during the meeting.

Offers and claims on the table: Espinosa offered $18,230 in writing during the hearing. The Pebbles family submitted an earlier offer (amount not specified in the record). Papples said she provided proof of funds greater than $400,000 to demonstrate financing capacity for her proposed accessible home. The city has estimated recoverable expenses of about $6,700 for the parcel.

Public-comment context and process clarifications: Espinosa said she had inquired multiple times about the lot since purchasing her adjacent home in April 2024 and did not find a published public notice that she could make an offer. A city staff member said this council previously set a public hearing on April 15, 2024, regarding the land exchange with Boone County that transferred the parcel to the city. Council members discussed options including denying the current resolution, accepting sealed bids from any interested members of the public, or allowing parties to negotiate privately and bring a combined offer back to council.

Votes and vote tally: The motion before the council was to deny the resolution authorizing the sale of the property at 117 West Ninth Street. The motion passed on a roll call (majority yes; one member voted no). The council then discussed logistics and directed staff to set the sealed-bid deadline and schedule the follow-up public hearing.

What remains unresolved: The final sale price and buyer are not decided. The Pebbles family’s offer amount was not specified in the meeting record. The council instructed staff to publish any future hearing notices and to include bid descriptions in the public meeting packet prior to the hearing.