Council advances due diligence on 1347 Sims Road NE; appraisal offered at $1,000

On Nov. 10 the East Bethel City Council moved forward on due diligence tied to a stated acquisition of 1347 Sims Road NE. City staff told the council the packet includes a purchase agreement, a title commitment (already received by the city attorney), a proposed appraisal and phase I environmental site assessment proposals.

Staff said Guggenberger Appraisal Services offered to perform the appraisal for $1,000, noting that typical appraisal costs run near $3,500. Staff also noted a title commitment the attorney had already obtained in June; to avoid duplication the city would not approve another title commitment at this meeting. The staff presentation flagged the phase I environmental assessment proposals as the standard environmental due diligence step to check for contaminants or other site concerns.

Council moved to approve agenda items related to the acquisition in two votes: items 1 and 2 together, then item 4 separately. Council agreed staff could set up a property walkthrough if members wished to view the site. No additional approvals to close the purchase were recorded at the meeting; the actions were limited to approving due-diligence contracts and authorizations.

Clarifying note: staff read aloud a potential familial relationship in naming the appraisal firm as "a relative of Alex Guggenberger, our county assessor," and stated the firm offered a discounted appraisal price; council did not take further public action on any potential conflict beyond noting the relationship in the staff presentation.