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Ross County Land Bank approves 2026 budget and adopts automatic petition policy while pushing Brownfields outreach
Summary
The land bank approved its 2026 budget, adopted a policy to automatically file petitions for forfeiture of properties unsold at auction (with exceptions), accelerated outreach for Brownfield and demo grants, and voted to list a returned property for sale.
The Ross County Land Bank board approved its draft 2026 budget after staff summarized revenue assumptions (including DTEK sales and a potential Brownfield award) and described key expense lines such as grant management, legal fees and property maintenance.
Board members then discussed and approved a procedural change: staff will automatically file petitions to accept properties that fail to sell at auction unless a board member or staff flags a parcel for exception. Exceptions discussed included parcels with unresolved brownfield contamination, zoning conflicts, or other extenuating circumstances that would make acceptance inappropriate. The policy change is intended to streamline acquisition of forfeited parcels and reduce delays in transferring properties to the land bank for remediation or reuse.
Staff reported active Brownfield work: asbestos surveys completed for demolition projects, 16 properties targeted for demolition by month’s end, and excavation starting on a CSX parcel to remove about 3,000 cubic yards of material and create a restricted‑residential designation (EPA coordination and legal paperwork required). Board members emphasized the urgent Brownfield application deadline and asked trustees and township contacts to surface candidate parcels and secure owner access.
On property disposition, the board authorized listing a parcel (auditor value $5,790; list price per policy = auditor value + $500) after a Habitat for Humanity option expired; the adjacent neighbor expressed interest. Board members also discussed a multi‑lot offer from a buyer (John Wetzel) and said large bundled purchases should include stronger commitments about residential development or staging of sales.
Votes on the budget, listing action and the automatic‑petition policy were taken by voice vote and recorded as approved.
