Resident asks council to allow sale of small city parcel; administration warns against setting precedent

An application to buy a roughly 2,700 square‑foot corner of city land prompted public comment and a policy discussion, but council took no legislative action.

Elizabeth Cooper, the adjacent homeowner, told council the cedar fence encroaches on city land, leaves her backyard gate on city property and requires resolution. "It’s a typical 6 foot cedar fence you would find around a house in [the] wooden subdivision," Cooper said, adding wind damage and safety concerns for a fence that has stood for decades.

City staff explained the strip sits inside a larger parcel designated for parks and recreation when the city acquired the land in 1983 and noted code requires an ordinance removing the public‑purpose designation before any sale, plus subdivision and appraisal steps. Director Bootner said an appraisal cost would be credited at closing per code. City manager Eubank told council he likely would recommend against a future sale, citing potential precedents and low city benefit from selling such a small strip.

Council discussed the correct procedural next step — whether to ask administration to draft legislation to remove the public‑purpose designation — but no motion was made. Mayor Nackstedt and other members noted concerns about setting a precedent that could encourage multiple similar requests to subdivide small pieces from larger municipal parcels.

Ms. Cooper said she would like the city to treat her request consistently with other sales provisions and asked council for consideration; the council moved on without directing legislation.