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Prairie Hills asks Knox County to join new regional land bank
Summary
Dr. Victoria Livingston of Prairie Hills RC&D asked the Knox County Board to consider joining a regional land bank to address vacant, abandoned and brownfield properties, proposing a three‑year commitment at $3 per capita and offering technical staff support.
Dr. Victoria Livingston, executive director of Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development, told the Knox County Board on Aug. 27 that a regional land bank could help bring vacant, abandoned and brownfield properties back into productive use across six counties including Knox.
Livingston said the nonprofit is asking the county to “decide to join the land bank” and outlined a proposed three‑year commitment at $3 per capita, with fees scaled proportionally to population and with the option to exit after three years if the county is not satisfied. She said three communities had already signed on and that Prairie Hills was adopting an intergovernmental agreement the following morning and expected to begin holding property in November for participating communities.
The presentation described acquisition tools the land bank could use—voluntary donations, purchases at tax sale and work under existing Illinois statutes for vacant- and abandoned-property remediation—while emphasizing that the land bank would not use eminent domain. Livingston said the organization expects to staff the land bank with a director and two staff members and to provide participating jurisdictions with access to technical assistance, planners and grant-funded attorneys experienced with land‑bank operations.
Board members asked about risks and success rates in other jurisdictions, and Livingston said outcomes vary: where local partners contribute staff time and budget the land bank performs more projects; where partners do less, activity is limited. She offered to provide final IGAs and draft policies after the Prairie Hills board completed its adoption.
If the county chooses to participate in the land bank, Livingston said the county could cover unincorporated areas and smaller municipalities that lack budgets or staff to participate independently; larger cities such as Galesburg could join separately under different fee arrangements.
The board did not take a formal vote on joining; members said they would review materials and consider a vote in a subsequent meeting.
