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St. Joseph County approves interlocal agreement with MAYCOG, South Bend to form land bank
Summary
The county commissioners voted March 10 to establish a land bank via an interlocal agreement with MAYCOG and the city of South Bend to acquire, stabilize and redevelop vacant and underutilized properties; the board will appoint two county commissioners to the land bank board.
The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners voted March 10 to approve an interlocal agreement with MAYCOG (the Mission Area Council of Governments) and the city of South Bend to establish a county land bank intended to acquire and redevelop vacant and underutilized properties.
"This is an interlocal agreement that will establish the land bank in St. Joseph County," Lisa Slumpka, director of the regional housing collaborative at MAYCOG, told the commissioners. "The land bank is an implementation arm focused on acquiring stabilizing and redeveloping vacant and underutilized properties." She emphasized the agreement covers municipalities across the county and said MAYCOG will provide reporting and work with the board to set an update cadence.
Commissioners discussed prior rounds of review with the city council and noted the item had been refined and approved at other bodies before coming to the board. Slumpka confirmed the county will have two commissioner appointments to the land bank board, and she said MAYCOG staff would be willing to return to provide periodic updates on property activity and redevelopment outcomes.
The board approved the interlocal agreement by voice vote; commissioners present recorded aye votes and the motion carried. The agreement gives the land bank the authority to acquire and hold parcels for redevelopment; staff said the precise reporting schedule to the board will be developed with MAYCOG.
The land bank is intended to provide an implementation mechanism to stabilize neighborhoods by allowing coordinated acquisition, title clearance and redevelopment of problem properties. Commissioners said they would expect periodic progress reports and noted board appointments would provide a direct line to the land bank’s work.
