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St. Marys council approves emergency ordinance to advertise four city parcels for sealed bids
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Summary
The St. Marys City Council passed an emergency ordinance authorizing the city to advertise two residential lots and two farm fields (including a roughly 53‑acre tract) for sealed bids; council suspended the normal reading schedule to expedite the residential lots.
The St. Marys City Council on its latest agenda passed an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of public service and safety to advertise four city parcels for sealed bids.
The ordinance, recorded in the meeting as "Ordinance 20 26 0 5," covers two residential lots and two farm fields. During presentation, the director said the lot in town on Keele Drive is "0.272 acres" and described the largest farm field as "about 50 plus acres, 53 acres." He said the parcels were purchased over past administrations and are currently rented to a local farmer.
Council and staff discussed the properties' history and prior sales. The director noted the city had previously sold the Betty Nelson Farm in 2018 and that past purchases had been viewed as good investments. He said the farm fields are advertised for five weeks to protect existing crops and that there will be arrangements to compensate the farmer for any harvest-related losses.
Council members asked whether any of the lots would remain in conservation. Staff highlighted that one Sleepy Hollow lot sits adjacent to a conserved wooded area and that the city had held that parcel partly because of conservation value, but that housing demand and developer interest had prompted reconsideration of selling some lots.
Because the farmland advertisement requires a five‑week notice, staff asked the council to suspend the rules so the residential-lot portion could move forward more quickly. Council moved to suspend the rules (moved by Mister Lunds, seconded by Mister Buck) and approved the suspension by unanimous voice vote. The council then moved to pass the ordinance (moved by Mister Fitzgerald, seconded by Mister Quarrel) and recorded an affirmative vote to adopt the emergency ordinance.
The ordinance authorizes the director to handle the sealed-bid process internally and to proceed with advertising and bid receipt according to the statutory notice period for farmed parcels. Staff said details on bid timelines and farmer compensation arrangements will be worked out by the administration and the city attorney.
Council closed the item after the vote; no amendments or recorded dissent were noted.
