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Cook County moves to sell seven tax‑forfeited parcels, advances Tafty parcel for housing conversation
Summary
The board unanimously classified seven tax‑forfeited parcels as non‑conservation and authorized adjacent‑owner sales; staff also presented a Tafty parcel near Birch Grove school that the county will pursue for housing development with local town support.
At its March 24 meeting the Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to classify seven tax‑forfeited parcels as non‑conservation and move them toward sale.
Why it matters: Tax‑forfeited parcel sales are governed by statute and the revenue allocation has legal constraints; proceeds support settlement obligations and county tax‑forfeiture operations. Commissioners said active management of tax‑forfeited inventory can free funds for county programs and reduce maintenance burdens on small homeowners associations.
Assessor Bob Thompson described the classification process and noted some parcels fall under a class‑action settlement (referred to in the packet as the "Tyler settlement"), which requires a good‑faith effort to sell certain parcels. Barry Johansson, president of an HOA that holds one of the parcels under consideration, told the board his 11‑member association had been maintaining a lot at financial cost and supported a sale to an adjacent owner to relieve the HOA’s burden: "it's not doing the county any good sitting there unoccupied," he said.
The board also considered a Tafty parcel adjacent to the Birch Grove project; staff said there is a letter of support from Toy Township and that the parcel could help meet local workforce‑housing needs. Commissioners discussed possible outreach methods, a request‑for‑proposals approach for developers, and statutory allocation of sale proceeds. The board approved a motion to request state conveyance of the federal land exchange and later authorized the auditor to pursue adjacent‑owner sales under Minnesota Statute 282.01 subdivision 7A.
What happens next: Staff will work with the auditor to offer the parcels for sale, pursue adjacent‑owner transactions where parcels are substandard, and continue outreach for the Tafty parcel. Proceeds from statutory allocations will be distributed according to the law and prior settlement obligations.
