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Commissioners move to refer small Harrington lot to land bank if city accepts deed
Summary
County staff told commissioners the county has maintained Lot 1, Block 15 in Harrington for roughly a decade and recommends transferring the cleared, low-value parcel to the Harrington Land Bank if the land bank accepts it; transfer requires the city’s interim manager and the land bank to approve before a county surplus resolution is drafted.
The Dickinson County Board of Commissioners discussed donating Lot 1, Block 15 in Harrington to the Harrington Land Bank after staff said the county has maintained the parcel for about 10 years and has no planned use for it.
County staff explained the property was left over from a prior tax-sale period and that the county has performed maintenance in-kind (chemical mowing) at an annual cost. Staff shared an appraisal estimate in the range of about $4,100–$4,600 and said the lot may be in a floodplain, limiting development prospects.
Commissioners said turning the parcel over to the land bank would remove the county’s maintenance obligation and allow the land bank to market or sell the lot. Staff described the administrative steps: the county will complete a form and send it to Harrington’s interim city manager for the land bank board to consider; if the land bank accepts the deed, the county will prepare a resolution declaring the parcel surplus and publish the required notices before transferring the deed.
No formal resolution or vote occurred at the study session. Commissioners asked staff to wait for the land bank’s decision before placing any surplus-declaration resolution on a future agenda. Staff also noted the county’s periodic tax-sale practice and commissioners weighed the tradeoffs between auction revenue and transferring small parcels to cities or land banks for local redevelopment.
The commission’s next steps are procedural: county staff will forward the request to Harrington’s interim city manager; if the land bank accepts the parcel, staff will bring a surplus-declaration resolution to the commission for formal action.
