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Mill Site advisory panel declines to recommend acquisition approach, asks for follow-up
Summary
The Mill Site Advisory Committee discussed two options for the City to acquire a small parcel from the Minnesota Historical Society but declined to recommend either plan, citing legal and regulatory unknowns; members assigned follow-up to staff ahead of a July City Council presentation.
The Mill Site Advisory Committee met June 30, 2024, and after discussing two alternative approaches for the City to acquire a small mill-site parcel from the Minnesota Historical Society, decided not to recommend either option to the City Council.
The committee, which recorded Julie Warren, Wendy Ward, Kevin Nyenhuis and Curt Moe as present (Tim Casey absent), considered "Plan A," a recommendation that the City purchase the parcel immediately without a final decision on future uses, and "Plan B," which would follow the planning consultant HGKi’s May 3, 2024, proposal before a purchase to reduce potential complications. Committee members said Plan A would secure control of the parcel quickly but requested a City attorney review of potential “hidden” costs such as property tax liability. Supporters of Plan B argued that following HGKi’s proposal first could reduce unanticipated issues such as septic connections, constraints tied to the National Park Service and the Department of Natural Resources Riverway District, and other transfer costs.
The committee noted that the Minnesota Historical Society currently prioritizes the parcel transfer and that a decision on use could be months or years away. Committee members also reported that three corners of the parcel were marked on site with spray paint and agreed to clear the parcel outline by weed‑whipping to better define boundaries. The notes list the parcel size as 18 meters by 21 meters (59 feet by 88 feet).
Wendy Ward was assigned several follow-up tasks: contact Ben Leonard to verify the parcel sale price (the draft paperwork lists $1), confirm whether the JT Dunn bequest of $5,000 annually would continue to the City, and ask whether a four‑to‑six‑month timeline for Council consideration would affect MNHS’s willingness to transfer the parcel. Ward was also to consult the City attorney about potential liabilities under Plan A. The committee scheduled a brief pre‑City Council meeting the week of July 7 to finalize the presentation and noted the next regular meeting is Monday, July 8 at 6:00 p.m.
No formal motion or vote to recommend an acquisition approach was recorded; the committee left a recommendation to the Council pending further review and the requested follow-up.
