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Council asked to schedule special workshop after brownfield findings and tax-forfeit auction rule
Summary
An SD2 committee representative urged a special council workshop after county and conference briefings indicated the city may need to reassess options for brownfield remediation and school-site land: the speaker said the city can act as developer or buy land, and noted recent guidance that some tax-forfeited properties must be sent to auction.
A representative of the council's SD2 strategic plan committee told the Biwabik council that recent information about brownfield sites and school properties warrants a dedicated workshop.
The speaker — presenting as an SD2 committee member — said borings indicated brownfield contamination at school sites and that county remediation is not forthcoming. The committee representative described three questions for council consideration: whether the city wants to buy the land, the ramifications of city ownership, and the degree of control desired if the city does not buy the land. The speaker asked the council to set a special meeting to walk through a prepared flowchart of options.
Members also discussed a reported court/county ruling and its practical effect: "the Supreme Court case ... indicated now that tax forfeit land between 2016 and 2024 all must go to auction," the speaker said, urging the council to consult county staff (Chris Johnson was named) about implications for acquiring parcels. Multiple councilors agreed to bundle tax-forfeited parcels (the depot, school sites and nearby lots) when approaching the county to increase leverage.
Councilors instructed staff to schedule a special workshop and to obtain up-to-date county guidance on tax-forfeited property auction rules before taking action. The topic will also be on the upcoming council workshop agenda, where staff and committee members will present options and required next steps for remediation funding, developer roles and timelines.
