Council declines to buy deteriorated Sixth Street property, directs code enforcement

The Dinosaur Town Council considered whether to buy a deteriorated residential parcel on Sixth Street but voted against acquisition and told staff to continue enforcement through legal remedies. Town staff said the property has been subject to ongoing concerns about its condition and that cleanup would be required whether the town owned the site or not.

Council members discussed an estimated $25,000 purchase price and additional demolition and site cleanup costs that staff said would add materially to the town’s financial burden. Several members said the town already has legal options — nuisance abatement, code enforcement, condemnation proceedings and tax liens — to address neglected properties without using scarce capital funds. A motion to proceed with purchasing the property was moved and seconded but failed on a roll-call vote (Council Member Nicole Ratcliff was the only Yes vote; the remaining six members voted No). The Council then directed staff to continue addressing the property through the Town Attorney and applicable municipal enforcement procedures.

The discussion highlighted council concern about precedent and competing priorities: members noted active infrastructure projects — including sewer and water work — that they said should take precedence over property acquisitions. Staff told the Council the item had been placed on the agenda to obtain formal policy direction rather than to recommend a single course of action.