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Tax-forfeited land list grows CROW WING
COUNTY BOARD Senior Reporter A sign of the economic times, the list of land tracts going tax-forfeited is growing in Crow Wing County.
Crow Wing County commissioners reviewed the list Tuesday.
Land Commissioner Tom Cowell recommended how to classify the tracts, which makes note of land the county wants to mark for conservation. The majority of tracts were marked non-conservation and following a communications process with other governmental units, this process will mean the land should join future county land sale lists.
Cowell said this list includes nice lots in Baxter, which is a first. Tracts in the city of Baxter include those in the Ironwood Meadows plat and 90 tracts in the Brainerd Oaks development, including the house that was converted years ago into a Brainerd Oaks sales office. Additional tracts came from the cities of Breezy Point, Pequot Lakes, Crosslake and a smattering of area townships. All went tax forfeit in September.
Once the county classifies the land, cities and townships are informed of the board's decision and they have 60 days to object, basically a first refusal. It means cities or townships have an option to purchase the land for a public purpose, like a water tower, and gives them six months to follow through. If that fails to happen, the county can proceed with sales plans. If there are no objections, the county can proceed with land sales plans.
In other business, the board:
Learned nine tax-forfeited land purchase contracts have been in default as the buyers failed to make payments. The board voted to cancel those certificates of purchase. An auditor's certificate of purchase allows buyers to make payment installments at 8 percent interest. In a separate motion, the board agreed to cancel certificates of purchase in a few cases and put a new contract that extended the payment period from a five-year contract to a 10-year contract because of the current economic conditions.
Tabled action on a facilities maintenance agreement with either vendor Honeywell or Johnson Controls after concern was raised about the fairness of the quote process. Administrator Tim Houle first said he was concerned there was an ethical breach with his office staff as quote information from Johnson Controls was obviously used by Honeywell, which lowered its earlier quote by $74,000.
"I've never had this happen before," Houle said.
Honeywell representatives said they did not talk to staff for the information but found the quote on the county's Web site along with the meeting agenda information posted for public viewing. Houle said he would work with both vendors and expected to have an agreement for the board by its next meeting.
Approved a change giving the zoning administrator case-by-case flexibility in determining whether a certificate of survey is needed in a variance request, in an attempt to take some of the financial burden from applicants.
Voted 3-2, with Commissioners Rosemary Franzen and Rachel Reabe Nystrom opposed, to deny the petition for a Serpent Lake Improvement District in Crosby.
Learned discussions about a land exchange between the county and Scott and Kathleen Stenberg, who appealed the designation of the Miller Lake County Forest Road through their Cole Lake property, are continuing with a potential exchange of their 40 acres for tax-forfeited land on Buchite Lake near Emily.
Approved an agreement with the state for Rose Hauge, health educator with the county who was picked by the Minnesota Department of Health to help develop curriculum for the State Health Improvement Plan. From Dec. 8 through June 30, Hauge's salary and fringe benefits will be fully reimbursed by the state.
Agreed to advertise to find interested parties to fill two Thirty Lakes Watershed District Board of Managers vacancies.
Voted to close the county government buildings at noon on Christmas Eve. County offices also will be closed this Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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