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City of <br /> Elk=' Request for Action <br /> River <br /> To Item Number <br /> Mayor and City Council 4.5 <br /> Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by <br /> Consent December 1, 2014 Cal Portner, City Administrator <br /> Item Description Reviewed by <br /> Houlton Property Farm Lease Agreement <br /> Reviewed by <br /> Action Requested <br /> Approve,by motion,a lease agreement with the Houlton Olson Family LLP to allow for agriculture <br /> purposes on city property. <br /> Background/Discussion <br /> The Houlton family will close on the sale of their Elk River farmstead to The Trust for Public Land <br /> (TPL). TPL will convey the property to the City of Elk River with deed restrictions. <br /> The Houlton family has an outstanding deferred utility assessment on the property,which must be <br /> satisfied at the closing. <br /> The family has asked to allow continuing land lease for agriculture purposes with the intent of recovering <br /> some of the amount paid on the deferred assessments. <br /> The tillable land will be transitioned to prairie grass over the next few years. It is to the benefit of prairie <br /> grass restoration to have the farmed land seeded with crops during this process. The city position is that <br /> if the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (L-SOHC) is okay with the land being leased for <br /> agriculture use until restoration is complete,the city has no objection. <br /> The lease does not provide for a minimum or maximum amount of time in which the property will be <br /> used for agricultural purposes. The lease holds the city harmless from decisions by the L-SOHC which <br /> may restrict agricultural use or lease payments. <br /> Financial Impact <br /> N/A <br /> Attachments <br /> ■ Houlton Agriculture Lease Agreement <br /> P0WIAEO 0 <br /> NaA f RE] <br />