10.1. SR 05-07-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REQUEST FOR ACTION TO ITEM NUMBER Ma or and Ci Council 10.1 AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY Work Session May 7, 2012 Michael Hecker, Parks and Recreation Director ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED By Possible Acquisition of the Houlton Property Cal Portner, Ci Administrator REVIEWED BY ACTION REQUESTED Provide direction to staff if the city is interested to pursue funding sources and/or parrners for the acquisition of the Houlton property that is currently for sale. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION Staff was approached by Dotseth Realty Inc. inquiring if the city is interested in purchasing the Houlton property. The GIS map indicates the full property is about 315 acres of which about 36-acres or 11.4% of the property sits out of the flood zone. Attached are three maps of the Houlton property. Exhibit A is the location map. Exhibit B is the property map. Exhibit C is the 100-year floodplain map. Exhibit D is the Comprehensive Park Plan. Staff met with Sarah Strommen from the MN Land Trust and Steve Hobbs from the Federal Conservation Fund. They axe very interested to assist the city with the acquisition of the Houlton property. The DNR has also indicated an interest to assist the city in obtaining funding sources to acquire the property. They do not seem interested in directly acquiring the property at this time. The county and state are possible parrners. The main interest in the property is the potential for a trail system along the Mississippi River as indicated on the Comprehensive Park Plan. Possible active recreation includes cross country skiing, snow shoeing, disc golf, and community races. The property is a strong candidate for a conservation site or it could be used for a balance of both passive and active recreation. The Parks and Recreation Commission did discuss the Houlton property at the April Commission meeting. They expressed interest that the city pursue funding for the acquisition of the property. If the property does become owned by the city, it is recommended that it continue to be farm land as a revenue source until a park plan is developed for the site. This would also minimize the maintenance responsibilities. FINANCIAL IMPACT No direct financial obligation at this time, except for staff time to pursue funding sources for acquisition. PnwEata ~r N:\Public Bodies\Ciry Council\Council RCA\Agenda Packet\05-07-2012\Houlton Memo.docx `~~`