04-07-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commission Minutes-April 7, 2008 3342 chosen bidders were asked to provide additional information to the commission at their April 7th meeting. The information should include taxable value or revenue generated from property taxes upon completion of the project. Mr. Wagner stated some bids had cause for concern as the county does not want the property back. Some bids did not provide adequate information as to what the impact on the community and neighborhood would be when the project is completed. One bidder intended to demolish the existing structure and this caused concern as intentions are to preserve the integrity of the structure and the neighborhood. The three bids chosen all intend to renovate the building for residential use while preserving its' historic value. Mr. Burdick reviewed a portion of North Dakota Century Code Section 11-27-01 with the commission stating the county may transfer property if the property is deemed to be worth less than $1,000. He also outlined Section 11-27-03 regarding the sale of county property which states the property advertised shall be sold to the highest bidder if the highest bid is deemed sufficient by a majority of the members of the board of county commissioners. Mr. Burdick researched the word "sufficient" as stated in Section 11-27-03. He contacted the attorney general's office for an interpretation of the word. They were unaware of its intended meaning in the code. He resorted to the dictionary to find the definition as "adequate" or "competent". He would interpret a "sufficient" bid to be; "is the bid enough to cover the worth of the property." Another consideration should be the value of the bid today in dollars and what the completed project is worth in tax revenue over time. Mr. Burdick advised that if the commission were to choose any bid other than the top dollar bid, compelling reasons must be stated for making the choice. Mr. Wagner said the initial plans for the disposal of the property was to sell it to the Fargo Housing Authority; however, that did not work out. Mr. Burdick once again referred to Section 11-27-01 of the North Dakota Century Code which addresses disposing of property worth less than $1,000. He asked if the property was worth less than $1,000 and does Cass County fit under this statute. The return on the low income rental apartments makes this structure unique. Mr. Montplaisir said he has researched options for the structure considering the property with and without the building and found it to be worth more than $1,000 either way. Mr. Pawluk invited the three bidders to provide additional information and address the commssion with any further comments. Mr. Bennett reminded the bidders that the commission would make the final decision on the property and that all bidders would be welcome to make further comments and provide additional information. Mr. Wagner replied that all seven bids were still open for consideration. Mr. Kounovsky addressed the commission stating he has lived in north Fargo since 1971 and when he submitted his bid was unaware that John Strand's $1.00 bid was for the purpose of renovating the building to be used for a working artist studio and gallery. He is also encouraged that the artist co-op is supported by the Kilbourne Group. He said the art studio and gallery over a ten year period would have a much larger pay back to the community than his proposed project. Mr. Kounovsky then withdrew his bid in support of Mr. Strand's bid. He asked the commission to consider delaying their decision to give bidders additional time. He stated additional time would be a small investment for the county but a large investment for the future of the neighborhood. Lloyd Sampson, Great Plains Properties distributed a handout and told commissioners he has 26 years experience in renovating properties and presently owns nine historic buildings among them the Black Building in downtown Fargo. He stated he plans to keep the building