High bidder considers reneging dump ground bid, City Clerk reports

TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2017 — Members of the Tower City Council met on Tuesday of this week, instead of Monday, to conduct the rescheduled regular monthly meeting of the city. At its last meeting, JULY 31, the council accepted a high bid of $36,000 for the old dump ground property. Terry L. Hildreth and Carol B. St. John, nearby neighbors to the parcel, made that successful bid and with it noted that they were ready to close immediately. City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith this week reported that she received a telephone call from St. John this past Monday inquiring if she could withdraw her offer. “She is thinking about backing out of the sale, but does not want to be known as someone who goes back on her word,” Keith told the council.

The sale of the dump ground parcel has proved controversial since Dave Rose requested that the city sell him this land to add to his own property along the East Two River and include it as part his conditional use permit application seeking to develop a new campground on the site. Rose has stated that he wanted the land to serve as a buffer to the Mill Point neighborhood.

Keith’s report of her conversation left Mayor Josh Carlson and the city council questioning the best way to proceed if the approved sale is not accomplished as anticipated. In that event Keith recommended that the city council accept the next highest bid because the city had already opened all the bids in July. Keith said she had verified that this was the best course of action with counsel. Geoffrey Griffin submitted the second highest bid of $32,500 and Rose was the low bidder at $30,509 for the dump ground.

The city carefully reviewed its options and ultimately determined that it would give St…. [Read More]