At Monday evening’s city council meeting, the only item to take much time was the exchange of property between the Dortch family and the city, requiring ordinance approval. Discussion among alderman was whether the city was receiving a fair end of the trade.
Real Estate agent Genes Bland spoke on behalf of the Dortch family saying that they had intended to sell the historic Ice House property on Main Street but found after a survey that a portion of the building sits on a city street and a portion of the city street (as defined) sits within Dortch property lines. The proposed solution was that the Dortches trade land with the city, allowing them to complete the sale and the city to have land to make an accurate city street definition.
Alderman Terry McClung voiced his support for the trade. “Think this cleans this up good for them,” and that he didn’t see any reason to not facilitate the swap. Alderman Harry Meyer said that the city was trading asphalt for real estate. City Clerk Ann Armstrong clarified that the land the city would receive would be from the between the curb of the street and Leatherwood Creek, and McClung had to stand up to show Meyer on mock-up maps of the exchanged properties where the land would be.
McClung argued that the “effective value of the property is insignificant” to both the city and the Dortches, and that there was nothing the city could build on the portion of land being exchanged. Meyer said that if the family is selling the property, then it is worth “something” and that he believed they needed to pay for the property being received since the sizes were not equal. He also pointed out the city is getting asphalt that they already have right-of-way to access.
Mayor Butch Berry pointed out that the Dortches would be taking responsibility for the retaining walls along Leatherwood Creek, and McClung noted that the family was selling to another family member, only taking it out of the family trust. Alderman Melissa Greene also argued that if council did not clear up property line definitions, it could threaten the Ice House ever being restored and that the city receiving a little less and to preserve history “is important to me.”
McClung and Bland also gave note to the Dortches donating land for the sewer treatment plan and for the end of Grand Avenue when the street definition was found to be inaccurate in the past. Ord. 2331 to facilitate the trade passed first, second, and third reading unanimously.
Other Items
- Resolution 828 to waive bidding to purchase a truck with a snow plow passed unanimously. The nearly $90,000 price tag for the vehicle and equipment will come from the Street Fund and Berry mentioned that the current plow used by city employees is dangerous to use.
- A vacancy was declared for seat Ward 1 Position 2 previous held by Nicholas Roberts. McClung was voted unanimously to sit on the CAPC as council’s second liaison.
- In Public Comments, mayoral candidate Beau Satori mentioned that city police had closed their case investigating previous CAPC employees and that now it was time to look into how city council aldermen and A&P commissioners had treated those employees. He said that depositions by the mayor and commissioners may reveal perjury or other “illegalities.” He took time to mention his name would be on the ballots this election and that votes for him will be counted now that he has appealed the decision made by Judge Jackson.