Three properties are up for purchase at the city council meeting on Monday. The properties are a part of the dangerous and dilapidated program, an initiative looking to continue addressing nuisance and inhabitable properties throughout the city.
The dilapidated properties at 319 E. Eighth St. S. and 321 E. Eighth St. S. have been determined to be inhabitable and have been boarded up since 2014. For the property at 319, the tax certificate purchaser has acquired the deed to the property and is offering to sell it to the city. A $3,500 purchase price has been offered with staff recommending approval of the purchase.
The property at 321 has been identified as a structure that meets the definition of an abandoned building according to State of Iowa Code. Staff recommends purchasing the property for an estimated $2,500 to $3,500 including legal fees associated with filing for the petition of ownership.
The final property, located at 501 Second Ave. W., is a structure that was demolished as a part of the D&D program. Since it was demolished using the notice and order process, the costs were assessed to the property.
Because of assessment, the property status remains unchanged the city has been mowing it for several years. The tax certificate owner has offered it to the city for a purchase price of $100.
The funds used to purchase the properties will come from dollars reallocated to the D&D program. The program, which started in 2014, has been successful in improving neighborhoods but has utilized or is committed to using remaining initial funds for in the program.
City staff has initially identified it is possible to reallocate up to $220,000 of bond funds for the current year and up to $150,000 of bond funds, originally targeted for incentives, for the next fiscal year into the D&D program.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com
