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City Attorncy Goodrich explained the Health Department has informed him that his letter to <br />Attoruey Rosen who represents Oak Terrace Mobile Home Park is appropriate. Oak Terrace <br />Mobile Home Park is a 93-unit mobile home park that came to the City in the early 1960's and <br />most of the units in it are that age. The mobile home park is on its own central septic system and <br />is pumping frequently at twice per week. The Health Department wants the pumping to be <br />doubled. He explained the City's particular attention to the mobile home park is that it is within <br />the official mapping area. To some people on the Council and administration bringing sewer to <br />the property enhances the value of the property and defeats the official mapping project. One of <br />the ma~jor difficulties is that there are 300 to 400 residents living in the mobile home park and the <br />City is responsible for their welfare. The law affords these residents rights to relocation, and for <br />the City to purchase the park and close it down would be millions of dollars in relocation <br />expenses. An alternative would be to bring sewer to the property and take care of the situation <br />for the current time. However, that defeats why the City has spent 2.4 million dollars in the last <br />month acquiring property in the officia~ mapping zone. A compromise needs to be reached to <br />resolve this. <br /> <br />City Administrator Norman explained there are special laws written to protect residents of <br />mobile home parks. It is not only very expensive to move the residents, but they can actually <br />take up to a 2 ½ year period to relocate. One of the problems with simply providing sewer and <br />water now is that it puts off the problem of buying the residents out at a later date, and the <br />residents would then have a timetable to remain there for 2 ½ years even after the City purchases <br />the property. <br /> <br />City Attorney Goodrich indicated the Tinklenberg Group has been authorized to work on this <br />issue. E1 Tinklenberg is working with the Health Department and is working through the issues <br />in regards to relocation and acquisition. At some point sewer and water will likely need to be <br />brought to the area, but how it is done and under whose ownership it will be needs to be worked <br />out. He stated the mobile home park should present a plan for the Health Department. At the <br />very least the Health Department would like to see a significant increase in the pumping and then <br />alternatives to bring in sewer and water: The City is in a hard spot because they do not want to <br />be criticized for not taking care of their residents, but they are taking care of their residents and <br />trying to use the resources the best they can to acquire the property for better transportation. All <br />of these dynamics need to be worked out, <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec noted Elk River purchased the mobile home park in that City and some of those <br />owners received over $100,000. <br /> <br />Councilmember Cook inquired if the City had at some point offered to bring in sewer and water <br />to the property and it was turned down. <br /> <br />City Administrator Norman replied this was offered if the mobile home park would be willing to <br />lock into a rate, but the owners wanted more money. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session/January 11, 2005 <br /> ~Page 4 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br />