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entry after the hearing. If the property owners appeal the decision, it is just a matter of the dollar <br />amount, but the City will have right-of-entry onto the property. When asked what the legal costs <br />would be for condemnation proceedings, he responded that it does not "hold a candle" to the <br />difference between the City's offer and the $3,000, 000 asking price by the owner. The costs are <br />based on some past proceedings using City Attorney Bill Goodrich of Randall, Dehn & <br />Goodrich's figures between $1,000 and $5,000. <br /> <br />Mr. Wagner asked when the last time was that the City negotiated face to face with the attorney <br />of the landowner. <br /> <br />Mr. Norman said that the last time he had met with one of the three property owners, who was <br />Mark Freundschuh and the attorney Brian Doyle of Welsh Companies, was in November. Since <br />that time, they have had several communications by telephone and mail. He felt that during the <br />face to face negotiations, there was too much "dancing" around the subject and it would be more <br />practical to get things in writing. <br /> <br />Mr. Wagner said that he would be more comfortable if the City were to negotiate face to face <br />and possibly include one EDA member in those negotiations. He also wished that they would <br />present to the owners an outline for the next step in the negotiations, including our intentions to <br />go into condemnation proceedings in the event that negotiations failed. He asked if we lose <br />anything by waiting. <br /> <br />Mr. Norman stated that we would lose one month and the City does need to have the land <br />available by spring in order to honor and commit to negotiations with industrial properties and <br />the possibility of the technical college moving to the site. Mr. Norman also noted that the City <br />Council values the EDA recommendations, but may act without the EDA recommendation. <br />Regardless, staff recommendation to City Council this evening would be to go forward with the <br />condemnation proceedings. <br /> <br />Mr. Kent brought up the point that Glen Hardin had asked about the costs at the last meeting for <br />the necessary improvements to the property. <br /> <br />Mr. Walther reviewed the costs for the improvements including water, sanitary sewer, streets, <br />storm sewer, and the land acquisition. The storm sewer improvements will be needed regardless <br />of this project. <br /> <br />Mr. Norman added that the payback in relation to the economic development district would be <br />over a nine-year time span on the district. <br /> <br />Mr. Wagner stated that he would prefer to have City Council members present for this vote. <br /> <br />Mr. Riley stated that it is not as if these landowners don't want to sell or develop. It's not <br />someone trying to hold onto the family farm, rather it is just negotiation on the price of the land. <br />Mr. Riley felt that the condemnation process was a fair process for determining the price of the <br />land. <br /> <br />Economic Development Authority/January 12, 1999 <br /> Page 3 of 11 <br /> <br /> <br />