CC - Agendas - City Council - REGULAR - 5/13/2014

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Prescott City Council Special Voting Meeting April 8, 2014 Page 6 the committee and the City should move forward to negotiate a deal. She felt they needed to discuss the management of the three acres and the open space restrictions with the Granit Dells Preservation Foundation. Council Blair said he would step aside to allow Councilwoman Wilcox to be on the negotiating team. Mayor Kuykendall said the Council might be better observers than negotiators. Councilman Kuknyo said he would like to pledge the $500,000.00 toward the purchase. He thought the Granite Dells Preservation Foundation should negotiate the deal. Mayor Pro Tem Lamerson said that maybe someone from the Citizens Tax Committee, and the Nature Conservancy should be involved. He did not have a problem committing on the $500,000.00. Councilman Arnold clarified that Mr. Wirth's property could have 40 homes on it. The adjacent Storm Ranch could hold 100 homes under its current zoning and he said that Councilman Kuknyo requested that the current $500,000.00 be banked if the deal is not consummated before the end of the fiscal year. COUNCILMAN ARNOLD MOVED TO INSTRUCT STAFF AND THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GRANITE DELLS FOUNDATION TO STRUCTURE THE ACQUISITION OF THE WIRTH PROPERTY WITH CITY PARTICIPATION NOT TO EXCEED $500,000.00; SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN LAZZELL COUNCILWOMAN WILCOX MOVED TO AMEND THE MOTION THAT THE RESTRICTION ON THE $500,000.00 BE LIMITED TO THIS FISCAL YEAR. Councilwoman Wilcox said that she wanted it to be clear that it was not a forever commitment. Councilman Blair asked if the City was taking the lead in the negotiations. Councilman Arnold said the motion is saying that staff, the Council committee and the foundation need to sit down and figure out how to move forward. He said he would then expect the item to come back to Council with a recommendation on how to approach it. In addition questions regarding who will hold title to the land and how the long-term viability of the land will be insured will be answered. Councilman Arnold said this motion is to give staff and Council clear direction to go to the Foundation and put together an acquisition plan that Council can make work. That plan will come back to a deal which determines the City's portion, how much must be raised and who will lead the negotiation with the property owner. He said there are too many unknowns as to what the acquisition plan will look like.