During a special meeting Thursday evening, the Carroll City Council voted 4-1 to move forward with a $2.4 million offer on just over 80 acres of land near the Carroll Municipal Golf Course for future housing development. City Manager Aaron Kooiker explains the proposed offer.
Combined, the total purchase price for the land acquisition is approximately $3.5 million. City officials then moved into discussion on the proposal, which lasted nearly an hour. Ward 2 Councilman Jason Atherton, who was the sole nay vote on the proposal, questions the future cost of infrastructure installation, if any developers have committed to building, and how soon homes could be available. Kooiker says it is too soon to release the developers’ names, but he says construction could begin as soon as 2026.
Ward 4 Councilwoman Carolyn Siemann says infrastructure installation is typically negotiated with individual developers as the expansion grows.
Ward 3 Councilman Kyle Bauer says the initial cost may appear high, but it will add to the city’s overall tax base for the next 100+ years.
Former Mayor Mark Beardmore, who has consistently opposed the Simons land acquisition and the nearby Golfview Subdivision project, says the city is putting the cart before the horse.
Carroll Chamber of Commerce and Carroll County Growth Partnership (CCGP) Executive Director Kimberly Tiefenthaler says housing is a common concern she hears when speaking with current employers and those interested in coming to Carroll.
At-Large Councilman LaVern Dirks made the motion to approve the $2.4 million offer, seconded by Siemann. The vote passed 4-1. At-Large Councilwoman JJ Schreck was unable to attend Thursday’s meeting, but her vote, if it were to have been in opposition to the offer, would not have changed the outcome. Video from the Carroll City Council’s Dec. 12 meeting is included below.
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