City proceeds with Phoenix Park sale

Sep. 8—The Tahlequah City Council, during a Sept. 6 meeting, voted to allow elected officials to negotiate a sales contract for property at Phoenix Park, under certain conditions.

Ward 4 Councilor Trae Ratliff said the park has been in a constant state of deterioration for the past 45 years.

"Luckily, a piece of property is of some value to those in the neighborhood, and I would like to make a motion that we do allow the city administrator and the mayor to negotiate a sales contract on the property," Ratliff said.

Ward 2 Councilor Keith Baker asked if they need to open the sale to another bid, and Mayor Sue Catron advised the property was up for bid for a period of time.

"We followed our current real estate disposition policy and actually went beyond it," said City Administrator Alan Chapman.

City Planning and Development Director Taylor Tannehill explained bids were sent out in March, with a 30-day window for those interested to submit bids. None were submitted in April, and unsolicited offers could be turned in. One bid was received on June 16, and the city mailed notices to property owners to let them know the land was for sale.

Baker asked whether they needed to rebid if the price decreases or increases.

"When it was placed for bid, the minimum bid was $1 million, and that is, of course, in the event that you received multiple offers. Again, we didn't receive anything. This one came in as an unsolicited bid offer, which people can do for any property even if it's not advertised," Tannehill said.

Stephen Highers, Ward 3 councilor, asked Tannehill if people were aware they could submit bids.

"I think when we didn't get any bids, I think there was a thought process that that was kind of done and we were moving on," said Highers.

Catron said there are "For Sale" signs posted on the property, and Ratliff said they have been contacted about it. He said a contractual obligation should allow local athletes a place to practice and play.

Highers asked if they should do another round of bidding so others would know the property is up for grabs.

"If you are the owner of a retail property and you listed it or sale with Century 21 and you didn't get any viable offers — as a matter of fact, nobody really wanted it at a price that you were offering out there. So you took it off the market, but you left the Century 21 sign up there and someone called and said, 'I'd like to make an offer on this piece of property,' at that particular point you would, as that property owner, consider that an offer and you would consider the general public had known it was available because the sign was still up there," Catron said.

She added that she doesn't believe the general public wasn't aware of the intended sale.

"What we have gotten is an offer that may be a viable offer. We have to flesh out those details, as Trae said, but I don't know that we need to go back out and go through the bidding process again," she said.

Tannehill said there was no listed price, but the minimum bid was $1 million.

"When that 30-day window went away, there was no minimum bid price. That 30-day window lapsed and now we're received unsolicited offers on a piece of property that was once advertised for bid," Tannehill said.

Ratliff said they owed the person who submitted the unsolicited bid in June the courtesy of saying they'll either accept it, turn it down, or negotiate terms of that contract to bring back to the City Council.

Ward 1 Councilor Bree Long, Highers, and Ratliff voted for the move, while Baker voted against it.

The board entered into executive session to discuss the purchase and utilization of property adjacent to the Anthis-Brennan Sports Complex and on 200 W. Choctaw St.

Ratliff made a motion that allowed Catron and Chapman to negotiate a contract for up to $4,000 per acre with up to 20 acres. The purchase may be funded from stormwater management or capital improvement funds. Ward 2 Councilor Keith Baker voted against the purchase.

Councilors took no action on purchasing property on 200 W. Choctaw St.

In other business, the board gave its nod to a notice of intent with the State of Oklahoma Emergency Management for a grant.

Cherokee County/Tahlequah Emergency Management Director Mike Underwood said it's an annual notice wherein $30,000 is paid to the city for emergency management programs.

What's next

The next Tahlequah City Council meeting is Monday, Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.