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City Council <br /> Meeting Minutes <br /> April 2, 2013 <br /> Page 11 of 21 <br /> Council member Keany felt Mr. Hartronft's experience level meets and exceeds all the <br /> qualifications. He was not prepared to give direction. He agreed with the HPC the <br /> structure must be cleaned and stabilized and felt the property boundaries must be <br /> settled before moving forward. <br /> Council member Loo agreed the boundary line issues must be settled and did not favor <br /> landmarking or stabilizing the property before the boundary line issues are resolved. <br /> With respect to stabilizing, she understood it is best done by the company who <br /> revitalizes the building. Economic Development Director DeJong stated one benefit of <br /> having a for-profit company stabilize the structure is the ability to use federal tax credits. <br /> Council member Loo asked if the City is asking for State Historic grants and does the <br /> structure need to be landmarked before grants are available. Economic Development <br /> Director DeJong stated the City has applied for grants for stabilizing the building and <br /> landmarking is not necessary because the structure is on state and federal registries. <br /> Council member Loo asked if the staffs recommendation on the proposal is rejected, <br /> would the City be jeopardized legally. City Attorney Light stated responding to an RFP <br /> does not create any rights. The City reserves all rights to modify its request, reject all <br /> proposals and start over. There is also expressed language that there must be an <br /> agreement with the City in a form acceptable to the City. <br /> Mayor Muckle agreed the granary should be cleaned and stabilized. He supported <br /> authorizing Economic Development Director DeJong to negotiate a contract. His <br /> primary concern was the stabilization challenges and the resolution of the boundary <br /> issues. He shared the Historic Preservation Commission's concern for the Historic <br /> Preservation Fund to be reimbursed. <br /> Mayor Pro Tem Dalton originally voted against acquiring the grain elevator. His concern <br /> centered on the City's ownership of the property in perpetuity. He noted the RFP <br /> guarantees the City will pay for the rehabilitation of the grain elevator. He favored a <br /> three-phase approach and contracting with the Old Towne Group, LLC. <br /> Council member Yarnell had no problem negotiating with Old Towne Group, LLC. <br /> Council member Jasiak feared the property would be given away. She stated the land <br /> has value. She thanked both companies for submitting their proposals. She stated she <br /> preferred the term safety stabilization and inquired whether the City, the developer or a <br /> private contractor would stabilize the structure. She felt Erik Hartronft's first proposal <br /> tied the granary project to the downtown area. Economic Development Director DeJong <br /> stated one of the benefits of a for-profit contractor to stabilize the structure is the federal <br /> tax credits, which would benefit the project. He did not know what the City's review <br /> process would be during the stabilization process should the City be doing the work, nor <br /> was he sure what flexibility staff would have in making modifications to work during the <br />