Commissioners to negotiate Troy land purchase

The Lincoln County Road Department in Troy may be expanding its property lines in the coming months, as commissioners look to give road crews a little more breathing room.

Lincoln County Commissioners last week unanimously approved a decision to move forward with negotiations on a land buy in Troy, hoping to provide the county road department with more space.

Commissioner Greg Larson said the current property containing Troy’s County Road Department is overburdened with equipment and materials on a half-acre parcel on Missoula Avenue, Troy’s main street.

“They’ve used every piece of ground they have there,” he said Wednesday. “Whatever they do effects other people, so we want to expand and buffer.”

Troy’s County Road Department facility is currently the smallest of the three at .5 acre. In comparison, the County Road Department property in the Eureka district sits on about 30 acres outside of town.

Since advertising their interest in the land, no other prospective buyers have reached out to the current property owner with a bid. Larson said the State Department of Revenue has appraised the land, which sits adjacent to the west of the road facility, at $63,000, which he said the road department could afford.

“It’s in their budget,” Larson said.

The decision to purchase the land in Troy comes at the end of the 2015-2016 fiscal year, when the road department is able to afford the purchase. In order to use the road department funds on the purchase, the county commissioners were required to deposit the $63,000 into a capital improvement fund, which can carry funds over from year to year.

Commission Chairman Mike Cole said putting the money away in a separate account would be a smart move for the purchase and the county.

For the sake of discussion, Cole also asked commissioners if the purchase would be the worth the money spent, considering the recent budget workshops where commissioners are currently whittling down budgets requested by county departments.

“Is it the wise place to spend dollars for expansion, if we’re talking about reining [budget spending] in?” Cole asked.

“The way I look at it, that’s the question on every penny we spend,” Commissioner Mark Peck answered. “The other two road departments are much bigger.”

The property currently contains a handful of trees and a house, which would have to be removed. The house might be too old to survive a relocation process if it were sold, but the foundation could potentially be salvaged and sold, commissioners said. Larson said negotiations with the current property owner will include demolition or removal of the home, although it’s unknown how that would affect the appraisal price set by the Department of Revenue.

While no one has come forward with intentions to purchase the property before the county makes an offer, public comment is currently open on the matter with the county commissioners.

The next meeting is set for Wednesday, July 6.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 293-4124 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.