Dunn County Board tells admin to negotiate sale of county land
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Board has authorized the county manager to negotiate the sale of 8.72 acres of land between The Neighbors of Dunn County and Oak Leaf Clinic.
The facilities committee did not completely agree about bringing the issue to the Dunn County Board to see if the county board wanted to sell the land, said Ann Vogl, county board supervisor from Menomonie and chair of the facilities committee, at the Dunn County Board’s January 15 meeting.
According to a staff report provided by Dan Dunbar, assistant county manager, a developer is interested in the 8.72 acres of land for elderly housing as well as a child care facility.
The Dunn County Board approved the sale in the same area of six acres of land to Prevea between Highway 12/29 and The Neighbors for $653,400 in May of 2018.
Approving the resolution would allow the county manager to negotiate with a developer who has a good plan that meets the needs of the county, Vogl said.
How does the county board feel about selling? she asked.
Approving the resolution to allow the county manager to negotiate with the developer is not actually approving the sale of the land, Dunbar said.
Once a sale price has been negotiated, then the actual sale of the land would come back to the county board for approval or denial, he said.
Dustin Shackleton, county board supervisor from Menomonie, asked for clarification about why the former solid waste and recycling transfer station would go up for sale by sealed bids but the property by The Neighbors would be a negotiated sale.
Prior to the consideration of selling 8.72 acres of land by The Neighbors, the county board had approved a resolution for the sale of the former transfer station site by sealed bids.
The county board has three options, said Kelly McCullough, county board supervisor from Menomonie and chair of the Dunn County Board.
The first option is that the county board is not interested in selling, so the board would not approve the resolution. The second option is that by approving the resolution, the county board is giving the county manager the go-ahead to negotiate with the developer. The third option would be that, yes, the county board is interested in selling the land but the sale should be by an open-bid process, McCullough said.
Senior housing
According to a staff report written by Dunbar and included in the county board’s packet, the City of Menomonie had let the county know in November of 2024 that a developer was interested in purchasing an 8.72 acre parcel of county-owned property between the Dunn County Government Center and Oakleaf Clinic.
The county manager and assistant county manager met with the developer and learned that the developer is exploring the development of older adult housing as well as a child care facility.
County facilities currently have the space needed to operate, with the exception of the highway department, and there is currently no planning for future county services that would require facilities in addition to what is currently in use, according to the staff report.
If in the future the county needed to expand the facilities, the county owns lad between the highway department and the judicial center east of the parcel in question.
The parcel is valued between $500,000 and $1 million, and selling the land would result in one-time revenue for the county.
The property is located in a City of Menomonie Tax Increment Finance District.
As per the corporation counsel, Jim McMenomy, Dunn County could control the use of the land by using a restrictive covenant written into the property deed or title and restricting the property owner’s ability to use the land for certain purposes, according to the staff report.
One person
Larry Bjork, county board supervisor from the Town of Spring Brook, noted that the county had talked to one person about the sale of the property and inquired as to whether Dunn County wanted to be in the housing business.
The developer asked county administrators if the county would sell the land for senior housing, and the administration’s response was, “We will ask the board,” Dunbar said.
If the Dunn County Board is not interested in negotiating, the county administration will not move forward, he said.
A developer approached the county about the property, and that is generally how development works, said Kristin Korpela, county manager.
The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery did not respond to a bid, but rather, approached the landowner with a proposal. The same is true of Walmart Distribution and Kwik Trip and any of the other businesses. Those companies did not respond by sealed bids, she said.
That is the process of development, although it does not mean the land could not be sold by sealed bid, Korpela said.
Covenant
Michael Kneer, county board supervisor from the Town of Menomonie, asked about putting conditions on the sale of the land.
The county could have a sales contract with the buyer, Dunbar said.
Developers have restrictions in all kinds of situations. In a housing development, people who buy the houses might not be allowed to have campers in the yard or the size of tool sheds might be limited, McMenomy said.
A restrictive covenant could be put on the land saying it can only be used for adult housing, and the county could draft restrictions on the use of the land so it does not become a commercial property, he said.
The county has a need for housing, but there could be other uses for the land, said Sheila Stori, county board supervisor from Menomonie.
Stori also said it would be helpful for the county board to know what the land is worth.
The facilities committee does know what the land is worth because it was discussed in closed session, and there is a rough estimate in the staff report, Dunbar said.
Back to committee
Kneer made a motion that was seconded by Tim Lauffer, county board supervisor from Colfax, to refer the issue of selling the land back to the facilities committee.
The process of developing the resolution was the facilities committee saying, “this looks interesting. Is the county board interested in learning more?” McCullough said.
If the resolution is referred back to the committee, it must be referred back with a request for a change, otherwise there will be no direction for the facilities committee to follow, he said.
If the issue is referred back to the committee, what does the Dunn County Board want? asked Gary Stene, county board supervisor from Colfax and vice-chair of the county board, who chaired the county board meeting since McCullough attended the meeting on-line.
Larry Bjork wondered how much the county would have to spend on the road to the facility if it was developed for older adult housing.
The property is in a City of Menomonie TIF district and would be located on a city street, so it would not be Dunn County’s responsibility to build a road, Dunbar said.
The road would be part of the developer’s agreement between the City of Menomonie and the developer but not the county, he said.
Kneer noted that after the discussion, he realized sending the issue back to the committee would not accomplish very much and withdrew his motion.
Dunbar said the county administration has a number in mind for the sale and then “would ask for more.”
The county board will see the price and will be able to review the full contract before deciding to vote for or against selling the land under the terms of the contract, he said.
Lauffer withdrew his second to the motion for sending the issue back to the facilities committee.
Resolution
If you do not want to sell the land, then vote “no” on the resolution to authorize the county administration to negotiate, Vogl said.
If the county board decides not to proceed, that will save the county administration from the work of negotiating, she said.
If after the administration has worked on negotiations, and the facilities committee says, “no, it’s not a good thing,” then consideration of the sale will not come back to the county board, McCullough said.
Stori said in her opinion, there were other uses for the land, and the county should do a study of potential uses.
Gary Bjork, county board supervisor from Colfax, said that as a farmer, “I hate to sell stuff.”
What if The Neighbors wants to expand? The land north of the judicial center cannot be built on because of the airport, he said.
The county board will know everything about the sale and the contract when it comes back from facilities, Stene said.
The Dunn County Board subsequently approved the motion authorizing the county administration to work on negotiating the sale of 8.72 acres by the Oak Leaf Clinic.
