Chelsea Council declares items surplus for future exchanges
The Chelsea Sports Complex tennis courts will not be built for a few years, but plans for the foundation are already in the works.
At its March 1 meeting, the Chelsea City Council approved a swap between the city and Brogdon Group Inc. that includes dirt for the tennis courts’ foundation. As Mayor Earl Niven had discussed at previous meetings, the city planned to declare as surplus 35,000 square feet of property at the end of Sports Highland Parkway. This land would be deeded to Brogdon in exchange for 50,000 square feet of dirt, which will in turn be used for the future tennis courts.
Council member Juanita Champion said during pre-council she was concerned with the exchange. While she agreed the city’s property could be declared surplus, she said she believed Brogdon should purchase the property from the city. The city is planning to purchase 8.9 acres of land from Brogdon for the amount he paid, and she said he should likewise purchase this land from the city.
The dirt would end up costing the city around $61,000, Champion said, to preserve it for the future project.
“We’re going to have bare land out there that’s going to have to have sheeting or film around it, and we don’t know how many years before that tennis court is going to be built,” she said.
Niven said the timeline for the tennis courts is something that would be left up to the next council.
“All we’re doing is prep work that in the long run is going to save us gobs of money,” Niven said.
Council member Dale Neuendorf said the land is very valuable to Brogdon, and the deal does not account for that.
“We’re paying $57,000 so that we can give away right at a half-acre of very, very, very, very essential property that he has to have in exchange for getting dirt,” he said. “… I’m just not sure it’s best for the city.”
Council members Alison Nichols and Tony Picklesimer said they felt the deal would save the city money in regard to transporting the dirt.
“I think this is a very fair deal,” Picklesimer said. “Is the timing perfect? No, the timing is not perfect, but it is a very fair deal, a fair exchange. It’s getting something done with it.”
During the council meeting, Champion voted against the ordinance to make the land surplus and convey that land to Brogdon Group Inc. The other council members and Niven supported it.
The council also discussed two resolutions to pay for soil preparation and erosion control on the 50,000 square feet of dirt.
One resolution was to authorize a $46,604.40 payment to Shirley Brothers Excavating Inc. for soil preparation. This agreement included clearing and burning trees on the property for the future tennis courts, striping and stockpiling topsoil, installing headwalls and stone backfill at the property.
The other resolution was to authorize a $11,680 to Con-Site Services Inc. for erosion control at the future tennis court site.
During the council meeting, Champion and Neuendorf voted against both resolutions. The other council members and Niven supported the resolutions, and they passed with the majority.
The city also celebrated its 20th anniversary during the meeting. Niven thanked past council members and Chelsea residents who were in the audience and reflected on the city’s history.
“20 years ago, we didn’t know what we were getting into, but we knew what we had,” he said.
Niven also noted the city will hold a 20th anniversary celebration on March 20. The ceremony will be at the Chelsea Community Center and will double as a ribbon cutting for the center.
Also on March 1, the council:
- Approved an ordinance to declare an old block building at 104 Chesser Drive as surplus. Shirley Brothers will take the building down and fill in a hole behind the old fire station.
- Approved an ordinance for an additional Shelby County Contract Law Officer as part of the COMPACT 2020 Initiative. By agreeing to the initiative, the city will receive $35,000 to go toward an additional sheriff’s deputy who will work on drug-related issues in schools and with individuals.
- Approved a resolution to declare a mobile home located at 104 Chesser Drive as surplus. The mobile home will be advertised as available for purchase.
- Approved a resolution to accept a bid for a new chassis for a fire department rescue unit vehicle. The chassis would cost around $54,000 including a seven-year warranty, Niven said.