NOVEMBER 25, 2024|
Photo – Medicine Bow Town Council – Bigfoot99 file photo
Medicine Bow officials recently debated the wisdom of purchasing an abandoned property in the town.
During the November 12th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Clerk Treasurer Karen Heath informed the governing body that an unnamed person has offered to sell a property in the 700 block of Wyoming Street to the town. Heath explained that the person acquired the parcel of land through a tax lien sale and is now willing to part with it for $500.
Treasurer Heath said the town has a lien on the property for thousands of dollars of unpaid utility payments. However, due to difficulties in contacting the property owner, Heath said the money is unlikely to be collected.
Mayor Justin George suggested that the owner is offering the parcel to the town to avoid the costs of remediation and settling the utility liens.
Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer questioned the practicality of purchasing the land, saying the derelict buildings on the property will need to be demolished. Additionally, Councilwoman Wickizer said the parcel contains several abandoned vehicles, all of which will need to be removed, at the town’s expense.
Councilman Lee Cook estimated that after selling the scrap vehicles, the clean-up effort will cost the town roughly $1,500. Councilwoman Wickizer disagreed, saying the cost will be closer to $5,000. Treasurer Heath said the town is likely to recover the cost of clean-up when someone buys the land. Councilwoman Wickizer noted that the sale will not cover the delinquent utility payments.
Mayor Justin George instructed Public Works Director Brian Lashley to contact a local scrap dealer and obtain an estimated value for the abandoned vehicles on the lot. Once the estimate is received, the town council will decide if the town should move forward with the purchase.
