City of Blackfoot purchases property for expansion

The City of Blackfoot purchased 20 acres of property to help expand the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The land is located on 434 W. Riverton Road, just next door to the plant, and was purchased for $795,000.The money comes out of a capital budget that is earmarked for expansion.

Originally, the city wanted to only purchase the empty land on the property that bordered the plant. However, the owner would not sell the property without selling the house as well.

Mayor Marc Carroll says the plan now is to subdivide the property and keep at least 8 acres and hopefully in spring sell the house and remaining land.
Some citizens had concerns that the purchased property may increase taxes. The budget used to buy the land is from the departments saving’s.

When the city does eventually sell the property in the next upcoming months, they will put whatever profit from the sale back into the original capital budget it was taken out of.

Another concern was the secrecy behind the acquiring the land.

Carroll explains that when cities go into a potential for negotiations on purchasing property it is always done in a executive session.

Carroll says, “The issue with purchasing property is, if they discuss the intent to purchase property, in front of everybody, word get’s out and people have been known to go out and buy property with anticipation that the city will buy it from them and they can jack up the price.”