East Grand Forks approved a program to incentivize residential development on city owned lots in Waters Edge and Coulee View.
The City Council already approved a program in 2016 specifically for lots in Waters Edge. Since then, builders have finished constructing and selling four single-family homes. They’re in the process of building a fifth.
The program provides resources for building three homes at a time, according to an agreement council members reapproved to include Coulee View lots Tuesday night.
Builders have to pay the city $1,000 up front per lot to confirm the contract. The city then will provide $100,000 for materials, supplies, permits and subcontractors, requiring no interest on that amount or the unpaid portion of the lot.
The agreement forbids contractors from using the money to pay their employee fees. The rules council members approved require contractors be licensed in the state of Minnesota, and the homes they build must follow city and state codes. The contractor also cannot move into the home afterward -- the rules mandate it must be completed and ready for resale eight months after the agreement is finalized.
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In other news
- Council members approved hiring Alyssa Hammen as the city’s administrative assistant, dispatcher and jailer. She has agreed to start Nov. 26, according to staff notes, and has experience with Grand Forks Municipal Court and the Grand Forks Police Department.
- Council members committed $19,375 in local matches on a project for the Red Lake River Corridor, with the Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails Commission.
- Council members still are waiting to receive more cost information before buying a new pump for the city pool.
- Council members approved the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s updates to the 2045 Long Term Transportation Plan , which prioritizes federally funded projects and placing a new bridge at either 32nd Avenue South or Merrifield Road.
