The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted unanimously to relist 11 properties for auction during a regular meeting held on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
The 11 properties are all located on Bonita Drive in the Trails subdivision.
The matter was initially listed as part of the meeting’s consent agenda, but Commissioner Ronnie Maez motioned to move the item to the old business portion of the agenda, which was approved unanimously.
The BoCC heard public comment on the matter from Bill Hudson, who stated he was “a little concerned” to see the item initially listed as part of the meeting’s consent agenda, which would not have allowed for any conversation on the matter before voting.
Hudson also claimed that according to the minutes from the BoCC’s Sept. 17 meeting, Maez motioned to table the decision on the properties until the affordable housing study is rendered to the BoCC and to reject all bids on these parcels.
“That sounds to me like a decision to move to table the decision … until the affordable housing study is done,” Hudson said.
Maez stated that during the Sept. 17 meeting he motioned to relist the properties, to which County Attorney Todd Weaver advised that the motion be amended to first include denying the bids the county had received for the parcels.
Commissioner Veronica Medina explained that after she reviewed the Sept. 17 meeting minutes, she found that Maez’s motion only included denying the bids on the parcels, and that there is no mention of relisting the properties.
“Honestly it’s my bad; I should’ve jumped on it right then and there because my intent was to go back out for advertising on it, but I missed that window of opportunity and now at this next business meeting, I want to correct that oversight on my part,” Maez said.
Medina also explained that she noticed the item was listed under the consent agenda and that Maez felt he did not complete his motion at the previous meeting.
The item was moved into the old business portion of the agenda.
Maez commented that his intent at the Sept 17 and the Oct. 1 meetings was consistent in that he would like to relist the properties for auction for another 45 days.
Commissioner Warren Brown asked if there was a discrepancy on how the Sept. 17 meeting minutes read, if that would change the way Maez felt about the situation.
“My intent then was to go out and relist these properties,” Maez said, adding that the Sept. 17 meeting minutes had not been approved or “set in stone.”
He added, “I didn’t catch it quick enough, to be honest.”
Weaver reminded the BoCC that the board has the sole discretion in approving or denying any bids received for the properties.
“I don’t have any trouble at all relisting these properties,” Brown stated, adding that he originally wanted to see if there was a nonprofit organization in the community that currently has the bandwidth to take on new properties to provide affordable or workforce housing.
Medina explained that the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (PSCDC), Habitat for Humanity and Aspen House were all invited to the previous BoCC meeting to provide input, and that the consensus among the three groups was that none of them currently have the bandwidth to take on additional properties.
“And, personally, I don’t think it’s [the PSCDC’s] job to do housing,” Medina added, noting that the PSCDC has done a great job with its housing projects, but that she “would like for [the PSCDC] to focus on creating economic development in our community.”
Brown also stated that he wanted to wait until after the presidential election to relist the properties, in the hope that the county would receive more appetizing bids for the properties.
“Just my speculation,” he added.
Maez commented that he understood Brown’s concern, but noted that relisting the properties now for 45 days, will extend past the presidential election.
Weaver indicated that the properties would be listed until Nov. 15.
“I’m not going to stand in the way in getting something done in light of a few days,” Brown said.
Medina also addressed Hudson’s concern for the need of housing in the community, explaining there are potentially other developers in the community that could develop these 11 properties to create more workforce or affordable housing, “cause that’s what we need.”
The 11 properties can be bid on through GovDeals.com until Nov.15.
clayton@pagosasun.com
