2/19/1975 - Laserfiche WebLink

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r THE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATED HAVING THE MCKEE GARDENS PURCHASED BY A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE AGENCY. DIFFERENT AGENCIES WERE CONTACTED, BUT DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING AND AREAS THAT HELD HIGHER PRIORITY, THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE COMMITTEE TRIED TO RAISE MONEY PRIVATELY TO BUY THE GARDENS, BUT THAT FAILED LARGELY BECAUSE OF TODAY'S POOR ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. THE SELLING PRICE OF THE GARDENS IS $1,000.000.00. THE APPRAISED VALUATION WAS $831;55Q.00. THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVES WERE DISCUSSED: 1. THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPLY FOR BUREAU OF OUTDOOR RECREATION FUNDS, WHO WILL FUND 50% OF THE APPRAISED VALUE, AND THE COUNTY. POST THE DIFFERENCE. THE COMMITTEE STATED THAT THEY REALIZED THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE AS THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE THE APPROXIMATELY $600,000 NEEDED. 2. THE COMMITTEE COULD DISCONTINUE ITS EFFORTS AT THIS TIME, AND IF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION RETURNS TO NORMAL, RESUME THE SEARCH FOR FUNDS PROVIDED THAT MCKEE GARDENS IS STILL AVAILABLE. 3. THE COMMITTEE COULD REQUEST THE BOARD TO HOLD A BOND REFERENDUM FOR .THE PURCHASE OF MCKEE JUNGLE GARDENS. MR. PATCHETT STATED THAT BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMIS- SIONERS; RULED OUT A BOND REFERENDUM, THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A STRAW VOTE ON A PROPOSED $1,050,000.00 BOND ISSUE. THE ADVER- TISEMENT WILL RUN IN THE PRESS JOURNAL SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, AND THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 1975. IF THE STRAW VOTE INDICATES THAT A MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS WISH A BOND REFERENDUM TO PRESERVE MCKEE GARDENS, THEN THE COMMITTEE WILL APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD AND REQUEST A BOND REFERENDUM. MR. PATCHETT STATED THAT THE COST OF MCKEE GARDENS IS ONE MILLION DOLLARS, AND THE ADDITIONAL $50,000.00 IS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GARDENS ABOVE ANTICIPATED REVENUE COLLECTED. THE CHAIRMAN CONGRATULATED THIS COMMITTEE FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS PROJECT, AND THE BOARD AGREED TO THE STRAW VOTE, MR. PATCHETT REQUESTED TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE MARCH 5TH, 1975 MEETING. FEB191975 -4- tinoR -22, AGE