Minnetrista officials are considering whether acquiring land for future parks or adding to current park amenities is at the top of their parks priority lists.

A piece of land the city has previously been interested in purchasing for a future park site is now being offered at a lower price, but money and economy concerns have the city council debating whether buying the property is a good decision.

During the Oct. 6 Minnetrista City Council meeting, the panel discussed the possibility of entering into a purchase agreement for the property at 7601 County Road 110W for $675,000. Throughout the last three years, city officials have considered buying the land for varying costs.

In 2006, the city entered into an option agreement for the same property at a price of $985,000, but later decided not to exercise the option. About a year later, the owner of the land contacted the city and Mound and stated he would be willing to sell for $900,000. Minnetrista officials negotiated with the owner until February 2008 when they agreed on a price of $725,000, but the owner later did not execute a draft purchase agreement.

Now the price being quoted is $50,000 less than the last time talks took place.

Mayor Cheryl Fischer explained that the council is interested in the site for two primary reasons. The first is the prospect of building a community park that would include ball fields for residents, she said. The second reason was the fact that the property abuts the new Dakota Rail Trail, she said.

If the property were purchased, the $675,000 would come out of the city’s Park Dedication Fund. That fund is made up of fees from developers who have projects in the city and not from property taxes. Minnetrista City Administrator Mike Funk said the city requires that developers pay into the fund because their projects create homes for new residents and more residents creates a need for more city services, such as additional or upgraded parks.

The possibility of acquiring the property for the lower price was appealing to some council members, but others were concerned about drawing down on the Park Dedication Fund and the current market situation.

As of the beginning of this month, the Park Dedication Fund had a balance of $1,580,000. The city is working on adding amenities to Lisle Park, near the Hunters Crest neighborhood, and officials estimate that more than $300,000 will be taken out of the fund this year for improvements to the park. The city council decided to phase in amenities and improvements to Lisle Park and the estimated remaining expenditures for the future phases is between $1.5 and $2.4 million.

If the city buys the property for $675,000, the Park Dedication Fund would have a balance of about $550,000. That balance would increase with new development and the park dedication fees that come with development in the city. However, the current state of the economy brings with it more uncertainties with regard to future development.

City Councilor Lisa Whalen said the city should take the opportunity to purchase land that is included plans for future public development. She also said that the city should be using the money in the Park Dedication Fund for acquiring land and maintaining and upgrading parks for residents instead of just building up the fund. Whalen also said the city could buy the land now but hold off on building the actual park until more funds were available.

Fischer said that she was concerned about replenishing the Park Dedication Fund with the current market woes. She also said the city has a commitment to Lisle Park upgrades and needs money from the fund for that work.

City Councilor Margaret Davis said the market concerns make the property appealing since it’s next to the Dakota Rail Trail. She said a future park at that site would mean that residents could use the trail to use the amenities instead of getting in a vehicle and using more gas.

City Councilor George Zenanko said he was in favor of purchasing the land because buying it now will be cheaper than buying it at some point in the future. He brought up the two properties on either side of city hall that Minnetrista purchased. He said that if a council a decade ago or more thought about the possible need for expansion of city facilities in the future, they could’ve bought those two properties for much less money.

City Councilor Al Roers said he was opposed to buying the land. He said he’d love to have the property, but it’s not a necessity. He said that he walked along the Dakota Rail Trail and he wasn’t sure how much of the property actually abuts the trail and how easy it would be for trail users to access the park.

Fischer suggested the council hold off on deciding whether to purchase the property so they could all walk the trail near the land themselves. She also asked city staff to look into the Park Dedication Fund and what projects may come into the city to replenish the funds.

The city council unanimously voted to table the discussion.