Bank rejects city offer to buy Greystone subdivision lots

The Dodge Center Council was scheduled to meet earlier this week to discuss options after United Prairie Bank rejected the city’s offer to buy 12 vacant lots in the Greystone Subdivision for $5,000 each.
City Manager Lee Mattson and HRA Executive Director Amy Yochum told council members last week that the bank, which is the owner of the lots, had formally rejected the city’s offer. The City Council had agreed at their first January meeting to make an offer for the lots provided there were no restrictions on their resale.
When bank officials originally proposed the idea of the city purchasing the lots they had included the stipulation that any resale could only be to a non-profit buyer.
Mattson did not indicate the reasons for the rejection of the offer but suggested the council look at a special meeting, possibly with a closed session, to discuss bargaining for the purchase. The council’s intent is for the lots to be developed for affordable housing in Dodge Center.
That meeting was scheduled for Monday.
Dennis McNeilus of McNeilus Auto and Truck Parts also spoke to the council about recent issues with guinea hens from his property running loose on other properties.
He explained he had owned the property in question since 1967. The property is fenced, he said, and he has always had sheep and goats on the property to keep the grass down. The guinea hens, he said, were purchased to help control the ticks on the animals.
This year, he said, he bought replacement guinea hens and kept them in a coop for three weeks. When they were released into the grass they were attacked by a hawk which caused them to scatter before they were used to the area.
Since then, McNeilus said, he and his employees have tried to recapture the hens but with no success.
“I’ve done everything I know to corral these wild creatures,” he said.
He said that without being fed and sheltered the birds would be unable to survive this climate and the number of hens reported has been diminishing. He added he had heard that a resident of the area has been feeding and housing some of the birds.
Council members decided to take no additional action but directed city staff to contact McNeilus or one of his employees if they received any additional reports of the hens. They also asked the deputy who covers Dodge Center to contact the individual reportedly housing the birds.