Dec. 21—MITCHELL — The city of Mitchell is seeking to swap a piece of land near its new ground water storage tank in exchange for 6.7 acres of land that's needed to expand water distribution.
As part of the land swap, the city would transfer roughly 4 acres directly north of the new ground water storage tank, located about 2 miles south of Mitchell, and $10,000, for 6.7 acres of land near the future location of the soybean processing plant.
The 6.7 acres of land the city would acquire neighbors the 4 acres of land where the ground water storage tank sits. It's situated west of the train tracks stretching along Highway 37.
Mitchell Mayor Bob Everson said the land swap will allow the city to build new water distribution pipes that were planned for the area.
"We need this strip of land to get the water distribution pipes built that will service Mitchell. We don't use the 4 acres we have north of the water storage tank," Everson said.
For city projects such as the water distribution pipes, a municipality can utilize easements to access nearby land that is privately owned. An easement allows a city or utility company to use private land for a respective project. The landowner typically receives financial incentive when an easement is allowed on their land.
Everson said the consultant for the city's water distribution project did not get the necessary easements needed to build the pipes that would stretch through the land the city is eyeing to purchase.
The Mitchell City Council will appoint an appraisal board for the land deal on Dec. 27 during a special meeting. The appraisal board will assess the value of the land the city is looking to give up, which will aid the council in their future decision on the proposed transaction.
The narrow strip of land the city is seeking to acquire is privately owned.
"It's not super useful for any private development because it is kind of a narrow strip between the highway and the railroad. It might have some value to us but probably not for a developer," City Attorney Justin Johnson said of the 6.7 acres the city is aiming to acquire.
Johnson said the city's land that is proposed to be sold in the transaction could be turned into crop ground.
According to Johnson, the 4 acres of city-owned land was once used for crop production prior to the city acquiring it for the ground water storage tank project.
Construction of the ground water storage tank was completed this year. The tank will provide the city with 2.5 million gallons of backup water supply, which will be available for emergency scenarios impacting Mitchell's water distribution.