TOLEDO — The Toledo City Council and the Toledo Cemetery Association have been trying to negotiate a settlement for the past eight months for land at the Toledo Cemetery that the association says has been rendered unusable by the city.
At Wednesday’s regular council meeting, he rejected a $50,000 settlement offer from the cemetery association to lease part of the affected property and considered a counter-offer of $10,000, which according to the city, is twice the value of the property according to an appraisal it financed. The exact details of the easement will be negotiated if the offer is accepted.
The association appeared before council in November 2021 to discuss approximately 20,000 yards of material a city contractor allegedly dumped on cemetery property years prior, and the city was asked to consider a settlement of up to $464,000 due to loss of property intended for use as graves.
Since then, the city has discovered that approximately 0.28 acres of cemetery property is affected by two landslides that occurred during the winter months of 2016-2017, which originated on the hill where the city maintains the reservoir. of water Skyline, which was built in 2014. .
The city has discovered that rocks from the landslide cannot be removed from the cemetery property as it will affect the stability of the hill. The city therefore requests a perpetual easement of the cemetery in order to prevent future landslides from impacting the cemetery. The city has also considered using the looming estate to seize the property, but the association does not believe this would fall within the proper use of the looming estate, and both parties have said they would prefer to resolve the issue without litigation. if possible.
Jim Chambers, who spoke on behalf of the association at Wednesday’s meeting, asked for time to bring the offer to the association and speak with someone in town to better explain it. The board agreed to have its attorney speak with association members before voting to make its settlement offer.
Other items from Wednesday’s meeting:
• Council approved an expenditure of $110,000 to replace the roofing system at the Toledo Library and allow the City Manager to negotiate a contract for the work.
• Council voted to reimburse the Toledo Chamber of Commerce for $3,348.38 for electricity expended to light City of Toledo signs at the east and west junctions of Highway 20.
• The council accepted $30,000 in grants from the Oregon State Fire Marshal to pay for overtime during the 2022 wildfire season.
• Council has accepted a structural engineering report for the Yaquina Bay Hotel at 160 North Main Street in Toledo so it can be reopened. Alivelim Holdings, the current owner, is trying to sell the property to someone who could renovate it.
• The council voted to ban psilocybin businesses and products in the city until voters can vote on a two-year ban that will last until the state implements the rules and regulations regarding the legal use of the drug.
• Council discussed establishing an accountability code for the city, which would outline common risks and establish an enforcement mechanism for code violations in the city.
