More than a year has passed since the discussion commenced that led to an opinion from a competent outside counsel that the lease was void from the start, but after untold hours of City Commission time, the problem with the Angler Club and their lease remains unsolved.
The commission was stymied in possibly allowing the Anglers to buy the property at below market values after former Mayor Sally Mackay stood up asfter Bill Koszar spoke on behalf of the taxpayers and the two were not favorable to doing anything without an apprisal. The former mayor even went as far as saying the property should not be sold, period.
Since Mayor Adam Barringer is prohibited from being involved in these discussions as a member of the City Commission and, of course, the Anglers Club, I have a suggestion for the new mayor: In the campaign, one of his selling points was that as a member of the Anglers Club he could bring the club members to the table and act as an arbitrator to a solution.
So do it.
First, however, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am opposed to selling the property to anyone at this less than opportune time. The real estate market is down and the mayor is only beginning to develop an economic survival plan for the city, which, in my opinion, will place the city waterfront as central stage for our recovery and future economic growth. So selling this property now can only complicate things later.
So my plan is this. The mayor needs to bring the reasonable- and clear-thinking members of the club to the table for negotiations. Assuming the members are interested in maintaining their club and water access, then a re-negotiated lease is a reasonable solution.
Such a lease should include the following conditions:
1. It should not be more than three to five years in length, with an automatic renewal, but allowing either party to opt out.
2. The lease should be at market value. While that term can mean different things to different people, the club, in its recent offer was prepared to pay about $41,000 per year for 30 years. Based on other information, the club proffered, during the recent election, to third parties they were prepared to pay up to $100,000 for such a lease. So in my view market value should be somewhere between the two figures. Given the more than 60 years at only $25.00 per year, this is more than a fair deal.
3. The lease should contain a 90 day opt out for the City, but it should only be exercised should a viable development plan and developer be prepared to go forward with a city waterfront plan that needs the property.
4. Should the City exercise the opt out, they City will take necessary steps to relocate the Angler Club to other facilities further up the North Causeway but on the water that better integrates their activities into the overall waterfront plan. Such relocation could be as another lease, lease to own, or purchase option, again based on the development plan.
5. And finally, in order to protect the taxpayer and the City from any further legal action, the lease must contain an anti-discrimination clause. This clause should included in all other city leases as the are renewed or initiated. Such a clause responds to the values of our democracy.
In my opinion, the above is a win-win for all sides in the issue. The question of the validity of the lease is resolved with the new lease. The City and thus the taxpayers receive a reasonable rent for their property. The property remains on the tax rolls and is available for future development. And the Anglers have some certainty of their future and move from an adversarial position to a partner in the city’s future economic recovery.
So Adam Barringer -- not Mayor Adam Barringer -- lets go solve the problem so that Mayor Adam Barringer can get back in the game and move forward with his economic plan. As I have previously stated, I stand ready to help in any way I can.