FVCC Board of Trustess Approve Land Sale
The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees met August 1 to review the proposed right of way agreement with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). The agreement concerns 8.88 acres of college property that the MDT wants to purchase to construct a Reserve South road.
FVCC President Jane Karas presented an overview of the draft agreement outlining the following terms: MDT would pay FVCC $444,000 for 8.88 acres of college property; additional compensation to the college would include $120,000 for allowing the placement of approximately 55,000 cubic meters of waste dirt and for providing an associated temporary construction permit; $14,500 for 250 plants, mulch and one growing season of the college providing general landscaping upkeep; $102,330 for the college to construct the berm; $25,000 for the college to construct an access road from the round-about; $22,712 to reimburse the college for engineering fees they paid to have the road design reviewed; and $28,730 to reimburse the college for the design fees for the city water and sewer extensions and for the construction observation. According to the agreement, the total cash compensation the college would receive would be $757,272.
The agreement also stated that MDT will construct and grant the college continuous access at several points of the road during the construction of the road. MDT will grade the remnant piece of property that will be cut off by the road from the college campus totaling 2.88 acres. In addition, MDT will extend and cap the Kalispell City sewer and water lines and pull utility boxes into several places on the college campus.
Karas called the agreement “a win-win for the Department of Transportation, the college and the community.”
According to Karas, the agreement needs final review and approval from the college’s counsel and the engineer. Karas also announced the college is waiting for the final plan from MDT.
The Board approved two motions at the meeting. The first motion allows FVCC to sell the property because it is about to become undesirable or unsuitable for college purposes and grants the college permission to have its attorney draft a resolution for the Board’s review and approval. The second motion represents the acceptance of the terms of the draft right-of-way agreement upon final review and approval by the college’s counsel and engineer and upon final review and approval of the plans.
Karas followed the Board’s action by outlining next steps. Following the Board’s approval of the resolution and the 14-day posting of the notice, and the final approval of the right-of-way agreement and plans, the college can move forward with the sale.
For more information regarding specific items included in this report or regarding college activities, contact Tara Roth at 756-3912. For more information on board meetings, contact Monica Settles at 756-3801.