Group may lease District 88 land for soccer fields

School seeks bids

on house built

by students

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- Real estate dominated much of the discussion at the District 88 Board of Education's meeting Thursday.

Officials discussed leasing out land for soccer fields and selling land for residential development. A date was set for selling a house constructed by the district building trades program.

The house, which is being built behind the high school, will be sold by sealed bids. The board approved advertising for bids the week of May 21 and opening the bids on Monday, June 11. The board will decide before advertising for bids whether bidders will be allowed to up their original bids after bids are opened. The house must be moved to a new location.

The board defeated a motion by Mark Wiger to table the bidding process until the district could ask an auctioneer or real estate agent for advice on the best procedure for getting a maximum amount for the sale. Other board members felt an auctioneer or real estate agent would be unlikely to offer advice without a consulting fee.

The district will set a minimum bid price based on the cost of materials, labor and selling costs, to assure the district will get back the money it has put into the house. Any proceeds above the cost of the house will be placed in a special fund for the next building project.

Land lease, sales

In other business, the school board discussed leasing some farmland it owns off County State Aid Highway 27 near the New Ulm airport to the New Ulm Soccer Association to use for soccer fields.

The soccer association currently uses the Martin Luther College soccer field during the summer, but this year will be the last time that field is available. MLC will be using the land for an expansion project.

The soccer association hopes to lease 20 acres of the 49 acres owned by the district. The land is currently leased to a farmer. If the lease with the soccer association is approved, they could level the land and plant it with grass this summer and have it ready for use in the summer of 2002.

The soccer association would lease the land at the same rate as the farmer.

The board expressed its willingness to lease the land, and a lease agreement will be ready at its April 26 meeting.

The board also discussed the possible sale of land it owns on the hill above Oak Hills Living Center. The land is adjacent to property owned by the Diocese of New Ulm which is being developed for residential property. Superintendent Harold Remme said the land would serve no other use to the district, and the board should consider dividing the land into residential lots and selling it.

Proceeds from the land sale must first be used to reduce district debt, said Remme. The district has bonds it is paying off related to the recent remodeling and expansion of district buildings.

The first step to making a decision would be land appraisal, which could be done within the next month or two, according to Remme.

Fire marshal inspection

A recent inspection by the state fire marshal's office was discussed. The inspection went very well, district officials said, especially considering it has been ten years since the last inspection. Most of the infractions found were minor ones involving overcrowded storage spaces, use of extension cords, and supply shelves built too close to sprinklers.

The most expensive correction would be to install sprinklers in the middle school auditorium/gym floor area, and the prop storage room. The district has 90 days to correct the problem, but it can ask for an time extension.

The cost of the corrections fall under health and safety expenses. State law allows the district to levy taxes to cover the cost of health and safety expenses.