The Petersburg Borough is one step closer to having clear rules about selling its tidelands. That’s after the borough assembly voted unanimously last week to approve new language requiring borough-owned tidelands be sold at or above appraised value. It was the first of three votes.
In an interview on KFSK’s call-in show Borough Business last week, Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said there’s no language on the books in Petersburg that specifies how borough-owned tideland should be sold.
“This will change it to say that the borough can sell tidelands, but the minimum price is the appraised value,” he said.
The new language would also require the buyer to pay for the appraisal of the land.
Until recently, the borough’s policy was to lease its tidelands to marine-related businesses. Money from the lease of the land goes to the Petersburg Harbor Department. But in the last year, the borough assembly voted to sell tidelands to two marine-related businesses, noting the value that the businesses bring to the community.
The Petersburg Borough Assembly will take public comment on the subject during their meeting at noon on Monday, November 4.
