Edmonds School District No. 15
Lynnwood, WA 98036-5789
5200-R1 - SITE ACQUISITION PROCEDURES
Adopted
2/7/66
Revised
4/7/80
4/14/87
Site acquisition shall be governed by the following:
1. The decision to acquire a site may result from one or more of the following:
a. The Board of Directors, in regular public meeting or in executive session, may identify the need to acquire a site;
OR
b. The superintendent or his/her designee may report to the Board in regular public meeting or in executive session, the need to acquire a site;
OR
c. A property owner or governmental agency may offer a site or a portion of a site to the district.
2. Edmonds School District may acquire sites by one or more of the following methods:
a. Purchase
b. Exchange for sites currently owned by the district
c. Lease/rent
d. Joint occupancy with other governmental or private agencies or firms
e. Gift
f. Condemnation
3. These general principles shall be followed in the acquisition of sites.
a. Negotiations shall be conducted by the Board or designee within parameters established by the Board. Parameters may include but not be limited to securing options on the site for purposes of conducting appraisals, engineering and design studies, anonymity of purchaser, maximum price.
b. All Board actions taken in acquiring sites shall be by resolution at regular public meetings.
c. Deeds shall be prepared by a title insurance company following completion of an "American Land Title Association" title insurance policy.
d. Deeds shall be signed by the president of the Board or designee.
e. Deeds shall be recorded in the Snohomish County auditor's office and filed in the district's business services office.
f. The Board may elect to have identified sites appraised by a "Member of Appraisers Institute" appraiser prior to purchase, exchange or sales.
g. Agreements to lease/rent or jointly occupy a site shall be in writing and set forth as nearly as possible the exact conditions for the intended purpose.
4. These steps shall be completed in the acquisition of sites:
a. The Board shall authorize the superintendent to appoint a site acquisition committee. Such appointment shall be in writing, specify the assignment, list resources available to the committee, name a chairperson and establish a time frame for reporting. The committee shall report to the superintendent;
b. The superintendent or designee shall report to the Board with recommendations regarding site acquisition and may include the report of the committee in such recommendations. The superintendent's report to the Board may be made in a regular public meeting or in an executive session.
c. The director of business services or designee shall prepare a legal description or address for the identified site.
d. The Board shall authorize contact to be made with the owner of the site.
e. Upon Board approval of price and any other conditions of purchase, a warrant shall be drawn covering all acquisition costs, except attorney and/or consultant fees which shall be paid by separate warrants.
f. The warrant shall be placed in a separate Edmonds School District trust fund by the district's attorney. Checks against the trust fund shall be countersigned by at least two (2) of the following persons:(1) district's attorney
(2) director of business services
(3) superintendentg. At the first regular Board meeting following issuance of the warrant (Item e.), the district's attorney shall report as to progress in closing the transaction. Within sixty (60) days thereafter, if the transaction has not been closed, the district's attorney shall submit a written report to the Board indicating the reason(s) the transaction has not been closed.
h. Monthly reports shall be made to the superintendent by the director of business services or designee indicating progress on all sites that are being purchased or are in condemnation action.
i. Deeds to property shall show the total purchase price on the face thereof.
j. All receipts for funds disbursed shall be retained by the district with copies filed with the district's attorney.
k. Upon closing the transaction within fifteen (15) days thereafter, the district's attorney shall deliver to the district's director of business services and obtain a receipt for the following:(1) the deed showing recording information;
(2) closing statements to both purchaser and seller; and
(3) policy of title insurance showing clear title to the district.l. Should the property be acquired by condemnation, a conformed copy of the judgment and "Decree of Appropriation" shall be filed by the Snohomish County assessor and the district business office within one (1) week of its entry. A conformed copy of the order disbursing funds shall be filed with the district business office immediately upon its entry.