REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Note and File the Strategy and Next Steps for the Sale of the Loyalton Ranch Property
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara owns and maintains approximately 10,270 rural acres of undeveloped land in Lassen and Sierra Counties near the California-Nevada border. The property is located in northeastern California, about 30 miles north of Truckee, CA, northeast of Sacramento, CA, and about 20 miles northwest of Reno, NV. The land is referred to locally as the Trosi Ranch, and within the City, as the Loyalton Ranch Property. The City purchased the property with electric utility funds in 1977 for $1,613,850 or $157/acre. The City's Electrical Department doing business as Silicon Valley Power (SVP), is responsible for the maintenance of the property.
On December 14, 2021, the City Council discussed a potential sale of the Loyalton Ranch Property and directed staff to develop a strategy for the sale of the Loyalton Ranch Property and present it to the City Council at a future meeting. The purpose of this report is to discuss the next steps in the process and completed actions to date.
Completed Actions
To proceed in the consideration of the sale, staff has moved forward with a contract for outside counsel for legal support. The firm of Jarvis Fay & Gibson has been hired to provide legal support and guidance on the Surplus Land Act process.
Staff is also proceeding with obtaining an updated appraisal through Valbridge Property Advisers, who completed the previous appraisal on the property. Staff also explored hiring additional "local" appraisers to perform a separate appraisal for comparison purposes. However, after contacting six firms, none were able to provide the service mostly due to capacity constraints.
New Information Since 12/14/21 Council Meeting
On January 19, 2022, staff attended a virtual meeting with representatives from R...
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