As the stalemate continues between the City of Tracy and the owner of the Cedar Lane Mobile Home Park, there has been some positive news surrounding the issue, at least for its residents.
At the most recent Tracy City Council meeting, the council was informed that the park’s occupants had devised an evacuation plan in case of bad weather. And at Wednesday’s Tracy EDA meeting, Tracy Community Development Director Tom Dobson reported that although the lines of communciation between the park’s owner remain shut down and the City is unable to move forward with fully addressing the issue, the State of Minnesota does have a trust fund available to help residents in case of a park closure.
“That trust fund has to have been contributed to by the owner; the last time that they put out for funding was 2023,” Dobson said. “They haven’t put out for 2024 or 2025 because the fund was at its maximum amount.”
Dobson said owner Mike Grover has paid into the trust, so his residents for now are protected and could be able to receive funding for relocation or to purchase their unit if it cannot be moved.
Earlier this year, Grover was brought in front of the Southwest Heath and Human Services Board for lack of an evacuation plan and not having a storm shelter in place.
He was given 60 days at that time to offer up a plan to be approved by the council — that timeline is set to expire Nov. 23, or his license to operate the park could be suspended or revoked.
The council tabled the discussion on the shelter until its next meeting, which is Nov. 10. At that time, the council will review a resolution requiring Grover meet with the City, review any grant opportunity and/or present his plan to meet the requirements of a shelter.
According to Minnesota Statute 327.20, a manufactured home park with 10 or more homes and licensed prior to March 1, 1988, needs to provide a safe place of shelter for park residents or a plan for the evacuation of residents to a safe place of shelter within a reasonable distance from the park in times of severe weather, including tornadoes and high winds.
The plan or shelter must be approved by the municipality in which the mobile home park resides.
Tracy City Administrator Jeff Carpenter said Wednesday that he has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact Grover.
There are 39 residents in the park, including 10 children.
EDA board member Sis Beierman asked what will become of the park’s homes if it closes, because “we don’t need a pile of junk sitting there,” she said. “Will that be covered?”
To that, Dobson said the discussion will likely be a long and drawn-out one if it comes to that.
• While there has been some interest from individuals looking to purchase one of Tracy’s many tax-forfeited properties, little action has been taken. There have been two bids on lots made since the property auction went live on Oct. 30. One is for a small lot west of 1st St. East and south of Hollett St.; the other, a corner lot at Center and State streets. The auction is open until Dec. 1.
