COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Coldwater City Council approved a pair of farm lease agreements with Brian Sexton of Sexton Farms on Monday night.
Sexton has farmed several parcels of City of Coldwater and Coldwater BPU owned land for several years on separate leases. The leases are due for renewal for the 2022 crop year.
The agreements were introduced by the Council on February 14.
City Manager Keith Baker says Sexton would like to continue to lease the property through 2026. One agreement covers the Zebolsky farm across from Clemens Food Group on Newton Road and the Norma-Lenon Geishert farm on North Willowbrook Road. The BPU Board already approved the lease at its February 2 meeting. The Agreement is for five years at $155 per acre for the term of the lease and the City reserves the right to apply biosolids from the Wastewater Treatment plant as applicable.
The second agreement covers the Rumsey farm on Western Avenue. This Agreement is also for five years at $120 per acre for the term of the lease.
In addition, the Council introduced an agreement to lease the Bailey Farm at the northwest corner of River Road and U.S. 12 which is the future site of the expansion of the city cemetery. Baker says the farm contains about 69 tillable acres and there were two interested parties.
At the March 23 auction, Sexton Farms was the winning bidder with a final bid of $425 per tillable acre. The final Barone bid was $400 per tillable acre. The lease becomes eligible for final passage on April 28, but the next regular Council meeting would not take place until May 9.
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