Eagle — At a special meeting Oct. 15, 2025, the Eagle City Council voted to authorize staff to auction surplus personal property taken from the Jackson House and to contract for an appraisal of the Jackson House parcel, authorizing the mayor to sign the appraisal contract.

The measures came after about 75 minutes of discussion about the city-owned Jackson House, adjacent parcels and options ranging from doing minimal maintenance and issuing an RFP to seek a private partner, to preparing the property for sale or long-term city ownership. Councilors voted to proceed with the auction of personal property from the house and to commission a standard, non-historic appraisal timed to either follow or proceed alongside the clean-out of the building.

Councilors and staff said the city’s adopted capital plan already identifies roughly $330,000 in capital work for the Jackson House across the next three fiscal years — a fencing and gutter replacement budgeted at $100,000 in the current fiscal year and additional items in later years for asbestos abatement, electrical work and replacement of the sewer lift station. Staff also reported past expenditures on the site: about $101,000 in capital spending over fiscal years 2024–25 and a one-time noncapital public-works line item of roughly $7,800 in FY25.

“We are ready just as soon as the word is given to have another auction,” City staff member Eric said, describing the surplus process and saying the city had cataloged contents in an earlier surplus review and could schedule an auction within roughly two weeks once staff notify the auction company.

Councilors moved to authorize staff to have an auction company establish a date and proceed with auctioning the personal property only (not the real estate). The motion was adopted on a voice/roll-call vote with all councilors voting in favor.

Historic preservation staff and councilors urged care for the Jackson House’s exterior and its historic character even if the city pursues lease or sale options. “I just want the house not torn down,” Elena, the city’s historic preservationist, said, adding that deed restrictions on the property already limit exterior demolition and that she would assist future owners with preservation guidance.

Council discussion ranged over several options outlined in a recent consultant packet (attachment C of the study), including: the city stabilizing the house and leasing or selling it with a deed restriction (option 2), carving the site into two parcels so the west parcel could be used for roadway or parking improvements tied to the Old Park Place extension, and pursuing a public-private partnership (P3) to reduce the city’s long-term maintenance burden.

Several councilors and staff emphasized that older-house work carries special cost and construction challenges — asbestos, lead paint mitigation, electrical and sewer work — and that those unknowns drive up prices. One staff estimate placed the tenant-improvement allowance at about $365,000; fence work was discussed in the $60,000–$65,000 range; a new lift station and associated asbestos piping replacement were described as a wild card that could cost roughly $100,000 or more. Staff and councilors said earlier, smaller items have been done (roof, HVAC, some exterior repairs) but that the city had not yet undertaken the most expensive interior remediation or full preservation work.

Council members expressed interest in soliciting outside proposals before committing large capital sums. The council directed staff to pursue an appraisal of the Jackson House parcel (the “Jackson side” parcel only) and to sequence the appraisal timing to expedite results — either after staff complete the clean-out of personal property or sooner if an appraiser can proceed. The council authorized the mayor to sign the appraisal contract to speed procurement; staff said appraisal cost estimates run in the low thousands (staff previously paid about $8,000 for similar work) and cautioned that timelines can vary.

Council members and staff said an appraisal and any proposals received through a future RFP would better inform whether the city should sell, lease, enter a P3, or retain the property. Staff also noted the city has limited capital maintenance funds in future years and that prioritization will affect how soon additional work could occur.

What passed

- Motion 1: Authorize staff to proceed with an auction company establishing an auction date and to auction surplus personal property (contents) from the Jackson House (personal property only; not real estate). Result: approved, unanimous.

- Motion 2: Contract for a standard (non-historic) appraisal of the Jackson House parcel, to be timed with the clean-out or done sooner if feasible, and authorize the mayor to sign the appraisal contract. Result: approved, unanimous.

What’s next

Staff will coordinate the clean-out of the personal property and schedule the auction of contents; they will solicit and contract for an appraisal of the Jackson House parcel and return appraisal results and any proposals to the council for further direction, including whether to issue an RFP for sale, lease or a public-private partnership. Councilors signaled openness to proposals that preserve the exterior character of the house and offset city maintenance costs.

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Reporting notes: Direct quotes and attributions in this article come from the meeting transcript. The article summarizes votes and staff estimates discussed at the Oct. 15, 2025 special meeting.