The De Soto City Council has approved the purchase of two floodplain properties and has accepted the donation of another.
Council members voted unanimously Jan. 16 to purchase two properties from George and Rose Krodinger – one at 120 E. Kelley St. for $8,000 and the other on Valley Place Road near North Fifth Street for $4,000.
Also at the meeting, the council voted unanimously to accept a donation of property from Gas Inc. in Festus, through a quit claim deed, of floodplain property at 122 E. Pratt St. near the former shoe factory.
By approving the donation, City Manager Todd Melkus was authorized to incur expenses associated with the donation, including back taxes, recording costs and other reasonable expenses.
According to the Jefferson County Assessor’s Office, $3,104.69 of unpaid property taxes from 2021-2023 are owed on the structure.
Mayor Kathy Smith said a house located on that East Pratt property has history.
“Back in the late 1800s, it was Dr. (George) Auerswald’s home,” Smith said. “The two small brick homes that sit on each side (were) where his servants lived. It used to be a beautiful place with the old wrought iron fence around it.”
Auerswald operated a medical practice and owned a drug store on De Soto’s Main Street called Opera House Drug Store. He was involved in county and state politics in the early 1900s. According to state records, he served terms as a state representative in 1908 and 1916, and according to the Jefferson Republic, he was a county coroner and a Pure Food and Drug commissioner for the state before his death in 1928.
Melkus said the structure more recently was an assisted living facility.
“But (it) has been vacant for approximately 15 years to the best of my knowledge,” he said. “And again, these properties, unfortunately, once they get in such bad shape – even if someone wanted to remodel them and get them up to code, they would have to elevate them. It would just be a substantial amount of money.
“I know we have discussed a lot in the past that these (floodplain) properties, if we can purchase these in a smart manner for a small amount of money that at least we can avoid some headaches in the future.”
Other two properties
Melkus said the East Kelley Street property includes a residence that has been vacant for a number of years.
“Obviously, it’s a dilapidated dwelling, and it’s in close proximity to the creek-shoe factory project,” he said.
The property on Valley Place Road (listed on the deed as Valley Street) has no structures on it.
“This property is a vacant, wooded area that (is) mostly in the floodway, as well,” he said. “This property is in close proximity to a low-water crossing that causes issues during heavy rain events, so it may become useful in mitigating that problem at a future time.”
Melkus said the next step will be demolishing the structures on East Kelley and East Pratt, but he didn’t know when that would happen.
“We still have to get all of the paperwork, deeds, etc. signed and then at that point, we will work on getting them out to bid to be demolished,” he said on Jan. 17.
In December, the council purchased a vacant lot on the corner of East Clement and East Third streets for $2,267.23. The property was next to the former shoe factory.
At that time, Melkus said the city has taken ownership of at least 14 properties in that area, including the shoe factory property at 301 E. Clement. The East Kelley and East Pratt properties also are in that same general area and brings the number of properties the city owns there to at least 16.
“These purchases just continue to show the commitment that the city has made to purchase properties that are in the floodplain, especially blighted properties that are able to be purchased for a minimal cost,” he added.
He has said the properties will be a natural area to aid flood mitigation and he has mentioned developing a walking trail.