The county board could make a decision Tuesday about whether to help the city of Austin and the Austin Port Authority with plans to move the Spam Museum downtown. 

The board is scheduled to discuss a proposed parking lot swap with the city during its Tuesday board meeting, which starts at 9:30 a.m. in the board room in the basement of the Government Center.

“It’s a cooperative effort to help out the city,” County Coordinator Craig Oscarson said.

The city is proposing to switch 19 parking stalls from the city-owned lot on the west side of First Street Northeast between Third and Fourth Avenues (next to the B&J Bar & Grill) with the county-owned parking lot directly south of that location.

The city could then use those stalls as RV and camper parking for the Spam Museum, though the city and county will have to decide who’s responsible for keeping those spaces clean during the winter.

In addition, city officials hope to buy the Old Library parking lot at First Street and Second Avenue Northwest to have extra parking in downtown Austin. City officials thought there were 36 stalls available, but Oscarson said the county has already sold off part of that parking lot.

At a meeting last week, Oscarson and Commissioner Tony Bennett spoke favorably of the plan.

Oscarson said commissioners had previously sought to open that land to public bidding but may jump at the chance to sell the parking lot to the city. The county has already gotten the land appraised, according to Oscarson, but he didn’t disclose the lot’s appraised value as he wanted to inform all of the county board of the city’s intent to buy the property.

 

Other business:

—Pat McGarvey will seek input on the city of Austin’s search for a new city administrator.

—The board will discuss the 100-turbine Pleasant Valley Wind Farm project, which the board approved permitting for earlier this year.

—The board will discuss the next steps for the Shooting Star Trail after the legislature approved $2.16 million to complete the trail from Rose Creek to Austin.