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County agrees to nominal lease for Recovery Court space; committee asks staff to draft lease for legislative review
Summary
The General Operations Committee approved leasing vacated courthouse space to Sumner County Recovery Court, Inc., at a nominal rate, with the county mayor recommending a $1-per-year lease and staff tasked to draft a lease for legislative consideration.
Sumner County’s General Operations Committee approved a favorable lease framework Wednesday to place Sumner County Recovery Court, Inc., a nonprofit that supports the county’s certified recovery court program, into vacated courthouse space for a nominal fee, directing staff to draft a lease for the legislative committee.
Jim Hunter, a retired general sessions judge and representative of the nonprofit, told the committee the organization supports the county recovery court program, runs intensive outpatient treatment, provides drug testing and transportation, and asked the county for a favorable lease so the nonprofit could consolidate offices and operate more efficiently.
Hunter said the nonprofit currently pays about $2,600 a month in scattered office leases and described the program’s role in supervising participants and administering services. “We provide housing. We provide drug testing. We get them jobs,” Hunter said.
County Mayor recommended the committee consider an annual rent of $1 for the space, arguing the program’s community impact exceeds nominal rent values. “I would hope that this committee would consider a rent of $1 a year for this space,” the mayor said.
Committee members debated whether a $1 annual rent would set an unwanted precedent for other nonprofits seeking below-market leases. An amendment to set annual rent at $500 was offered but did not carry. Members then approved the primary motion to lease the county space to the nonprofit at $1 per year with a 10-year term and directed county staff to draft the lease for presentation to the legislative committee.
Next steps: the committee instructed staff and the nonprofit to work together to craft a lease document and send it to the legislative committee for approval. The mayor’s office and county attorney said they will prepare the draft and present it for review. Recovery Court representatives named Wendy Swaby as a point of contact for lease negotiations.
Ending: Committee members noted the nonprofit’s work with the county justice system and opioid-abatement funds and said they viewed the nominal lease as an investment in a program that returns services to people reentering the community.
