The Stark County Park Board voted to begin preparing a request for proposals to solicit offers to lease or buy the county'owned Motorsports Park, but did not take a formal vote to sell the property.

Board members said they want the RFP to be flexible so it can receive proposals both to lease and to purchase the facility, and to include a clear inventory of equipment and assets that would be part of any sale or lease. A park board member said, "we should just decide what we're looking for, and then I would say, let's put out an RFP and listen to the proposals." The board asked staff to draft the RFP and indicated Amanda (county staff) would prepare a draft using previous templates.

Why it matters: the motorsports park has drawn interest from multiple parties, and the board'level decision on whether to prioritize leasing versus selling will shape the county's financial exposure, potential capital requirements, and ongoing oversight responsibilities.

Board discussion and next steps: Board members and at least one prospective operator in the audience discussed specific inclusions for the RFP. One audience member, identified in the meeting as Mister Klein, urged the board to explicitly list the go-kart track in the RFP and to allow a successful lessee the option to contract or subcontract go-kart operations subject to board approval. A board member clarified that the current lease prohibits subleasing without board approval: "it's no sublease without approval of the board."

On sale vs. lease and valuation: A board member said state law would require an appraisal if the county decided to sell the property and suggested starting with leasing if there is greater market interest for leases. He said, "by statute, we'd be required to get an appraisal," and recommended waiting to order an appraisal until there was a serious purchase proposal.

Staff role and timeline: Amanda told the board she could draft an RFP from prior templates but asked that someone meet with her to set parameters. Board members discussed public notice methods (county website and required legal publication) and the possibility of wider distribution to motorsports publications or regional contacts. No formal motion to adopt or publish an RFP was recorded; the meeting record shows the board directed staff to prepare the draft and indicated interested community members would be informed when the RFP is posted.

What was not decided: The board did not approve a sale, did not order an appraisal at the meeting and did not adopt a final RFP document. The board did not form a named selection committee during the discussion; members suggested that interested commissioners or board members could work with staff and "Bernie" on the RFP language.

Ending: Staff agreed to produce a draft RFP and meet with interested board members and stakeholders to set the RFP's scope and distribution plan before formal publication.