Board amends opioid grant payment terms to allow upfront funding and approves 4.5-acre county lease

Stevens County commissioners amended a local grant agreement to allow a contractor to receive payment in advance for an opioid clinic program and approved a 5-year lease for a 4.5-acre county-owned parcel with renewable five-year options.

A county staff presenter explained the opioid grant had been structured as reimbursement-only but the clinic operator requested upfront funds to build inventory and hire staff. The presenter said the amendment would allow the county to make payments now and receive invoices later for reconciliation. The board approved the amendment by voice vote after a motion.

The board also considered a proposed lease for a 4.5-acre parcel (parcel number recorded in staff materials as 03-9039-000). Staff described the parcel as landlocked with limited agricultural value; the adjacent parcel to the north is state-owned. The proposed lease term is five years with two renewable five-year increments, rent of $50 per acre with a 3% annual increase, and first-year rent due on Oct. 1. Staff said the first-year total rent for 4.5 acres would be $225 and that taxes will be billed to the lessee. The proposed lease requires the lessee to control noxious weeds, maintain vegetation cover, obtain insurance naming the county as additional insured and permit county inspections. The board approved the lease by voice vote.

Staff explained they negotiated the lease directly because access runs over private land and posting the parcel for competitive bids could create liability or access complications. Commissioners asked about the lease length and rent; staff said the terms were designed for low-value, recreational and custodial uses rather than commercial agriculture.