Commissioners discuss sale and leasing options for surplus county properties; set $200,000 minimum bid for former Planning building

The Sept. 22 special meeting covered two property matters: a request for permission to lease renovated offices in a county-owned building to community service partners and a discussion about selling the county’s former Planning and Building office.
Blue Mountain Counseling staff told commissioners they could offer up to three rehabilitated offices for lease to nonprofit partners and community agencies. The counseling organization said their attorney would draft a lease and recommended verifying insurance and confidentiality protections. Commissioners asked staff to check with the county attorney and the insurer and raised security and client‑confidentiality considerations; no lease was executed at the meeting.
Separately, commissioners and staff reviewed a recent appraisal and discussed a suggested minimum acceptable bid for the county’s former planning building. Presenters said an appraiser’s report listed a fair-market figure of about $299,000, and staff proposed a lowest acceptable bid of $200,000 to encourage sale. Commissioners expressed support for the proposed $200,000 floor and discussed advertising, offering walk-throughs for potential bidders and setting bid-increment levels (commissioners suggested increments such as $500). Staff said they would proceed with public notice and return with results if bidding failed.
No formal ordinance or sale was approved at the meeting; staff will follow up with legal and insurance checks for leasing and will run the sale process under the commission’s guidance.