Preston council delays decision on archery club’s grant request, seeks lease terms

The Preston City Council on Wednesday voted to table a request to provide written support for an archery club seeking grant money for building improvements, after council members said they needed clearer language from the prospective funder about how long a “long-term lease” must be.

The archery club, represented by Ben Christensen, told the council the grant request would be “somewhere in the $40,000 range” and that a public statement from the city committing to a long-term lease would improve the club’s chance of securing funding. Council members said the club’s current agreement with the city runs through November 1, 2027, and that earlier transfers and the lease language limit the city’s ability to repurpose or sell the building before that date.

Why it matters: The city has budgeted $50,000 for improvements to the same building in next year’s budget. Council members framed the potential $40,000 grant as a way to leverage public funds but said they would not commit until they knew what lease length the grantor would require and whether that would lock the city into a multi‑decade obligation.

Council discussion and concerns Council members repeatedly asked what “long term” meant for the grantor. Christensen said in the meeting that, in his view, “it would be a waste of time if we did anything less than 10 years” and that a 25- to 30-year commitment would increase the odds of obtaining the grant. Several council members said the city would likely not want to commit to an additional 30 years without clearer terms and asked Christensen to obtain a written statement from the grantor about the minimum lease length they would accept.

Legal and operational context City staff and counsel reviewed the existing agreement and described it as “liberal,” noting it grants the club substantial use (multiple weeknights and part of Saturdays during an indoor season) and contemplates renewable terms. City legal counsel said the current agreement gives the archery club extensive access and that the lease could be assignable to a new owner, meaning a future purchaser could be bound by the same terms unless the parties renegotiated.

Next steps and council action Council member Chris Larson moved to table the request until the club could obtain specific information from the grantor about required lease terms; a second was recorded and the motion passed on an aye vote. The council asked Christensen to report back with the grantor’s written requirement; Christensen said he expected to have information within a few weeks and the club could return to the council at a future meeting.

Ending note: Council members stressed that they wanted to be good stewards of city assets and that investing city funds in the building would require balancing support for the club with preserving the building as a public asset.