Commissioners discuss sale offer for church property and Next Step transition residences; raise supervision and liability questions

County staff told the Board of County Commissioners that a private party has offered $82,500 to purchase a county‑owned church building near the convention center and that the buyer would like to proceed if the commission approves. The matter matters because commissioners raised concerns about the property’s proximity to cottages and the Next Step Transition autism program (Next Step), which operates on county facilities and employs staff the county provides under contract with a nonprofit called Endeavor Forward. Commissioners asked staff to include deed restrictions that would give the county a first right of refusal if the buyer later abandons or seeks to re‑sell the property, and they requested contractual guarantees that residents of nearby cottages and students at Next Step would not be exposed to unsupervised contact. Commissioners said they had met with the prospective buyer, referenced in the hearing as “Chrome,” and asked county staff to insert deed language requiring appropriate escorting and supervision and to place protective language in any sale agreement. Several commissioners voiced concern about the cottages already approved for sale to the same organization and the potential for pedestrians to move between the cottages and the Next Step facility. One commissioner asked staff to confirm that any prospective operator would maintain required staff-to-client ratios and professional liability insurance. County staff and legal counsel said Endeavor Forward’s model uses county‑employed personnel leased to the nonprofit; staff said that employment contracts and the agreement with Endeavor Forward are intended to limit county exposure but that the county remains involved operationally. Commissioners asked the county attorney and staff to verify that professional liability and insurance are documented in contracts for medical directors and program providers and to add protective deed language to any sale documents. No final sale was executed during the hearing; staff asked the board for direction and said they would return with deed language and confirm insurance and oversight provisions before any sale is finalized.