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Lease terminated on downtown lot; commissioners authorize talks with city and neighbors to reallocate parking
Summary
The county learned a long-term leased lot used for DSS vehicles will be terminated; commissioners approved staff outreach to the property owner, neighboring businesses and the city to find short- and long-term parking solutions for about 15 county vehicles.
County staff told commissioners that a leased downtown parking lot used for Department of Social Services vehicle storage will be terminated and that the county needs an interim and longer-term plan for roughly 15 county vehicles.
The board authorized staff to start discussions with neighbors and city officials about reallocating parking and to pursue options that avoid immediate paving costs.
William, county staff, told commissioners the county has leased the Fourth Street lot for roughly 10–15 years at about $300 a month to park DSS vehicles and related fleet. "We did receive notice from the, the property owner last week that they are gonna terminate that lease," William said; the owner offered two to three months' month-to-month occupancy while the county responds.
Staff outlined possible alternatives: use existing county-owned lots (South Garden), the jury parking lot, split vehicles among nearby lots (including some underused spaces at the Red Cross building) and negotiate with the city about converting the former EMS lot into parking. Staff noted that moving vehicles into other county lots could impact daily operations and that graveling the former EMS site is an option but would carry a cost.
Commissioners discussed priorities and agreed county employees' parking must be protected. They directed staff to contact the property owner and businesses currently using the county lot, talk with the city about a joint parking approach for the yellow parcel (former EMS/attorney’s-house site), and pursue short-term spreading of vehicles across available lots while avoiding immediate capital expense. The board amended the motion to make the outreach explicit and approved it by voice vote.
Clarifying figures supplied at the meeting: the county stated the leased lot had been leased for more than a decade at about $300 a month; the DSS fleet to be accommodated is about 15 vehicles; staff estimated the jury parking lot contains about 98 spaces, and noted that day-to-day informal use of the DSS lot includes roughly five residential users and about eight business-related vehicles.
What’s next: staff will notify affected users, work with the city on potential cost-sharing for a longer-term public parking solution, and return with recommendations if temporary measures are insufficient.
