Commissioners approve amendment to jail site lease to substitute parcel for retention pond

Pueblo County commissioners on Feb. 27 approved a resolution to amend the county’s previously executed site lease and lease-purchase agreement for the new jail, substituting a parcel of county-owned land for the parcel designated to contain a detention pond.

County Attorney Cynthia Mitchell explained that the county financed construction of the jail in 2022 through certificates of participation and entered into a lease-purchase agreement and indenture of trust with UMB Bank. During construction the county acquired an additional parcel to serve as a retention (detention) pond, and the parties agreed to substitute the legal description of the leased property to include that parcel.

"Substituting these parcels is critical to the jail project with regard to operational needs for a detention pond and timeline to prevent any project delay claims," Mitchell told the board. She said UMB Bank is agreeable to the amendment.

Commissioner Miles Lucero said the project is important to the community and that keeping construction moving was essential. "I think that thing's gonna be huge for our community as a whole," Lucero said.

Commissioners voted to approve the amendment. The transcript records a voice vote and the motion as carried.

Why it matters: the amendment updates the legal description of the leased property backing the county’s certificates of participation and is intended to preserve the project timeline and operational needs for the new detention facility.

What’s next: the county will execute the amended lease-purchase agreement and related trust documents to reflect the substituted parcel and proceed with remaining construction and site work.