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Council tables RFP for William Chester Farm lease pending further review
Summary
Councilors tabled a proposed RFP to re-let the 286-acre William Chester Farm and asked staff to align lease terms with accounting periods and consult on market rates and water rights before proceeding.
The council tabled consideration of RFP 25005, to reissue a lease for the 286-acre William Chester Farm, after discussion with staff and a recommendation to refine terms.
Staff said the current farm lease had expired in December and the city had been operating month-to-month. The proposed baseline opening bid increased annual rent from $19,590 to $35,007.50 (raising per-acre rent from about $4.03 to about $1.25 per acre—staff provided these numbers as a recalculation for the RFP). Councilors and two subject-matter speakers discussed aligning multi-year lease terms with the State Engineer’s accounting periods for water rights, recommending five-year alignment and options to extend in five-year increments. The State Engineer’s Office was cited as the source for irrigation and water-rights guidance.
Given questions about market comparables and the lease accounting alignment, a councilor moved and the body voted to table the RFP so city staff can work with legal counsel and subject-matter experts to refine lease duration, accounting alignment, and to confirm market rate calculations.
Ending: The item was tabled to the next meeting; staff will revisit lease terms, consult with the state engineer’s office and real-estate advisors, and return with a revised RFP.
