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Young County approves new 30-year lease, plans major renovations to Omni Annex
Summary
The Young County Commissioners Court approved a 30-year lease with the Omni Economic Development Corporation that raises the county's rent, shifts utility responsibility to the county and funds building upgrades including new windows and HVAC work to begin this winter and spring.
Young County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a 30-year lease with the Omni Economic Development Corporation for county occupancy of the Omni Annex, moving the county from a largely subsidized arrangement to one that includes a stepped rent increase and a program of building improvements.
The court voted to accept the lease, which keeps county occupancy while providing funding and an amortization schedule for renovations. Young County Judge Edwin Graham, presenting the item to the court, said the existing contract dated back more than 30 years and lacked a mechanism for regular increases or funding for needed upgrades.
The lease keeps an annual escalation cap at 4% and includes a 10-year review period (a "reckoning period") to renegotiate if major cost changes occur. Effective Oct. 1 under the new agreement, the county's annual payment will increase from $11,250 to $25,000; the county will also assume responsibility for its own water and utilities after that date. The agreement permits either party to exit with 120 days' notice.
County and Economic Development Corporation representatives described a schedule of immediate and near-term work: new windows are expected to arrive in February, HVAC work is planned to mobilize in early March, and facade/stonework is also scheduled for the spring. The improvements are intended to address an aging drop ceiling, advance energy-efficiency measures and modernize office space used by county services.
Johnny Moore, representing the Economic Development Corporation, told the court the EDC's role allows capital projects and upgrades to be funded and amortized across the lease so the building can be brought up to a safer and more efficient standard. Graham and commissioners said the arrangement also opens possibilities for consolidating additional county and city services at the annex.
Commissioners voted to approve the contract; the execution will be completed by the EDC and the county will receive the signed agreement for its records. Graham and county staff asked budget staff to remember the October change when preparing the next fiscal-year budget.
The court also discussed possible future uses for additional space in the building, including moving probation or other county programs into improved space on the second floor. The lease was approved with a motion from Commissioner Jimmy Wiley and a second from Commissioner Stacy Cresswell.
The contract will be executed by the Economic Development Corporation and the county, and county staff said they will circulate the final signed copy to court members once complete.
