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Council delays vote on 25-year Ken Lindley Park lease after councilmembers, residents seek more review
Summary
Councilwoman Ferworth pulled and successfully moved to postpone a proposed 25-year lease for Ken Lindley Park to allow more public notice and contract refinement; the motion to postpone passed 4-2.
The Prescott City Council on Sept. 23 postponed consideration of a proposed 25-year lease and related improvements at Ken Lindley Park after Councilwoman Ferworth asked for additional public notice and contract revisions.
The lease—listed in staff materials as City Contract 2026-114 and tied to an agreement with OJBFC to lease an athletic field and certain improvements at Ken Lindley Park—was read aloud as part of the consent ordinance items. Councilwoman Ferworth said she supported the proposal’s concept but asked to pull item 10c from the consent ordinance to allow more time to refine contract language and ensure the charter-required public-notice period was satisfied.
Ferworth said she believed Prescott’s charter requires public notice at least once a week for two weeks prior to approval of a lease of city property and that the city’s notices so far (published the prior and current Sundays) did not satisfy the full two-week period the charter intended. She also asked the council to allow more time for public feedback following the council’s study session discussion.
The mayor allowed public comment on the item. Kathy Rusing, a longtime Prescott resident, urged support for the Ken Lindley upgrade and thanked a donor; other supporters pointed to community benefits for soccer programming.
Councilwoman Ferworth moved to postpone the item to the next city council voting meeting to allow additional contract work and public process; the motion passed 4-2. The mayor noted the next regularly scheduled council voting meeting would be Nov. 4 but suggested staff could bring the item earlier if needed.
Why it matters: the lease would commit city property for a multi-decade term and includes substantial facility improvements; several council members and residents said additional time to ensure public notice, finalize contract language and give the public time to respond was appropriate.
Council members said the postponement is intended to provide time for staff to refine the contract and for the council to confirm the city’s compliance with charter notice requirements before approving a long-term lease.
