Commissioners direct staff to clarify leases, ownership and rental arrangements for county health building

McDowell County commissioners on Aug. 11 discussed long‑standing tenant arrangements at the county‑owned Health Department building and asked staff to return with a formal leasing proposal and related operational cost details.

County staff said the building is owned by McDowell County and that the Foothills Health District (McDowell and Rutherford counties) occupies the space. The county reported that some offices have been sublet to external providers (the transcript referenced ‘‘Via Health’’) and that staff could not locate a written agreement documenting the arrangement.

County property director (Mister Wood/Mr. Wood) told the board that the historical arrangement appears to have been a longstanding, informal practice and that he could not find a written lease in county files. He recommended clarifying whether the county should (1) leave the current arrangement in place, (2) lease the entire building to the health district and allow subletting, or (3) have the county itself approve and execute individual leases for tenants and take direct responsibility for lease administration and receipts. He suggested any rent collected should be considered in the context of the district’s operating budget because the district has used rental income to cover operations.

Commissioners said they want a formal written lease and clearer accountability. One commissioner asked for a staff recommendation on a lease that protects county custody and control of the building while preserving needed health‑service operations. Staff agreed to present a draft lease and cost/operational analysis at the board’s next meeting (staff said they would try to have material ready by the next Monday meeting and in any case to be prepared for the September meeting).

Also during the same agenda item, commissioners approved two separate leases related to county property: a short‑term lease of a former convenience‑center site to Blue Ridge Processing at an annual rate of $3,600, and a lease of a 6,600‑square‑foot former DaVita space at the Senior Center lower level to a local day program at roughly $10 per square foot (about $66,000 per year; the meeting recorded a monthly figure of $5,500). Both lease approvals were made on voice votes recorded during the meeting.

Ending: Commissioners directed staff to draft and return with a formal lease structure and operational-cost analysis for the health building, and staff will notify the tenants of recently approved leases so they can execute agreements.