Commissioners agree to negotiate a longer-term lease with Pawnee (Ponty) Mental Health for renovation plans; counsel to present amended lease

Riley County commissioners on April 10 discussed a proposed lease amendment with Ponty/Pawnee Mental Health Services that would allow the provider to make extensive interior renovations and extend the lease term beyond the current agreement, which runs to 2027.

Deputy County Counselor Jake Vanson and county staff summarized the amendment’s purpose: Ponty (referred to as Pawnee in the discussion) plans to add clinical space — exam rooms, phlebotomy rooms, storage and support areas — to support a new integrated primary-care component under a federal grant. Ponty representatives said the renovations would not include structural changes but would reconfigure interior space to support co-located primary care and behavioral health services.

Counsel presented an initial draft that included an unusually long 100-year term as a starting point. Commissioners discussed options and settled on directing counsel to draft a 20‑year term. Jake Vanson said he would revise the amendment, check details with Ponty’s leadership and county staff, and return with an amended lease for the board to sign. Commissioners noted that the county owns the parcel and pays insurance and pointed to a historical financing arrangement in which county bonds were used to acquire the building while Ponty/Pawnee repaid the county over time.

Commissioners emphasized they wanted assurance that a longer term would allow Ponty to justify capital investments and asked staff to confirm insurance, liability, and parcel boundaries. No final lease was signed at the April 10 meeting; the board authorized staff to negotiate the 20‑year term and return with a final document for approval and signature.