Lake County commissioners leave motocross lease unresolved amid safety and liability concerns

The Lake County Board of Commissioners discussed the county’s unsettled lease with Mount Albert Moto motocross park during its Jan. 7 regular meeting and did not adopt a final agreement. Commissioners and staff said no signed, recorded lease or final unsigned version from the April 2023 agenda item could be located in county files, leaving the matter for the incoming board to resolve.

Why it matters: the track operates on county-owned land and commissioners said that clarifying safety, financial transparency and liability protections in any lease is necessary to protect the county and the facility’s future. Commissioners also noted the site’s proximity to the restricted airspace around Leadville Airport as a potential operational constraint.

Commissioners and others described lingering uncertainty about which lease terms are binding. One commissioner said the county does not have “a final version” in its records and that “no one has a signed version” dating from the April 2023 agenda item. Another urged that if a countersigned copy can be produced, it should be presented to the county.

At the meeting, a long statement defending proposed lease safeguards and explaining the risks of continuing current operations was read into the record by a speaker identified in the transcript as Speaker 5. That speaker said he has been involved in motocross since 1973 and described industry trends of track closures related to lawsuits and insurance costs. He urged lease provisions aimed at minimizing liability and improving operational safety, listing precautions he said should be part of the lease: warning-light systems at blind jumps, resizing jumps or providing alternate lines, designated riding times by skill level, mandatory safety gear, on-site EMT coverage during open hours, and a digital waiver system to capture usage and demographic data.

“Operating any facility on county-owned land is a privilege, not a right,” the speaker said. He added that the proposed operational changes are intended to “safeguard both the track operators and the county from undue liability and ensure that the track can remain operational into the future.”

County staff and other commissioners reported they had reviewed meeting materials from April 2023 and a 2012 lease but were unable to find a final, recorded agreement from the renewal discussion in 2023. Staff recommended reopening discussion and using the 2012 lease language as a starting point while incorporating safety-related amendments identified in 2023 work sessions and subsequent communications with track representatives.

Several commissioners said the proposed lease language could impose significant new requirements on what they described as a largely volunteer-run nonprofit operation, and that additional time for the operator to respond would be appropriate. One commissioner noted conflicting statements from the operators and said further conversation was warranted before imposing any mandates that might alter the nonprofit’s operations.

No formal action was taken. Commissioners said they would transmit the information and any drafts to the incoming board of county commissioners for follow-up. The agenda item was closed and the meeting moved to other business.

The record shows extended discussion about safety, liability and recordkeeping but no vote to adopt a new lease. The county did not produce a countersigned lease during the meeting and commissioners recorded that the item will be a carryover for the next board.