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Ramsey County approves lease with abstract office, agrees to remove specified interior walls
Summary
The county approved a lease agreement with the abstract office and authorized the chair and auditor to sign, with the county to remove certain non‑load‑bearing interior walls; the commission kept the proposed occupancy date at October 1 but said it could be amended to November 1 if agreed.
The Ramsey County Commission authorized the chair and the county auditor to sign a lease with the local abstract office and agreed to remove specified interior walls in the leased space.
County staff reported that the abstract office had reviewed the proposed lease and requested limited interior alterations; staff said the walls in question are non‑load‑bearing and primarily for privacy. The abstract office asked to push the effective occupancy date back from October 1 to November 1 because it received the draft lease late; county counsel and staff recommended keeping the October 1 date because the tenant had been on notice since May. The commission approved the lease with an amendment to specify which interior walls the county will remove before occupancy.
Why this matters: The lease resolves a pending occupancy and clarifies responsibilities for interior alterations and timing. Staff said the county’s grounds crew could remove the non‑load‑bearing partitions and that doing so should not present structural issues.
Votes and procedure: The motion to have Commissioner Gessner and the auditor sign the lease (with the modification about specified walls being removed by the county) passed by voice vote. The commission also gave access/keys to allow the tenant to measure and prepare work in advance.
Quotations: A staff member summarized the tenant’s request and said he was “not particularly in favor” of delaying the October 1 date because the tenant “has been on notice since May.” Another commissioner added, “Let’s give them a key and provide them access so they can start.”
Next steps: Staff will finalize the lease language to include the interior‑wall details and process the signatures; the county will schedule the wall removal prior to occupancy if the tenant’s changes are confirmed.
Ending: The lease authorization completes a long‑running negotiation on occupancy and interior alterations; staff will finalize details and return documentation as needed.
