Park County denies renewal of Northwest Healthcare lease in county annex, grants temporary extension through Dec. 31

The Park County Board of County Commissioners voted to deny renewal of Northwest Healthcare—s lease for a clinic located in the county annex, but agreed to a temporary extension of the existing arrangement through Dec. 31, 2025 to give the provider time to secure alternative space.

The decision followed a focused discussion about the scope of services provided in the annex and potential county liability. Commissioners said Northwest appears to provide outpatient medical services, including diagnostic care and specimen collection, in a building also used by county staff. "I don't think a county office building is the appropriate place for a medical facility," one commissioner said during the meeting, citing risks of protected health information leaving a shared office environment.

Michelle Gonzales, executive director of Northwest Healthcare, told the board the organization—s Powell office is compliant with applicable rules and that the local clinic was established after funding changes forced a temporary Powell closure. Gonzales said the Powell site provides public-health services and screening; she said, "I just want to state for the record too that we're very compliant." The board majority nonetheless expressed concern that a provider who diagnoses, orders tests and collects specimens is operating in a county office environment.

The board voted on a motion to deny lease renewal but to extend the current month-to-month lease through Dec. 31, 2025 to allow Northwest time to relocate if needed. Commissioners discussed providing a longer or earlier extension if circumstances change and asked staff to prepare an updated temporary lease signature for the chair.

Why it matters: Commissioners cited two reasons for action: (1) potential legal exposure if protected health information is inadvertently exposed in shared county office space, and (2) consistency with county rental policy and market-rate rental structures. At the same time, they said they did not want to abruptly eliminate services without giving the provider time to secure space elsewhere.

Details and next steps: The board directed staff to sign a temporary extension and invited Northwest to notify the county if it finds alternate space sooner, at which point the board could revisit rent and timing. The county noted the existing arrangement had been operating on a month-to-month basis and that the formal lease had already lapsed; the temporary extension preserves services for now while the county seeks to reduce legal risk.

The motion carried on a voice vote; commissioners did not adopt a different long-term rental arrangement at this meeting.