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County lands director details $20.85M spent and $11M held as county pursues large conservation purchases
Summary
The county lands presentation reviewed four completed conservation closings and pending purchases tied to the bond program. Staff said roughly $20,850,000 has been spent to date, about $11,000,114 is held for pending properties and the remaining bond balance is approximately $14,487,000, and outlined next steps for the 09:10 (910) ranch appraisal and public open houses.
County lands staff gave a detailed update on the county’s conservation acquisitions, bond spending and the status of several large, pending transactions.
Summary of finances and activity: Jess said the county had closed on multiple conservation easements and fee purchases this year and reported spending roughly $20,850,000 from the bond so far. She said the county is holding approximately $11,000,114 for pending purchases and described a remaining bond balance of about $14,487,000 (figures presented as staff estimates during the update). "We have spent $20,850,000. We are holding $11,000,114 for pending properties," Jess told the council, and noted some figures exclude additional anticipated closing funds.
Yore/910 ranch and process details: staff briefed the council on due diligence for the 09:10 (Yore) ranch: the baseline documentation and appraisal are nearly complete, the appraisal must be reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service and the timeline is contingent on their schedule; staff said the USFS review could delay closing into spring if field verification is needed. Jess explained she had reserved modest building envelopes and potential uses (5‑acre building lot; a pump well house; hay‑barn replacement) while emphasizing council review before easement recording.
Outreach and next steps: staff plans three public open houses (November, December, January) to inform the management plan and will continue negotiating pending easements and grant commitments. Jess asked the council whether they wanted a closed‑session briefing on pending properties and due‑diligence details; multiple members requested follow‑up. The council also discussed messaging about how the bond leveraged federal and other funds and suggested more public outreach to describe the leveraged funding model.
The council did not take a vote at the retreat; staff will continue due diligence and return with more finalized appraisals and easement drafts for review.
