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Koochiching County lays out 20-year lease proposal for International Falls law enforcement center
Summary
A Koochiching County representative presented a draft lease giving the county exclusive use of the first floor of International Falls’ Law Enforcement Center for $50,000 per year over 20 years, with refurbishment costs estimated at about $160,000 to be split 50/50; the council sent the proposal to the Committee of the Whole for review.
A representative of Koochiching County proposed a draft 20-year lease on Jan. 5 that would give the county exclusive use of the first floor of International Falls’ Law Enforcement Center (LEC) in exchange for $50,000 per year.
The county official told the city council the lease would include a two-year freeze on rent followed by annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index, county responsibility for major building systems (roof, heating, lights, air conditioning) and a shared, no-cost basement area for the city. The county would also reserve three garage bays for sheriff equipment, six designated parking spaces along the LEC’s south side and first right of refusal should the county later decide to sell the building.
The presentation included an estimate for refurbishment of interior spaces — described as a “room-by-room” estimate — of about $160,000. The county representative said that refurbishment cost would be split 50/50 between the county and the city and that the figure was an estimate, not a bid. The lease would exclude phone, internet and information-technology services from the county’s obligations.
Councilors asked for additional detail on the refurbishment breakdown and emphasized the need to review actual legal terms. Councilor Wagner moved — with a second from Councilor Holden — to send the draft agreement to the Committee of the Whole for further review with the city attorney and other appropriate parties; the council approved that motion unanimously.
What happens next: the Committee of the Whole will review the written lease terms and the county’s detailed refurbishment cost breakdown with the city attorney before the council considers any final action.
Quotes from the meeting: “The lease amount would be 50,000 a year for 20 years,” the county representative said when presenting key lease terms. “Approximately 160,000” was cited as the refurbishment estimate that would be split between the parties.
Background and context: the county representative said the county earlier convened a space committee and, as a longer-range plan, may reconfigure other county facilities to free up space and parking over time. The presentation emphasized that figures were estimates and that no construction bids had been solicited yet.
