Commissioners debate rents, public‑interest discounts and management for county building tenants
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Summary
The board discussed setting a baseline square-foot rental rate for county-owned office space, creating a binary public-interest discount application, and appointing a manager to administer leases and rent collection; staff will prepare a work session packet with square-footage rates and tenant lists.
County staff, tenants and commissioners reviewed current use of county-owned office space and proposed a framework to standardize leasing and rent collection.
Participants suggested setting a single base rate by square footage and then offering a discounted, binary "public-interest" rate for qualifying nonprofits or service providers on application. Commissioners raised fairness concerns about selectively discounting tenants and recommended a manager or administrator to evaluate discount applications to avoid ad hoc decisions.
"You just need to set a base rate of what you want," one commissioner said, urging a clear baseline and a process for public-interest applications. Staff noted practical constraints: no separate utility meters, mixed use of spaces (clinic, MSI, OEM, veteran services) and historic in-kind arrangements; they proposed a "soft start" so nonprofit tenants can adapt financial plans.
Board members asked staff to compile accurate square-foot measurements, a tenant inventory and comparable local rental rates and to present a formal proposal at a future work session. Staff and commissioners also discussed whether some nonprofit tenants could reclassify rental costs in their grants to cover space, and whether revenue could be used for building maintenance and a part-time building manager.
