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Tenino food bank outlines move, purchase questions as demand grows
Summary
Jody, representing the local food bank, told the council the operation is preparing to relocate from 224 Sussex Ave. E. to 798 Sussex Ave. W., citing efficiency gains from an adjacent warehouse and completed repairs; outstanding questions remain about a prior county grant and the appraisal and purchase process.
Jody, who presented the plan for the local food bank, told the city council the organization is preparing to move from 224 Sussex Avenue East to 798 Sussex Avenue West and is already installing new freezers and coolers.
“We've got the insulation in, the heat's in, the new roof's done. It's not gonna leak anymore,” Jody said, noting freezers and coolers will include electronic alarms to warn staff if a unit is failing.
Jody emphasized operational gains from the new location: the food bank and a nearby warehouse will be separated only by an alley, enabling staff to walk across to pick up supplies rather than make multiple daily trips. “So that's going to save us a ton of time, a ton of man hours,” she said.
Council members and staff discussed next steps if the food bank seeks to acquire the building. A presenter who described the lease-option/purchase process said the standard sequence is a letter of intent, an appraisal and, within 60–90 days, closing. He explained that if appraisers disagree, a second appraiser is selected and, if necessary, a third appraiser’s valuation governs.
The group also flagged a potential legal constraint: the cold-storage building was built with an earlier county grant intended for emergency food storage, and several participants said the original grant documents are incomplete or missing. “Everybody that can remember or can that is still able to speak to us, has said that it cannot be sold in the selling way,” Jody said, prompting the council to direct follow-up to locate grant records and confirm whether sale is permitted.
Council members discussed funding. Jody said city staffer/realtor involvement is intended to produce a clear estimate for funders. The council noted the city typically requires an updated appraisal; earlier appraisals are about a year old and likely must be refreshed before any purchase.
The council and food-bank representatives also reviewed parallel capital work: public works completed structural truss work required for a solar-and-battery grant on the cold-storage site. A council member said the city had received grant responses to install solar and battery storage and that the work should start soon, improving backup power and, seasonally, reducing utility costs.
The presentation included service-volume data that underscored the urgency: Jody said the food bank’s reporting for 2025 showed roughly 27,987 people served year to date, with typical single-day counts in the tens of families and higher on busier days. She clarified the large figure counts people served (human beings) rather than unique visits or meals.
Next steps: staff and the food bank will continue to search for original grant paperwork to determine any sale restrictions, update or commission appraisals as needed, and prepare LOI/funding materials for potential purchase.
