Putnam County Port Authority amends lease to raise rent and remove utilities for DV Civil laydown yard

Commissioners on the Putnam County Port Authority voted April 14 to amend a proposed lease with DV Civil for roughly 10 acres of laydown space, removing county responsibility for utilities and raising the monthly rent to $1,500.

Staff introduced the request as a standard proposal for a contractor laydown area; staff noted the location had been used during prior drainage work on St. John's Avenue. Commissioner Alexander pressed staff on whether the county should advertise the lease or negotiate, and whether the county should charge a rate comparable to nearby local contractors. "I question why we're leasing 10 acres to an out-of-county contractor for $800 a month," Alexander said, arguing the county should avoid undercutting local businesses and should ensure the rent reflects the usable cleared acreage.

Commissioner Harvey and others warned that the parcel contains trees and a pond and that the tenant would not have 10 acres of cleared, usable land. Commissioners asked staff to revise the lease language to make the premises “approximately 10 acres” while clarifying the actual usable area, and to remove standard clauses that would obligate the county to pay for tenant utilities on vacant land. "I don't want us paying for their garbage, and I don't want us paying for their sewage," Commissioner Alexander said.

Commissioner Alexander moved to amend the lease to exclude utilities and set the monthly rent at $1,500; the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote. Staff said they would return with the revised lease reflecting the board’s direction.

Next steps: staff will prepare a revised lease reflecting the clarified acreage, the removed utility obligations, and the new rent to present back to the Port Authority for final execution.