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Asset Management Committee presses district on rapid lease and demolition of Adult Education site
Summary
Committee members questioned the district’s short-term lease and demolition of the Adult Education building, citing possible Surplus Land Act issues, exclusive operational control by a private partner and lack of community notice; staff said the six-month lease was pursued under joint-use provisions and that further review will follow.
Chair Cheryl Matthews opened the meeting and turned to county administrator Dr. James Morris, who said a structurally unsafe Adult Education building had been leased short-term to a community partner and that demolition estimates ran about $1,000,000.
Why it matters: Committee members said the transaction moved quickly over the holiday period and argued the agreement appears to give the private partner exclusive control of the site. They pressed staff to explain whether the arrangement meets the legal tests for a joint-use lease or falls under the California Surplus Land Act’s exemption for short-term agreements.
What was said: Committee member John Hughes moved to add immediate discussion of the Adult Education site to the agenda so the public could hear responses. Hughes contested the substance and timing of the agreement, saying, “This agreement does not fit the eye test,” and questioned why demolition and site work started during the holidays without advance notice to the committee. Dr. James Morris said the six-month lease was on the board agenda the previous night and that the temporary use includes a community basketball court and access for high school teams. Morris also said the group has expressed interest in a later five-year arrangement if terms are negotiated.
Legal explanation and staff response: A staff member and legal advisor explained that school-district joint-use statutes permit leasing vacant space to other agencies, nonprofits and private entities under conditions that include fair-market-rent analysis and protective contract language. The staff member said short-term leases under 15 years can be exempt from formal Surplus Land Act approval and that the district typically evaluates whether an arrangement properly fits the joint-use framework.
Outstanding questions and next steps: Committee members pressed for a clearer accounting of whether the lease grants exclusive operational control to the private entity (cited in materials as ThinkTrue/Think True LLC), how in-kind benefits or demolition costs were valued against fair-market rent, and whether outstanding debt on the property (committee members cited roughly $800,000 owed) affects allowable uses of proceeds. Members requested a fuller legal and financial analysis and agreed to place a more complete review on the next meeting’s agenda.
The procedural outcome: The committee voted to take up the discussion at this meeting and to schedule further analysis for the next meeting; no final disposition or long-term lease was approved at the meeting.
