Commissioners review Aggieville police substation lease, defer final approval to law board

Riley County commissioners discussed, but did not finalize, a proposed lease for a new Aggieville police substation after staff said key terms had already been negotiated with the developer.

County Counselor Jacob Hansen told the board the county had negotiated the lease’s rent-escalation clause to track regional CPI instead of a flat 3 percent and secured three dedicated parking spots for the premises. He said the developer has been “very forthcoming and wanting our presence there and working with the police department and at his own expense, building that out to what we would like it to be.”

Police representatives said the plan is to move equipment and usable furniture from the current substation into the new space, reducing startup costs; replacement of outdated items, if necessary, would be a county expense. Commissioners discussed a target transition window beginning in October, with an operational start date no earlier than January 2027 to allow time for build-out and logistics.

Several commissioners recommended the law board review the lease before the commission signs it. “We could put it on for the next law board … and have a presentation so everybody knows what’s going on,” a commissioner said; another agreed, adding the board could still sign afterward if the law board’s review is informational.

The commission did not take final action on the lease during the meeting and instructed staff to present the agreement to the law board and return with any additional information before execution.

The county attorney’s office and police department staff said they are available to answer law-board questions and will coordinate the next steps; commissioners indicated a willingness to table signature until after that review.