Facilities committee approves transfer station land lease

The special facilities committee approved a land lease for the county transfer station and unanimously approved minutes from its March 25 meeting, the committee chair said.

The lease approved by the committee includes a provision granting an easement to permit access to adjoining property and assigns responsibility for any damage to the leased property to the lessee, identified in the meeting as Mr. Merritt. “I added in a provision about an easement to enter that property and should any damage occur to the the leased property that that Mr. Merritt assumes responsibility for that,” the Chair said.

Committee members asked whether the transfer station lease is the same as the county’s agricultural leases. The Chair said the transfer station lease is not the same but is similar and that a 2023 lease provided a usable template with a few targeted changes for the site’s particular circumstances. Members also compared this lease with a separate arrangement involving CBTC land that includes educational uses and a nonfinancial grass-cutting trade; the Chair said that arrangement did not involve a financial transaction and that the county would need a contract if a financial exchange were to be required.

A motion to approve the March 25 meeting minutes was made by Supervisor Bjork and seconded by Supervisor Score; the Chair announced the motion passed unanimously. Later, a motion to approve the transfer station land lease was moved by Supervisor Lion and seconded by Supervisor Bork; the Chair called the voice vote and announced the motion passed. The transcript records the chair’s announcement that the minutes vote passed unanimously and that the lease motion passed; individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

The Chair said the committee’s next meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 22 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 a.m.