Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Lease topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents press for soil, water testing as Twin Valley board approves two‑year lease with Kirtland Farms
Summary
During public comment, residents urged Twin Valley School District to require baseline soil and water testing and greater transparency before leasing district land. Despite concerns, the board approved a two‑year lease with Kirtland Farms, LLC, for 2025–2026.
The Twin Valley School District Board on March 17 faced repeated public pleas to delay a proposed two‑year lease of district land and to require baseline soil and water testing, but ultimately approved the lease with Kirtland Farms, LLC.
Multiple residents used the public‑comment period to press the board on environmental and transparency concerns. John Lewis urged the board to adopt a Safe Schools resolution, saying schools should be “safe havens” and that policies limiting collection of immigration information would protect students. Several speakers focused on the proposed lease, saying the district had not shared sufficient lease or insurance records and that routine Right‑to‑Know responses were incomplete.
Speaker Skip said the district provided only the original 2020 lease and a 2024 proof of insurance, and he urged officials to produce follow‑on leases and archival documents before approving a new agreement. ‘‘There was no reason to rush this,’’ he said, and asked the board to require a representative sample of soil and water testing before allowing any agricultural activities that could affect school wells and streams.
Megan Kennedy reiterated calls for baseline testing and said the board should enforce written guardrails — such as a ban on spreading digestate — and require proof the conditions are followed. An unnamed parent raised concerns about PFOS and other water hazards and said families were learning about potential issues on social media rather than from the district.
Board discussion touched on local comparables and neighbor relations; one board member described the proposed lessee as a good neighbor and noted customary courtesy when spreading materials. A few members asked for tabling the matter for additional information, but a roll‑call vote approved the two‑year lease beginning Jan. 1, 2025 and ending Dec. 30, 2026.
The district did not present baseline soil or water test results during the meeting. The public commentators asked for documented testing and clearer public records before similar land use decisions are finalized.
The approval was taken as part of the finance committee items; board members voted on several related motions during the meeting. The board moved on to other routine business after the vote.
