City managers seek use of county land for warming center; delegation asks for written terms and a dedicated briefing

City managers and municipal leaders have asked the county to permit use of county land for construction of a warming center and to allow the county commission to execute construction contracts on the managers’ behalf, county staff told the executive committee on Feb. 20.

Staff said the plan would be revenue-neutral for county taxpayers because expenses (up to $3.5 million reported as a possible ceiling) would be offset by equal revenue or grants, and that the preferred approach was for the commissioners to oversee execution for administrative efficiency. "They would like permission for the commissioners to execute the contracts," the county commissioner said.

Some members objected to taking action without written agreements, details of the selected RFP vendor, and confirmation of prior meetings with city managers. "I object that this is being done and that we're going to vote on something that I don't have anything written down with what the plan is," one representative said, requesting that the committee receive contract terms and the RFP outcome in writing before any vote.

The committee agreed to include an executive-level briefing ahead of the March 4 full delegation meeting. Options discussed included adding a noticed, brief executive meeting at 6 p.m. before the full delegation session so the executive committee could review the paperwork, or allowing city managers to proceed and report back; members favored a transparent, documented review before delegating contract execution authority.

No final approval to transfer authority or amend the county budget was made at the Feb. 20 meeting; the committee asked staff to circulate the meeting notes and proposed contract materials for review ahead of the full delegation.