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County and Spectrum representatives negotiate rent, shared use and space changes for county-owned building
Summary
County supervisors and Spectrum representatives discussed a proposed lease and building-sale arrangement that would preserve Spectrum’s day-habilitation space while allowing county departments to occupy portions of the facility; parties agreed to an on-site walkthrough and to explore modest rent adjustments and interior partitions.
Spectrum Network representatives and Winneshiek County officials spent more than thirty minutes negotiating how a county-owned building could be shared while keeping Spectrum’s day-habilitation (dayhab) services operational.
County members described high annual utility and maintenance costs at the facility and said the county has been carrying those costs since purchasing the building. A Spectrum representative said the nonprofit had expected a low-cost arrangement when the building was sold to them and that the organization needs to keep key program space, particularly the rehab/dayhab area, while reducing office footprint.
“...we just need the rehab area,” a Spectrum representative said, describing that much of its administrative staff could work remotely and that the dayhab area is the essential space for service delivery. Brian West, speaking for the county during the discussion, said the county would consider options such as erecting a partition wall to create a dedicated hallway and to protect client privacy while freeing up other offices for county use.
Participants discussed practical issues the board asked the parties to resolve in person: restroom access and separation of client-serving areas, whether a center office could be retained by Spectrum, and potential costs to retrofit portions of the building to make them usable for county staff. The county asked Spectrum to consider whether it could operate with roughly half the currently occupied square footage; Spectrum said it might be possible if the organization retained the dayhab footprint and relinquished other space.
Board members and representatives agreed to a site visit next Monday at 8:30 a.m. to walk through the floor plan, assess restroom and access issues, and determine whether building modifications such as a cut-off wall or reconfigured entry would meet both parties’ needs. County officials indicated modest, phased rent increases could be considered so Spectrum could plan financially, and the parties discussed drafting a recommendation to bring back to the board after the walkthrough.
The discussion also referenced the pending legal review: board staff said the attorney general’s office is reviewing the shared-use water and septic arrangement as part of the sale paperwork. Officials said the appraisal and AG review must be resolved before finalizing any sale or long-term lease terms.
Next steps: an in-person site visit was scheduled; staff will report back with a floor-plan recommendation and potential rental terms for the board to consider.
