County renews parking‑lot lease allowing Autonomous Solutions to test autonomous equipment at fairgrounds

Box Elder County commissioners approved a one‑year parking‑lot lease with Autonomous Solutions, Inc. on March 11 that allows the company to continue using the fairgrounds' east parking area as a testing site for autonomous heavy‑equipment operations.

Deputy Attorney Anne Hansen presented the agreement and Joshua Williams, director at Autonomous Solutions, described the company's work automating heavy machinery. Williams said the arrangement has been “mutually beneficial,” noting the company uses local mechanics and businesses and vacates the site during the county fair. The Commission approved Parking Lot Lease Agreement #26‑08 on a motion by Commissioner Lee Perry, seconded by Commissioner Boyd Bingham; the motion passed on a unanimous roll‑call vote.

The written lease included in the record lists the initial term as August 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027, with an option to renew for a second year. It requires lessee commercial general liability insurance with a minimum aggregate policy limit of $3,000,000 and identifies the county as an additional insured. The lease also outlines operational constraints: normal testing hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and testing operations must not continue after 10:00 p.m. Lessee must remove most equipment from the lot by July 31 each year so the county can prepare for the fair and must mark temporary barricades and allow the county to reconfigure them for fair use.

The agreement states the lessee will obey federal, state, county and local laws and non‑county roads shall not be used for autonomous operations. The contract text is part of the meeting record as Agreement #26‑08.