Emery County Offers Lease to City After Library Accessibility Work, Council Agrees to Consider Lease

Emery County commissioner Keven Jensen told the Castle Dale City Council that the county had moved forward with an accessibility overshot at the Castle Dale Library without following the city’s required processes and apologized for that decision. Jensen proposed that, rather than signing a city liability form the county could not accept, the county would lease the overshot and adjacent sidewalk area to the city so the county would assume injuries and long-term maintenance, including snow removal. "Instead of signing the liability form, the county can lease the structure to the city," Jensen said.

Council member Bradley Giles moved to enter into a lease with Emery County for the structure and sidewalk area to resolve the liability issue; the motion passed unanimously. The council did not finalize lease terms at the meeting and the county indicated it would draft the lease and return it to the city for final approval. The decision preserves the accessibility improvements while shifting formal liability and maintenance responsibilities back to the county pending review of the county-drafted lease.