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Supervisors consider 6-month lease

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Ferguson Commercial Real Estate agent Ben Brackett tells the Marshall County Board of Supervisors about work that needs to be done in the building occupied by the Department of Human Services.

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors is trying to come to terms on a lease renewal with Ferguson Commercial Real Estate.

The county leases the Department of Human Services location at 206 E. State St. The lease is about to expire and representative Ben Brackett said the real estate agency is trying to come up with terms that will be attractive enough to retain the county as a tenant.

“It’s a unique negotiation in that the tenant that we’re dealing with on a day-to-day basis isn’t actually making the decision on how to proceed,” Brackett said.

Some work that is being planned in the building includes new carpet and paint and exterior maintenance that needs to be done.

Supervisor Steve Salasek said the proposed lease requests a five-year commitment from the county. Brackett said the company was also open to a longer lease. Salasek asked if the DHS employees could stay in the building while the work was being done.

Brackett said it would be ideal to get some of the work done now while the department has a bare-bones staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marshall County Buildings and Grounds Director Lucas Baedke asked if the county would be responsible for moving furniture and files when then the work is taking place. Brackett said they would hire a moving company that has moved public records before.

Supervisor Dave Thompson asked if the improvements were going to be done no matter who was in the building. Brackett said eventually the work, which he said carries a six-figure cost, will have to be done.

Supervisor Bill Patten said he would be more interested in six-month commitment, rather than a five-year one. Brackett said if a six-month option an option, an extension of the current lease would be considered and then hoped the conversation would be had again in six month.

The landlord Bill Elson said the county pays $87,000 per year for the 10,000-square-foot space. Brackett said it is an aggressive lease. Thompson said many of the projects spoken about were promised in the past eight years and they still had not been completed.

“This has been a point of contention between us,” Brackett said. “If you go back and read the lease, there is nothing in the lease to do this work. My understanding is it was a verbal agreement from the previous landlord and so our position has been we are happy to do the work, we just want a lease extension in place.”

Beckett asked if the best course of action would be to provide a six-month proposal for review and then come back to the next board meeting.

No action was taken.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.

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