PORT TOWNSEND — One more step is needed before the campus of the former Mountain View Elementary School is put into city hands.
The Port Townsend City Council approved a lease agreement Monday night. The school was closed in June.
The lease now goes back to the Port Townsend School Board on Monday for final approval.
The City Council made one change to the proposed lease, which would cost the city $66,000 annually, plus utilities.
The Council placed a cap of $25,000 on repairs funded by the city if there is a major systems failure in the building.
It was approved with the new language by a vote of 5-1, with Councilwoman Laurie Medlicott voting no and Councilman Mark Welch recusing himself as he is an employee of the school district.
Medlicott opposed the city renting property.
Said City Manager David Timmons: “Everything is in order, and we have the funds to cover what is needed in the facility.
“We also have some opportunities to make some short-term improvements to the facility to make it more usable.”
The city plans to use the property for relocating the Police Department, temporarily housing the library during a planned remodeling, offering space for YMCA programs and other public services.
Timmons said after taking a tour of the facility, he believes the Port Townsend Police Department could move into the campus with very little retrofitting.
Timmons has also said he hopes to see multiple agencies use the space, including the Port Townsend Farmers Market, OlyCAP, the state Department of Licensing, the Department of Corrections parole program, the YMCA, the Port Townsend Food Bank, the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce and the local Rotary clubs.
“It appears more than likely this could become a long-term agreement,” Timmons said.
“We may be looking at more than five years.”
Under the proposed lease, the city would pay the school district in monthly installments for five years beginning in September.
The city would pay all utility charges, taxes and assessments.
The school district would reserve the right to use some parts of the campus for classrooms or other uses.
Beginning Aug. 31, 2014, the lease would continue on a year-to-year basis, unless either the district or the city terminates it.
Under the agreement, the city also would maintain and operate the swimming pool, the only public pool in Port Townsend.
Two years’ notice would be necessary for termination.
Sandwich-board signs
While the policy on Mountain View may be completed, the sandwich-board sign discussion continues.
The City Council voted 7-0 to put a halt to applications for sandwich-board signs within the downtown historic district.
Council members previously had placed a ban on applications for sandwich-board signs outside of the district, meaning no new sandwich-board signs may be placed on city streets while the council hashes out new rules and regulations for the sign code.
City Attorney John Watts said interim ordinances stop people from sneaking into the “grandfathered” section of a permanent ordinance and creating a legal, non-conforming sign before the city changes the law.
Other action
The City Council accepted the bid by Seton Construction to begin work on Upper Sims Way.
Seton Construction, located just south of Port Townsend on Discovery Road, bid $2.6 million for work on the main road into the city.
The city budget for the project is $3.2 million, including $1.6 million in federal stimulus money.
Also, the council approved an ordinance allowing for use of city sidewalks by businesses with the proper application, fee and approval of the city.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
