INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – Satellite county offices will remain at Sebastian Square on US 1 for at least another three years, commissioners decided this week.
A new three-year lease was struck with the new landlord, which will help the county save money.
Public Works Director Chris Mora told the Board of County Commissioners that the new lease is expected to save the county more than $17,000 over the next three years. The prior lease had been $14 per square foot. The new is a tiered approach that charges $11 per square foot the first year, $12 the next and $13 the third year.
“We feel this is a good rate,” Mora said.
The nearly 2,900-square-foot office space consists of the Clerk of the Court, the Property Appraiser, the Utilities Department, and Veterans Services.
The north county offices are located just south of the City of Sebastian in the former Wal-Mart center, two doors down from the Tax Collector’s Office.
Indian River County Tax Collector Carole Jean Jordan has a separate lease with the landlord, though the terms and conditions are the same, according to Mora.
County Administrator Joe Baird told commissioners that staff had been directed to renegotiate leases in an effort to save money.
Faced with possibly losing a long-time tenant, the landlord chose to decrease the rent rate, Mora said.
The north county offices serve everyone in the county but are especially convenient for residents who live north of Vero Beach.
The county government has had the offices at Sebastian Square since 1992. This was the fifth lease renewal for the site.