INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County School Board is nearly ready to approve a new lease with the County Commission for its administration building on 25th Street in Vero Beach. The new lease would be for one year and could be canceled with 90 days’ notice.
“It’s pretty straight forward,” School Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams said of the draft lease presented to the School Board during a round table meeting Tuesday afternoon.
The lease, if ultimately approved by both the School Board and the County Commission, would replace the 30-year-old lease under which they had been operating.
School Board Attorney Suzanne D’Agresta told the School Board that she had worked to simplify and consolidate the lease. She added that she is awaiting a few pieces of information from the county before finalizing the lease.
Under the new lease, the School Board would be able to automatically renew the lease in 12-month intervals. The board would be able to exit the lease without penalty given a written notice to the county 90 days out from termination.
The School Board would continue to pay the same rent to the County Commission as is currently set – $45,000 annually, or $3,750 monthly.
The School Board will be allowed to make improvements to the facility without getting the County Commission’s approval before hand, according to the draft lease.
As is the current arrangement, the County would be responsible for maintaining the facility’s grounds and landscaping, while the School Board would be responsible for the facility itself.
School Board member Claudia Jimenez voiced objections to that provision in the lease but approved the draft lease overall.
“I just think it’s wrong,” Jimenez said of not requiring the County – the landlord – to take care of the facility, which had been deemed “uninhabitable.”
During a joint meeting between the School Board and County Commission last month, commissioners and county staff declined to take on the maintenance of the building.
One major repair project needed for the School District office – if the agency were to remain at the facility long-term – is a $300,000 roof replacement.
Jimenez asked County representatives at the time why the two governments could not split the cost 50-50.
Commission Chair Bob Solari told the School Board at that time that he does not believe it is the County’s job to pay the School District’s expenses. He added that the School District has not been paying a fair market value rent for the facility, which is one reason why the county would not want to take on the expense of fixing up the facility.
County Administrator Joe Baird told the School Board during the meeting in September that if not for the School District occupying the facility, the county would have long since torn down the building.
The current lease between the School Board and County Commission expires next year. The School Board is expected to review the lease at a later date for approval and send the lease to the County Commission for its approval.
