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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: January 11, 2021 <br />TOPIC: Lease of Public Right of Way for Parcel Number 901833 <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direct Staff <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Mark R. Cook <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Notice the current resident of lease termination and direct removal of the encroachment. <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• Since 1981, Public Works (PW) has leased right of way to a county resident allowing <br />an encroachment of an outbuilding (shed) in county right of way. <br />• The lease was renewed in 2001 and is set to expire in October 2021. <br />+ The lease does not contemplate "assignability" and the property recently exchanged <br />ownership and PW desires terminating the lease on the October 2021 date. <br />PW recently directed a hay press operation to abate a sign placed in county right of <br />way along the same roadway (Vantage Highway). <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Since 1981, PW has been collecting lease payments for a structure partially located within <br />county right of way (five feet). The current lease rate is $15 per year. The lease does not <br />contemplate assignability. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Recently, PW directed the removal of partially completed sign at a hay pressing facility that <br />was erected inside of county right of way. The practice of allowing incursion of private <br />improvements into county right of way is problematic. A county resident was recently <br />allowed to retain a fence in county right of way associated with a fish barrier removal project. <br />The agreement requires removal upon notice of PW for future road improvement. The <br />ongoing lease arrangement at 4820 Vantage Highway does provide for a similar removal <br />upon notice of a pending road improvement project. The current lease is not assignable. PW <br />prefers removal of the structure prior to lease termination on 10/31/2021. <br />FISCAL IMPACTS: <br />More money is spent processing the lease payment annually than is received in payment. <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />Exhibit 1: Current lease <br />Page I of 2 <br />Public Works "Work Session Staff Report", 2021 <br />