Resolution_Interlocal_County_CWU_CityofEllensburg

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KITTITAS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 2024 AGENDA STAFF REPORT AGENDA DATE: September 17, 2024 ACTION REQUESTED: Request to Authorize a Resolution to authorize the Board of County Commissioners signature on the Interlocal Agreement between Kittitas County, City of Ellensburg and Central Washington University. BACKGROUND: The City -chartered Public Development Authority, Ellensburg Business Development Authority (EDBA) dba CenterFuse, is working with the City to merge with the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce. The combined resources are to remove barriers and offer information sharing and efficiencies for coordination of economic development services countywide. The merger of the EDBA and the Chamber creates a structure for economic development collaboration across the county to better serve the community. As part of the merger, the EDBA will transfer current assets and the City will dissolve the EDBA. The EDBA obtained a Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) loan to construct a business incubator building on County Parcel No. 955272. The CERB loan was paid off in 2018. The business incubator building currently houses three separate business tenants. The dissolution of the EDBA and transfer of asses creates an opportunity for mutually beneficial exchange of real property between the County, City and Central Washington University (CWU). This includes transfer of the County owned hangar at Bowers Field, transfer of a parcel at Helena and 18'', and ownership transfer of the current business incubator building at parcel no. 955272. This exchange of real property benefits long-term local and regional public interests of all parties. An interlocal agreement has been developed to identify each agency responsibility to coordinate on this property transfer. The interlocal has been reviewed by the City of Ellensburg, Central Washington University, and Kittitas County.