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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final January 24, 2017 <br />15.A.1 17-0083 Lease of Fire Tower and Accessory Building at 43rd Avenue and 4th <br />Street to Indian River County Historical Society, Inc. <br />Recommended Action: Staff recommends the Board approve the lease with the Historical Society for <br />the Fire Tower Parcel and the accompanying resolution and authorize the <br />Chairman to sign the documents on behalf of the District. <br />Attachments: Staff Report <br />Lease Agreement <br />Resolution <br />Deputy County Attorney Bill DeBraal disclosed that the Indian River County <br />Historical Society, Inc. (Historical Society) had approached staff about <br />recreating the fire lookout tower located at 43rd Avenue and 4th Street into a <br />historic exhibit. He provided the history regarding the Indian River County <br />Emergency Services District's 4 -acre property, and said that under the terms of <br />the Project Grant from the Division of Historical Resources - Florida <br />Department of State, the District and the Historical Society must enter into a <br />Lease Agreement with the County for the use of the tower, office/accessory <br />building, and parking area. He also described the conditions of the Lease and <br />recommended the Board's approval. <br />Emergency Services Fire Chief John King supported staffs recommendation to <br />approve the Lease with the Historical Society. <br />Ruth Stanbridge, Indian River County Historical Society, provided background <br />on the fire tower and radio shack. She said the Historical Society considered <br />the opportunity to make the tower a future community restoration, <br />rehabilitation, and historical project. The Historical Society believed the <br />County had disconnected the power source, water, and septic services during <br />the construction of Fire Station 13 and/or when 43rd Avenue was widened, and <br />requested that the connections be put back in place. She also pointed out that <br />the security fence had been removed after a car accident, and asked if the <br />County could replace it. She conveyed that the Grant for the project was <br />written to cover the interior wiring, plumbing, new roof, parking area, and the <br />necessary building materials for the radio shack. She spoke about the <br />partnership with the Amateur Radio Club, and informed the Board that after the <br />restoration, the radio club would bring their workshop to the radio building and <br />open it up to visitors. She reiterated that Grant monies cannot be used for <br />infrastructure, and requested $4,000 from the Board to assist with financing the <br />infrastructure so the project can move forward. She informed the Board that <br />there was a time constraint to move this forward because the quarterly report is <br />due at the end of the month, and the Historical Society is required to release the <br />funds back to Tallahassee or move the project forward. <br />Indian River County Florida Page 12 <br />