This week, the Inyo Supervisors met in a closed session to talk about property negotiations that are related to a new county administrative center in Bishop.
Two parcels of property, each about 5 acres in size, were listed on the Board’s agenda. They are apparently the two
responses to the County’s Request for Proposals. The County owns one of the parcels, 5.75 acres south of the Jack-in-the-Box. The agenda item says that the negotiating parties are the County Administrator and the Mitchell Asset Group.
The second parcel sits at the corner of Wye Rd. and Highway 6. The negotiators on this one are the County Administrator and Joseph Enterprises, the apparent owner of the 4.37 acres.
Officials have declined to say anything since the land deals remain in the negotiation stage. The County’s RFP calls for a consolidated county office space in the Bishop area. The RFP document asks for a reduction in what the County would pay for office rent. Currently, Inyo pays close to $400,000 a year on office building rents. The new project would consolidate County offices that now operate in and around Bishop. The RFP says possible scenarios include development and lease back to the County of facilities that the County would eventually own.
County Administrator Kevin Carunchio did say he believes in consolidation of offices and services that create efficiencies for government and the public. Inyo County does own one building in Bishop, on South St. and leases seven other buildings for county services and functions.
Although some have wondered if the County and State Office of the Courts could get together and build a joint facility, the State has made it clear that won’t happen.
