Port of Ephrata commissioners continue to mull sale for jail

EPHRATA — Port of Ephrata commissioners have not set a timeline for their decision on whether to sell property to Grant County for the county to build a new jail.

And even if they decide to sell, the sale could take six months.

County officials have proposed buying 3 to 6 acres of land from the port at the site of the now-closed work release center, 1631 Division St., Ephrata.

Meanwhile, port commissioners just had their second public meeting Monday on the proposed sale. The first was July 28. Port of Ephrata Director Greg Becken said commissioners plan to discuss the proposed sale again at the regular commission meeting Sept. 7.

“They (commissioners) have unanimously said we need to get an answer out,” Becken said. “Their intent is to try to give notice to the county as soon as possible.”

County voters approved an increase in the sales tax to fund law enforcement and justice programs in 2019, including a new jail. The sales tax increase went into effect, but the county has not chosen a site for the jail yet.

County officials hired a consultant to recommend a site for the facility, and the first choice was the site on Division Street. County officials originally inquired about buying 3 acres of port-owned property next to the work release center for the new jail. Becken said county officials have expressed interest in an additional 3.7 acres at the site for possible future expansion.

Typically, the port leases land rather than selling it. But port commissioners are willing to sell land in some circumstances, Becken said.

If port commissioners decide to look into selling the land, the next step would be to determine if they actually can sell it.

“We have regulatory agencies (overseeing the port), so we need to make sure we meet all the criteria,” Becken said.

As a public agency, port officials would have to follow rules set by the state, Becken said, as well as regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Ephrata airport has received a number of grants from the FAA, he said, and those grants have requirements attached, including requirements for the possible sale of property. The sale would have to meet those requirements, or port officials would have to prove the land for sale wasn’t part of any of the grants.

Even if the land sale is OK, the entire sale process would have to meet FAA specifications, Becken said. He cited the property appraisal as an example.

An appraisal is part of all land sales involving public agencies, but the FAA requires at least two separate appraisals, from appraisers who meet FAA criteria.

Becken estimated if the port commissioners decide to sell, the sale process would take about six months.