Josephine Community Library officials have presented a counterproposal to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners in ongoing negotiations over the lease for the Grants Pass branch, challenging a single clause they say could undermine the library’s stability.
Last week, commissioners voted to approve an amended lease that reinstated a “termination for convenience” clause, a provision that would allow either the county or the library district to cancel the agreement with only 30 days’ notice. The district argues that such a condition is unreasonable for a public institution tasked with providing consistent access to essential community services. Earlier this year, the county exercised the same clause, placing the Grants Pass branch under the threat of eviction, and library leaders say that experience left them unwilling to sign another lease with the same vulnerability.
In a letter delivered by the district’s legal counsel, officials explained that termination should be allowed only for cause, such as a failure to meet lease obligations, rather than at will. They noted that relocating a large facility like a library requires planning and resources well beyond a 30-day window. To reinforce their case, the district pointed to the county’s existing lease agreement with the YMCA, another nonprofit that provides critical services, which does not contain a termination-for-convenience clause. They proposed modeling the library’s agreement on that arrangement.
Attorney Mark Bartholomew described the clause as “commercially unreasonable” in the context of high-value leases. He said that in private practice, no tenant would be advised to accept such a condition, and landlords rarely impose it in comparable agreements. For the district, he argued, agreeing to such terms would expose the library to risks that could disrupt programs, staffing, and public services without cause.
County commissioners have suggested that the library building at 200 NW C Street, which has served as the county’s main branch since 1959, may be needed in the future for public health services should the current health department property be sold. Commissioner Ron Smith raised that possibility last week, though library officials have pushed back, saying that retrofitting the building for public health use would be prohibitively expensive. Library Director Kate Lasky noted that the county has explored the idea before, and cost remains a major barrier.
Library Board President Gina Marie Agosta said that trust in the county’s intentions has already been eroded by the January termination attempt. She emphasized that the library cannot risk signing another agreement that leaves it exposed to sudden eviction, and called on commissioners to finalize what she described as a fair and reasonable lease. Until a new downtown library building can be constructed later this decade, Agosta said, securing stability for the current location is critical.
The Grants Pass branch remains the centerpiece of the district’s operations, while planning and fundraising for the future facility continue. Leaders stress that without a secure lease, programs such as literacy support, public technology access, and community education remain in jeopardy. With memories of the January eviction notice still fresh, they argue that the public deserves certainty in the continuity of services.
The ongoing dispute has sparked community interest, with residents voicing concern over the future of the library and its role in Josephine County. District leaders are urging citizens to contact commissioners directly to express their views, underscoring the influence public input could have in shaping the outcome. For now, the question of whether the Grants Pass library can secure a lease free from sudden termination remains unresolved, leaving the future of the county’s most heavily used public facility in the balance.