Extension office to move to the north side of the Square
Meadowlark Extension District #7 has found a new home in Holton on the north side of the town Square.
The extension district board is seeking a lease purchase agreement to purchase a building on the north side of the Holton Square at 114th W 5th St. The building previously housed BNB Group Incorporated.
“The Meadowlark Extension District governing body is committed to providing an office in each county of the district, and there are limited choices for office space in Holton due to the robust local retail economy,” said David Key, Meadowlark Extension District director. “The building we are seeking to lease is in a location our board and staff find desirable. It is close to the Courthouse and will be easy for the public to find.”
Earlier this spring, the Jackson County Commission notified the extension district that it would not renew an agreement that allowed the district to occupy an office in the Courthouse. The contract will end Feb. 29, 2016.
Key said that the new office space is “move-in ready.”
“Aside from minor repairs and clean up, the building is ready to move into since it was recently remodeled for office space by the previous owner,” he said. “We are undecided on a move-in date but will likely start after officially signing the lease agreement in late June and that will be dependent on the Holton office staff and its summer workload.”
The Jackson County Fair, which is the busiest time of the year for the extension office, is set for the last week of July, with the dog show planned for July 11 and the horse show for July 18. The Holton office has four full-time employees.
The Meadowlark Extension District #7 includes Jackson, Jefferson and Nemaha counties. The Jefferson County office is located in the County Courthouse in Oskaloosa and the Nemaha County office is in the Nemaha County Community Building in Seneca.
Due to space limitations, the Jackson County Commissioners informed the extension district that its current office, located on the first floor of the Courthouse, will be needed for county business.
The county commission has proposed using the current extension office area as a meeting space for county events, safety training and other large meetings. The commissioners have also considered moving their chamber from the second floor to the extension office.
Prior to becoming an extension district in 2006, the organization was known as the county extension office and had occupied the office in the Courthouse for more than 40 years, it was reported.
The extension district has not paid rent to the county since occupying the office, it was reported.
According to a public notice in The Holton Recorder, the lease purchase agreement is for $150,183.27 and will be paid over in seven years at an interest rate of 3.2 percent.
