Will be new home for City Hall Annex and Corporation Yard

PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles City Council approved the purchase of property near the airport for $6.1 million that will be the new home of the City Hall Annex and Corporation Yard.

Council authorized the City Manager to purchase 4301 Second Wind Way for $6,110,000, including a short-term leaseback rental with the seller.

The purchase will reclassify Capital Improvement Funds that were appropriated for the purchase of the Boys School and Airport Funds allocated to Hangar Development toward purchasing the property.

Also, $3,702,500 will be appropriated from the General Government Development Impact Fees Funds, $107,500 from the Airport Fund, and $1,346,000 from the Facility Repair and Replacement Fund.

The Wind Way property will serve as the new, more cost-effective location for the City’s current leases for the City Hall Annex, 821 Pine St., and the Corporation Yard, 635 Riverside Dr.

The purchase includes a seven-year lease agreement with a three-year extension option for one office building with the previous owner. In turn, this will provide $150,000 of rental income to the City’s General Fund each year.

Two airplane hangars on the property could provide $15,000 of rental income to the City’s Airport Fund each year.

The City currently pays annually $114,000 and $124,500 for its City Hall Annex and Corporation Yard rental leases. So, as a result of the Wind Way purchase, the General Fund Expenditures will decrease by $238,500 annually, reported staff.

Within 3.5 years, the City should have the property investment recouped and recognize a savings of $388,500 annually, accumulating to $7 million over the next 30 years, according to staff.

The ordinance related to taxes on cannabis businesses in Paso Robles was pulled from the consent agenda for a separate discussion.

The proposed ordinance would charge a 6% tax to cannabis delivery businesses within Paso Robles limits.

Council approved the ordinance with a 5-0 vote. Instead of the usual 30 days to implement new taxes, the Council revised the ordinance to allow for 90 days to implement the tax.

During those 90 days, staff will research how to enforce the tax, and the Council will discuss any amendments if any.

Paso Robles Fire Chief Jonathan Stornetta reported San Luis Obispo County remains in Tier 2, or the Red Tier, through Nov. 10. Paso Robles is still leading in the number of COVID-19 cases.

The City of Paso Robles is hosting a mask drive-through on Nov. 20.

Two thousand pre-cut mask kits have been donated and are available for pick up at the Paso Robles City Library. Completed masks can be dropped off at the Paso Robles Police Department.

So far, the County has received 1,000 completed masks.

Free COVID-19 tests are still available at the Paso Robles Event Center inside the Frontier Pavillion. Testing is available Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.