Grants Pass, August 26, 2025 — During a press conference on August 26, Josephine Community Library leaders announced a counterproposal to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners following last week’s amendment to a negotiated draft lease for the Grants Pass library branch.
On August 21, the commissioners approved a new version of a lease only after reinstating a “termination for convenience” clause, which would allow either party to cancel the agreement with 30 days’ notice. In a letter delivered by the library district’s legal counsel, library officials made clear that such a provision is unacceptable for a public institution tasked with delivering public services.
“We’re here today, under the threat of eviction, because the county exercised the “termination for convenience” clause on January 6,” said Library Board President Gina Marie Agosta. “Trusting that won’t happen again is out of the question. We urge commissioners to finalize a fair lease.”
The library district is asking that the lease allow termination only for cause—such as a failure to meet lease obligations—rather than for convenience, which would allow the county to end the lease at any time with 30 days’ notice. Moving a large facility such as a public library requires more planning than a 30-day termination notice would allow.
The district proposed modeling any new termination terms after the existing lease between the County and the YMCA, another nonprofit providing essential community services under a $1 lease agreement.
“Commissioner Smith said they may need to move public health into the library building if the public health property sells,” said Library Director Kate Lasky. “It’s my understanding that retrofitting the library for public health is cost prohibitive for the county.”
The Grants Pass branch at 200 NW C Street has served as the county’s main library since 1959. The district is actively fundraising for a new downtown library building, expected to open later this decade. In the meantime, district leaders stress that securing a fair and reliable lease for the existing facility is critical.
“The district simply cannot accept a lease that is terminable for convenience,” said library attorney Mark Bartholomew. “In the course of our business, we negotiate high-dollar leases for commercial clients on both the landlord and tenant side. It would be malpractice to accept a lease with a termination for convenience provision while representing a tenant, and commercially unreasonable to demand when representing a landlord.”
Community members are encouraged to continue making their voices heard by contacting the County Commissioners through the online Citizen Request Center at josephinecounty.gov or emailing bcc@josephinecounty.gov.