Twinsburg Township Trustees did the right thing April 2 when they approved making about $80,000 in overdue lease payments to the Summit County Port Authority for the township's 69,000-square-foot Darrow Road government headquarters.
In January, Trustees stopped the payments -- part of a multi-million dollar lease deal signed in 2005 with the Port Authority -- because some of them said they want to find a smaller, less expensive town hall. Attorneys from both sides have been trying to hash out an exit strategy for the township ever since.
By resuming the lease payments, Trustees not only fulfilled a moral -- if not legal -- obligation to follow through on a signed agreement, they also bought the township the time it needs to continue the search for a new headquarters. In addition to making the full payments for February and March, Trustees agreed to the Port Authority's proposal to continue paying a portion of future month's lease payments, beginning this month.
It's still up in the air whether this new payment system will continue until the township finds a new home or until the Port Authority finds a new tenant, and there is still a question of whether the township could be responsible for paying the county agency back for any depreciation of the building's property value once a new lessee is signed.
But at least it's a start, and it gives both sides time to sort through the details.
AS WE SEE IT, the Trustees' decision to fulfill its obligation creates a more favorable atmosphere for the township and Port Authority to resolve their differences. It's a highly complex issue involving millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, and not one that can easily be negotiated with the additional distraction of delinquent rent hanging over the township's head.
With that matter settled, we hope a solution that benefits both sides can be generated as soon as possible.