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WALKER - Commissioners Jeff Peterson and Neal Gaalswyk will meet with Cass County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) officials before the county board further considers changes to the county's office lease to HRA.

Tuesday, Scott Wilson, HRA executive director, asked the county board to extend HRA's lease for office space in the land department building and to change lease terms to extend notice to cancel the lease agreement from 90 days to two years.

Wilson said it would take HRA two years to levy for and construct a new building if they had to leave the land department building.

Cass's HRA was organized in 1979. A short time later, HRA purchased land and a former church building in Backus to house its office. HRA later sold the land and building (which was demolished) to the county. About seven years ago, the county constructed the new land department office building on the site.

HRA had a seven year lease for space in the new building. That lease expires Dec. 31.

Administrator Robert Yochum said Tuesday the existing lease will continue into 2014 under an annual renewal clause in the contract, but separate board action would be needed to change terms of the lease from 90 days to two years as Wilson requested.

Wilson also said the HRA board wants to discuss with the county board the potential for federal sequestration to cut 40 percent of Cass HRA's federal funding in 2014 unless changes result from the federal budget compromise currently going through Congress. After Gaalswyk and Peterson meet with the HRA, they are expected to bring more information back to a joint meeting of the county board and HRA board.

Cass HRA serves 115 families in traditional rental housing and 22 in family self-sufficiency units with rent assistance in Cass and Hubbard counties. It has a 12-unit public housing apartment in Backus and two homes. It manages two tax increment financing districts, has a resort rehabilitation program, a program for three single family homes and has completed two satisfaction of mortgage under an economic development loan program and recently added the Reed's tax increment financing district in Walker.

There are both residential and commercial rehabilitation programs currently in Remer, and an application has been submitted for the same for Pillager. Similar grant/loan programs were offered for Cass Lake, Backus, Remer, Boy River, Federal Dam and Bena cities and townships of Poplar, Leader, Homebrook and Gould in the past.

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