Land Board defers commercial lease template to June to finalize revisions

The Montana State Land Board voted to defer consideration of a revised commercial lease template until the June meeting to give staff additional time to complete revisions, board members said.

Board member Mr. Gavin moved to defer the commercial lease template drafting process to the June Land Board meeting; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Director Castor said the Real Estate Management Bureau had worked with members and staff to refine the document but required extra time to complete a final draft. Ryan Weiss, speaking for the record, said staff had about 143 comments to address, had accepted redline revisions, and believed June would provide adequate time to finish the work.

"We've been working diligently ... have about 143 comments to address ... we believe June should be more than enough time," Ryan Weiss said, describing the timeline for completing the draft.

The governor confirmed the board would expect final documents for consideration at the June meeting. The board approved the deferment unanimously; no additional conditions were placed on staff beyond completing the revisions.