Tesla Lease Agreement, Pinecrest Community Hall Sale, and Cannabis Fees, On Agenda

Sonora, CA — A new lease agreement with Tesla, the sale of the Pinecrest Community Hall, and cannabis delivery fees, will be discussed by the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

It will be the first meeting of December and some of the final votes of the current board ahead of January, when two new members, Mike Holland and Steve Griefer, will be sworn into office.

The supervisors will vote to approve a new lease agreement with electric carmaker Tesla, which has operated charging stations on county-owned property in Groveland, since 2016, at 18875 Ponderosa Lane. Tesla has been paying the county $1 per month to lease the land, and it will increase to $300 per month, under renegotiated terms that will be voted on at Tuesday’s meeting. In addition, Tesla will provide, at no charge to the county, electricity for the new modular bathrooms that will be located adjacent to the charging stations. In exchange for these provisions, Tesla has requested a lease expiration of five years from the execution date, with five five-year extension options.

The Supervisors will also vote on selling the county-owned Pinecrest Community Hall building at 2 Pinecrest School Road. The county sought bids for the property, with a minimum amount of $100,000. Two identical bids were received, so they were both asked to submit another “highest best bid” by October 25. The top bid, of $130,000, came from Joel and Paula Frantz. The buyer would have to acquire their own special use permit for the property from the Stanislaus National Forest and assume a month-to-month lease that the county holds with the Summerville Union High School District (for about 38% of the property which will bring in around $1,100 per month).

In addition, the Supervisors will take the final steps toward implementing a 5% tax on commercial cannabis delivery services, as the first reading of the resolution was passed on November 5. The state earlier passed legislation prohibiting counties from preventing certain types of cannabis delivery, so the county is hoping to tax the revenue.

The meeting starts on Tuesday at 9 am.