A Jan. 20 Wallowa City Council meeting apparently brought an end to the possibility of a lease agreement between the city and Divide Camp for the abandoned U.S. Forest Service buildings sitting on 1.11 acres of land.

Divide Camp, a healing refuge for the U.S. war veterans, provides these veterans wilderness recreation at a site about 20 miles east of Joseph.

The city acquired the buildings in question from the federal government when the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center expressed an interest in leasing the buildings for MHIC’s office. It took a 2012 act of Congress for the city to take possession of the buildings, which also have strict requirements as to their use because of their place on the National Register of Historic Places. When Wallowa and MHIC did not reach accord with a lease agreement, the city wound up with the abandoned buildings on its hands.

The potential relationship between Wallowa and Divide Camp started with high hopes but rapidly devolved as a mutually compatible lease agreement failed to materialize. The Jan. 20 meeting sealed the coffin on the partnership as the Wallowa City Council rejected Divide Camp’s final lease offer after city attorney Roland Johnson raised concerns over some of its contents.

Johnson outlined nine “substantive issues” he doubted were in the city’s best interest. Most of the points pertained to aspects of the city’s liability for the property after the lease signing as well as use of the property with its inherent restrictions.

Johnson also questioned a segment that calls for automatic 20-year additional lease increments after the initial 30-year lease expires without giving the city the option of terminating the lease — even for non-compliance. Johnson also listed minor technical issues which include errors in grammar, spelling and the lack of legal form in some of the language. Later in the meeting he also said, “There is virtually no resemblance between this (Divide Camp’s proposal) and the one I drafted.”

On Johnson’s advice, the council also abruptly abandoned a teleconference scheduled to take place during the meeting with Divide Camp’s director, Julie Wheeler. Wheeler requested the call in writing and she received confirmation in writing that she would be able to join the meeting to discuss the elements of the lease.

“I think as a group, you should decide what you’re thinking. You don’t decide your position in the presence of another party you’re negotiating with,” Johnson said.

This left Wheeler hanging as she sat by her phone with no knowledge of the teleconference cancellation. This later proved a tipping point for Wheeler.

Following the cancellation of the teleconference Knifong told Johnson she agreed with his recommendations. “I can see where you’re protecting the city.” Knifong added she considered the lease proposal presented by Divide Camp as “pretty much one-sided.”

To a person, the council did not raise any objections to the city’s current lease offer to Divide Camp. The council members compared the current roadblock with Divide Camp with the problems the council experienced with MHIC. The council decided to schedule a new teleconference with Johnson and two council members, and Wheeler and other Divide Camp board members.

The second teleconference offer proved too little, too late, however, as later in the week, Divide Camp decided to pull up stakes and look elsewhere for facilities.

Wheeler reported the abrupt cancellation of the Jan. 20 teleconference signaled the negotiations’ end by demonstrating a lack of trust on Wallowa’s part. “There remains a very strong sentiment of ‘we versus they’ which we have not been able to overcome. We have been treated as if we’re trying to pull a fast one over on the city,” Wheeler said.

Attorney issues contributed as well as Wheeler thought that Johnson looked at the process as a legal conflict rather than a lease agreement.

“It is now time for us to resume our search for a property in Wallowa County. I’m thankful for the opportunity to receive so much input on the future of Divide Camp, and I’m confident those visions will all come to pass in the right time and on the right property,” Wheeler added.

Informed of the termination of negotiations, Mayor Knifong voiced surprise. “It’s a bit of a shock. We tried so darn hard to bend over backwards, but we had to go by the act (of Congress). It’s total news to me, I’m speechless.”

Wheeler disputed that notion, saying the draft that Divide Camp had presented had included all the elements required by the act.

The Divide Camp director also said she was optimistic about the organization’s renewed search. “I know people have heard it a thousand times, but when one door closes, God opens another, and I know that time is coming.” Wheeler said.