Hancock County approves Port and Harbor docket, okays purchase option for interchange property

Hancock County supervisors on April 21 voted unanimously to approve a Port and Harbor Commission docket covering $2,799,388.57 in claims, and accepted the commission's recommended purchase/option for a parcel near the CSX and Port Danville railroad interchange.

Blaine Lafontaine, identified in the meeting as representing Portland Harbor, told the board the docket included a large, one-time runway repair. "The big reason why that is heavily inflated is we had a $2,100,000 docket item for the runway repair. That's complete and the runway is fully open," Lafontaine said. The board approved the docket 5-0 after a motion by District 4 and a second by District 2.

Lafontaine then asked the board to accept the Port and Harbor Commission's approval of a purchase and sale agreement with Catfly LLC for the interchange parcel described in the meeting as "RR 2504 interchange property." Meeting minutes record the parcel as about 52 acres at roughly $1,900 per acre; the meeting transcript reports the purchase amount as $1,778.42 (as spoken at the meeting). The board voted 5-0 to accept the commission's approval, with a motion by District 2 and a second by District 1.

Lafontaine also disclosed that the Port and Harbor Commission had entered an option agreement for the Solvay property at Port Bienville, a site he said had been vacant for about 12 years. He said legal work on title and contracts would begin shortly, with a possible closing within 30 to 45 days to pursue redevelopment.

The Port matters were called during the board's external-business agenda item; the board recorded no additional conditions on the approvals during the meeting.

Votes at the meeting show all Port-related motions passed unanimously by the five supervisors present.