Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rail Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Suwannee County gives MATCO 120 days to build private spur or face trespass
Summary
The county authorized its attorney to send MATCO a 120-day notice to build its own rail spur off the county-owned Catalyst spur and negotiate a hold‑harmless agreement; commissioners also scheduled a 90‑day check‑in. Motion carried 5-0.
Suwannee County Attorney Adam Morrison told the Board of County Commissioners on March 18 that MATCO Industries has used the county rail spur at the Catalyst site for roughly a decade without building its own off‑spur as the county expected, and the company must act or be trespassed.
“Build your spur. Get off of ours,” the chairman said during a heated exchange after Morrison described repeated delays and a previous cleanup expense the county paid after an incident at MATCO’s operation.
The memorandum of understanding the county signed with MATCO in January 2024 required MATCO to construct track off the county spur so the county rail could be used for ingress and egress rather than long‑term parking. Morrison said MATCO has repeatedly promised construction but has not delivered. He read an email from MATCO CEO Matt Ferber saying materials and plans exist and that work would start “within a month,” but Morrison and several commissioners said written promises and phone calls were no longer sufficient.
Commissioners debated timelines and remedies. Morrison recommended sending a 120‑day notice requiring MATCO to complete the off‑spur work or face trespass from the county rail spur, and he proposed a 90‑day check‑in at which MATCO could request limited extra time if substantial progress existed. The board also asked the county attorney to negotiate a hold‑harmless/use agreement that would require MATCO to accept liability for future incidents on the spur as a condition of any temporary continued use.
Commissioner Perkins moved to authorize the county attorney to send the 120‑day no‑trespass warning and to negotiate a hold‑harmless/use agreement; Commissioner Hale seconded. The motion carried 5‑0. Morrison said the notice would be calendared with a 90‑day review and that trespass would be enforced if MATCO failed to meet the deadline.
Commissioners said the county has been patient and cited potential interest from other businesses, including a sawmill that has indicated it wants rail service; commissioners said they want the spur available for future users rather than having one company occupy it rent‑free.
Morrison told the board the railroad told him that, if MATCO worked full bore, the work would take three to six months to complete. Commissioners said they would consider additional remedies if MATCO did not make demonstrable progress during the 120‑day period.
