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Hancock County Port & Harbor moves to buy former Trash Doctors site; accepts FY24 audit
Summary
The Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission asked the Board of Supervisors to approve a $1,140,000 purchase-and-sale agreement for the former Trash Doctors property and to accept the commission's FY2024 audit; both items were approved by the board.
The Hancock County Board of Supervisors approved a purchase-and-sale agreement for $1,140,000 to acquire the seven‑acre former Trash Doctors (old Solvay) property and accepted the Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission’s fiscal year 2024 audit.
The Port & Harbor representative described the site as a seven‑acre parcel with a 22,000‑square‑foot facility that has sat vacant for years. The commission said the property lies largely above the flood plain on a ridge and contains no wetlands, attributes it views as valuable for prospective industrial reuse and job creation. The board approved the purchase motion (vote recorded as 4–0 on the motion presented at that time).
The board also accepted the Port & Harbor Commission’s FY2024 audit report. The commission summarized FY24 as showing a roughly 6% increase in net position and reported an unrestricted cash balance of $21,338,327, down from approximately $24 million in FY23; officials attributed the decline primarily to cash outflows for capital projects while noting grant revenues increased. The board approved acceptance of the audit (vote recorded as 4–0 on the motion presented at that time).
During discussion the Port & Harbor representative said the commission hopes to close the property purchase within 45 days of executing the purchase agreement and noted there may be other property sales under negotiation to private industry if offers progress. The commission said available budgeted capital funds originally set aside for mitigation credits could be repurposed so a local capital program budget amendment would not be required for the acquisition.
The board’s approvals do not by themselves complete the property transfer; the purchase requires the parties to execute the purchase-and-sale agreement and to proceed to closing. The Port & Harbor representative said staff would keep the board updated on closing timelines and any related property transactions.
The board approved both items in separate motions recorded in the meeting minutes.
