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Commission defers discussion of Charles-area assessments after FOIA update; informational meeting planned
Summary
The commission decided not to go into executive session on a requested assessment-relief application related to Charles-area project and will carry the item to the Feb. 5 meeting; county staff will hold an informational meeting with invited officials after today's meeting and continue pursuing FOIA responses from Bridgeport.
Harrison County Commission deferred formal action on a request for relief from alleged erroneous assessments tied to a Charles-area project and instructed staff to carry the item forward to its Feb. 5 meeting.
County counsel and staff raised procedural concerns about taking an executive session on the agenda item as presented. A motion was made to invite the assessor, the prosecutor, county counsel and other named individuals to an executive session for discussion, but the commission’s counsel advised that the item was not properly noticed for such deliberation and that the board should not deliberate toward a decision in executive session. Commissioners agreed to hold an informational meeting with the invited individuals after the public meeting for information purposes only, and to carry the agenda item over to the Feb. 5 meeting for formal consideration.
Separately, commissioners discussed a Freedom of Information Act request sent to the City of Bridgeport seeking documents and parcel information related to the same project. County staff reported Bridgeport requested parcel-specific identifiers and is gathering responsive documents; the city clerk is compiling records and staff expects to receive them after Bridgeport processes the request and any allowable extensions.
County staff said the documents were requested to support due diligence on refinancing or restructuring the project’s bonds and to understand revenues, infrastructure maintenance obligations and other financial factors that affect tax increment capture. No specific parcel lists or documents were read into the record during the public meeting.
The commission also directed that the invited officials would be allowed to attend an informational-only meeting after the public session; county counsel emphasized that any attorney-client privileged discussion outside the public record would be for informational purposes and that a properly posted agenda item would be required for deliberation and formal action.
The item was carried to the Feb. 5 meeting for further consideration.
