Commissioners agree to public workshop after tense debate over Lake Cassidy use and county purchase

Chairman Wilmer Stafford and the Holmes County Board of County Commissioners moved on Tuesday to schedule a public workshop on Lake Cassidy after prolonged public comment and a heated exchange about the county'owned property.

The discussion followed extensive public remarks, including from Garrett Valcourt, who urged transparency and suggested the county consider selling the parcel back to private owners. "We started this relationship with the Smiths wrong, and we need to fix that," Valcourt said, adding concerns that forced sales and threats had influenced the property transaction and that the county lacked a clear plan for the site.

Why it matters: Lake Cassidy has been a flashpoint in the community because of access, trash and liability questions since the county purchased the land. Commissioners said the site can be managed but acknowledged it will cost money and staff time to do so safely and fairly.

Board discussion focused on several practical and policy issues: whether to run a reservation/drawing system for weekend passes, how to control trash at the ramp, whether to remove on-site trash cans, gate operation and the costs of staffing or overtime to lock/unlock gates. One commissioner proposed a simple fee structure'$5 annually for Holmes County residents and $100 for nonresidents'but later said he would rescind his earlier motion from a prior meeting and pursue a broader public process instead.

Residents and some commissioners pushed back on prior decisions about the county purchase. Valcourt and others said the transaction had not been discussed in a public workshop before completion and questioned appraisal and negotiating details. Valcourt urged the board to consider selling the land back, or at minimum to pause operations until a public plan is in place. "If the option is there, we're already very much in debt and about to be more in debt," he said.

County staff and other speakers described operational ideas that could reduce problems: sell transferable weekend passes with rules printed on the pass, require pass transfers to be registered with county staff, remove trash cans to reduce on-site littering, and limit group sizes. Several speakers noted enforcement will be necessary for any plan to work, and that enforcement will in turn require funding.

The board's immediate action was procedural: one commissioner rescinded his earlier motion that had set specific fees and pass numbers, and the board agreed to hold a public workshop (location suggested: school or city hall near the lake) so residents and stakeholders can weigh options. No new fee schedule or formal gate system was adopted at the meeting.

Ending: Commissioners said they want broad public input and a written plan before moving forward. Staff were directed to coordinate a workshop and return with cost estimates and draft operating options for the lake.