Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission weighs options for animal-control facility; staff to complete due diligence on Ellis and Meadowbrook parcels
Summary
After an extended debate, the commission asked staff to pursue due diligence on two candidate parcels for a new animal control facility and requested a timeline; commissioners expressed urgency but also concerns about wetlands, mine shafts and cost.
Harrison County commissioners on March 18 reviewed due diligence work on two candidate properties for a new animal control facility and asked staff for a timeline to complete site studies and next steps.
A on-line presenter, Tyler, outlined that the Ellis parcel remained under Army Corps review and that Meadowbrook — an alternate four-acre parcel submitted through the county RFP — appears zoned industrial and could be a potential alternate site. Tyler said both parcels have "pluses and minuses," noting the Ellis parcel was subject to Army Corps permitting and Meadowbrook may raise fewer permitting concerns but needs further study.
Commissioners pressed staff on timing and the risk of delaying construction. One commissioner expressed frustration that the county had previously acquired property and yet the facility remained unbuilt: "We've been talking about this for a decade," the commissioner said, urging the county to move forward rather than continue to study multiple parcels. Other commissioners requested core drilling, wetlands delineations and a schedule so the county could decide whether to proceed with Ellis or an alternate site.
Staff recommended a focused due diligence period (including surveys, possible Phase I environmental work and wetland delineations) and said a 60-day timeline to further investigate the Meadowbrook parcel was feasible; the administrator noted ARPA funding timelines also were a factor in pace and decisions.
No formal site-selection vote was taken; commissioners requested that staff provide a proposed timeline and expected steps for due diligence and return with findings so the board could proceed with design and construction if appropriate.
