County director urges pursuit of Opportunity Zone nominations as port operations update delivered

Ross, the court director, briefed the Claiborne County Court Commission on port operations, saying most signage is installed except at two highway entrances and that staff are cleaning and programming the wood barn to demonstrate community uses. "We are in the process of cleaning the wood barn and having some discussions with the music department ... to show that the building can be used for these purposes," Ross said.

Ross also urged the county to act on the second round of Opportunity Zone nominations, noting that much of the county qualifies as low income and that the governor can make nominations for census tracts. "I highly recommend that we get with your supervisors and the city ... to try to identify sites that we believe have potential for improving the investment opportunities of your community," Ross said, encouraging coordination with city officials and supervisors and suggesting remediation-ready sites be identified.

Commissioners discussed timing and asked staff to notify them of meetings; Ross said comment windows to the U.S. Treasury were open and staff had already begun making recommendations. The board did not vote on a formal nomination at the meeting but directed staff to support outreach and site identification for potential Opportunity Zone nominations.

The update also included an operational note that hand cutting rather than mechanized removal may be allowed at a riverside site because of sandy soils and root systems that stabilize the bank; Ross recommended a soil assessment before submitting a permit.

No formal action to submit nominations was recorded; the commission asked staff to coordinate follow-up meetings with supervisors and city representatives.