Minutes of
July 01, 2008
The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners
held a special meeting in the
conference room of
the courthouse annex at 9:00 a.m.
Commissioners in
Attendance:
Dewey Weaver,
Stephen Bailey, Ronald Williams, and George Skinner.
Commissioner Absent:
Elizabeth
Porter.
Others in Attendance:
County Manager Dale
Williams, Attorney Marlin Feagle, IDA Director Jim
Poole, Deputy Clerk Sandy Markham, Assistant County
Manager Lisa Roberts, External Auditor Richard
Powell, a
representative of the Lake City Reporter, and
Michael W. Harling, Executive Vice President
of Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc.
The purpose of the meeting was to consider an
economic development project, and discuss
whether the Board
would issue a letter of support to a private
corporation that has requested to locate and do
business in Columbia County.
The details concerning the request have been held
confidential in accordance with Florida
Statute 288.075 and have been exempt from public
records in accordance with Florida Statute 119.D7
(1) AND S.
24(A), ART. I of the State Constitution.
Michael Harling, executive vice president of Dallas,
Texas-based Municipal Capital Markets
Group Inc presented a proposal
to build a $60 million Federal Bureau of Prisons,
low security facility. The prison would exclusively
house up to 1,254 illegal aliens who have been
arrested and convicted of committing a crime in this
country.
(emphasis added) The facility may
create up to 230 jobs. Commissioner Bailey pointed
out that the proposed pay is less than a starting
deputy’s
salary, and expressed concern that there would be
problems with a lack of employees and/or employee
overturn. Commissioner Weaver expressed concern with
the fact that while Columbia County would not be
legally committed to insuring the payment of the
bond, that he feels there would be a moral
obligation to do so.
After discussion, the County Manager concluded by
saying there is obviously more questions than there
are answers. If the Board should decide to do a
letter of support, there would still have to be
much more legal research, especially as it relates
to liability. The Board will need more definitive
answers before committing. (emphasis added)
MOTION
by Commission Williams to prepare a letter of
support for the Chairman’s
signature
that will clearly indicate that the Board is not
making any type of final commitment regarding the
project. Second by Commissioner Skinner. The motion
failed with Commissioner Bailey and
Commissioner Weaver voting against the motion due to
a variety of concerns and unanswered
questions.
MOTION
by Commissioner Williams to prepare a letter of
support for the Chairman’s
signature with the following conditions:
a.
This will be
a private entity with no public financing from Columbia
County;
b.
There will be
no adverse impact on any other governmental entity in
Columbia County;
c.
The facility
as a private entity will pay ad valorem taxes and non-ad
valorem assessments as
levied by Columbia County, Florida; and
d.
Columbia
County will have the opportunity to further consider the
proposal and its impact
upon Columbia
County before giving their final approval on the
project.
Commissioner Skinner made a second to the motion. The
motion carried unanimously.
There being no further business to come before the
Board, the meeting adjourned at 10:10 a.m.
______________________________
ATTEST:
Board of County Commissioners
___________________________
P.
DeWitt Cason Clerk
of Circuit Court
