During a public hearing Monday, District 3 Supervisor Marvel Howard noted many options should be considered for the Oktibbeha County Lake lease.
“If the school board gets a proposal then great, but we have to look at our other options just in case,” he said.
The 407-acre property has been locked and vacant since the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks opted not to renew its lease in April after the 16th Section property was reappraised at roughly $100 an acre.
The lease has since been turned back over to the county school board, and the board is currently accepting proposals.
The public hearing gave the supervisors a chance to explain viable options and to field questions and concerns about the county possibly taking over property operations for the lake.
Danny Coleman, a game warden on the property when the lease was under the control of MDWFP, said he remembered the lake bringing in about $800 to $900 a week in revenue, but only during the peak season. Under Coleman’s recollections, projections indicate the lake would not generate enough revenue to cover the $40,700 lease.
Including the lease, upkeep, salary for one employee and insurance, Howard estimated the lake would cost the county around $85,000 annually, but was adamant about keeping the lake in county possession, even if it means moving money around.
“This is the only recreational area we have in the entire county,” Howard said. “We built this thing with public funds, there is no reason we should let it go, if we don’t have to.”
Most of those in attendance seemed to agree with Howard’s sentiments about keeping the lake open for public access.
Howard presented the crowd of nearly 60 with three options: Leave the gates locked and the land vacant, let the school board operate it or hope that a suitable proposal comes along. Howard also asked for public for help in developing a fourth option.
A number of citizens’ said the board should challenge the Secretary of State’s appraisal before moving forward and they questioned additions to the land made by the MDWFP. Under the previous lease, the MDWFP was paying $2,500 a year or $0.16 an acre.
The idea of sharing the property expenses with another organization, namely the MDWFP, was tossed around several times and received positive responses. If this happens, the lake could still be open for public use, but would cost the city less than half of Howard’s original estimate since, presumably, the MDWFP would handle the day-to-day operations.
No plan of action was agreed upon, but the consensus, Howard said, was clear.
“No one wants to lose public access to this lake. It’s not good for anybody. Let’s see what proposals come in to the school board and we will go from there,” he said.
The school board yesterday voted to extend the deadline for proposals to July 31, so the supervisors will continue to weigh their options until then.
Earlier in the day, the supervisors also addressed the need for scheduling an open discussion about the potential sale of Oktibbeha County Hospital Regional Medical Center but there no date was chosen for putting the matter on the official agenda.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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