As Starkville and Oktibbeha County representatives approach work sessions with the Golden Triangle Development LINK, strained relations between city leaders and the economic development firm emerged Tuesday as two aldermen pushed to not pay a monthly bill to the organization.
Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn separated the payment — a $12,500 sum — for services from the city’s overall claims docket so aldermen could vote on matter alone.
The board approved the payment after Mayor Parker Wiseman said Starkville would be in breach of contract if it didn’t meet its obligation, but Wynn and Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins still opposed the making the payment.
Neither alderman offered a reason for opposing the LINK payment at the table.
Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver asked Wynn if she would make the payment a separate vote in future board meetings, to which she said, “Possibly.”
Aldermen also appointed Ward 5 Alderman Jason Walker and Wiseman to represent the city on an Oktibbeha County steering committee charged with reviewing development proposals and selecting a future industrial park site.
The board voted 4-3 to make the appointments after Wynn said she wished the city wouldn’t name people to the committee earlier in the meeting.
Board members offered little discussion as to why they opposed making the appointments.
Carver, who voted against the matter, said deciding upon a potential industrial park site should be decided by the board as a whole instead of two people.
Although the city’s steering committee would work with others appointed by the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors and the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority to select a site, final approval of their selection rests with the governing bodies as a whole.
The steering committee itself, Wiseman said, will simply vet proposals and narrow the field before presenting its recommendation.
“I just don’t agree with it,” Carver said. “Sometimes you see these things happen, and they get front end loaded. In this situation, personal feelings and personal opinions on site locations (could influence the choice).”
Walker said Carver’s criticisms were fair and offered his spot on the steering committee to the Ward 1 Alderman. Carver declined.
Last week, LINK Chief Executive Officer Joe Max Higgins unveiled industrial investment opportunities to Oktibbeha County stakeholders and tasked them to create a steering committee and pick a path forward within 45 days.
The sites — land north of the Highway 82-Highway 25 juncture, 16th section land south of George M. Bryan Airport and Cornerstone Park — represent what could be the home to a renewed LINK push to make the county viable in the world of industrial recruitment.
Two of the proposed areas represent new sites, while the fledgling Cornerstone Park has been under OCEDA control for more than a decade.
The cost of each proposal varies greatly, from the Strange, Stanley and Waldrop properties’ estimated $30 million price tag to anticipated $6.23 million needed to move forward with the combined 16th section and Cornerstone Park proposals.
Last month, aldermen hired the Alabama-based Retail Strategies LLC to handle retail recruitment for the city, a task previously held by the LINK.
In that meeting, Perkins said he was not impressed with the LINK’s ability to land investments in Starkville and hopes to one day sever the city’s contract with the Columbus-based development firm.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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