The Liberty County Commissioners may have had nothing to say about a property purchase at their meeting Tuesday evening, but by Wednesday afternoon they were confirming the deal that had been widely rumored for months.
The location, the Green Point area on Cattle Hammock Road; the use, a public boat hoist; and even the price, $1.54 million, had been generally known throughout the county for months. But county officials continued to assert their right to negotiate real estate deals in secret.
In a statement Wednesday, County Administrator Joey Brown said, "The Board of Commissioners has not undertaken any development plans for the property as of this date."
"It is their intent to hold a public meeting, with DNR representatives present, to discuss options for implementation of the lift. The board wants to work with the community to address these and any other issues of concern."
Residents of the Colonels Island area had attended meetings of the county commission and the Citizens Advisory Committee to question the proposed location and the noise, traffic and cost that would be involved.
CAC Chairman John Henderson had relayed those concerns to the commissioners at their April and May meetings, but received no reply, except the repeated statement that real estate dealings were not public until the transaction was closed or abandoned.
The 3.85-acre plot has 280 feet of water frontage.