It took more than one try, but the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors appears to be ready to convey the former Ludlow property to Delta Health Alliance.
County Economic Development Director Steve Rosenthal appeared before the Board of Supervisors last Thursday morning during a special call meeting seeking approval for the project the nonprofit says will bring jobs and help it fulfill its mission with Head Start here.
DHA wants to invest $7.5 million in what would be a brand new facility.
The organization has been looking for either a building or property for a new build for a while. DHA originally approached the Sunflower County Consolidated School District this past winter about the shuttered Inverness Elementary facility.
The district had multiple offers on that building and the closed East Sunflower Elementary building in the town of Sunflower, but it did not accept any of those and decided to hang on to their properties.
This new plan will allow additional services for about 130 children within the city.
Rosenthal stated that he and Board Attorney Johnny McWilliams have been working together on the legal aspect of this project to ensure that everything is being done in the correct format. McWilliams explained that he has reviewed all the statutes and is satisfied that it is legal for the board to go through with this plan.
“This is good and valuable consideration,” he said, “I have no problem with the legal aspect of it.”
District 5 Supervisor Gloria Dickerson had a couple of doubts about this project, saying that she thinks the board needs to check with the state about the matter at hand.
“I’m not satisfied that it is legal,” she said.
Rosenthal responded saying that the consideration would include about 100 jobs to the city, but Dickerson quickly interjected asking how he could assure that.
“No matter how many jobs you can create, you have to abide by the law,” she declared.
McWilliams stepped in to address that in the order and the proposed deal that if the facility is not constructed within a reasonable time, that the property will automatically be turned over to the county.
“No one is trying to hold up anything,” District 2 Supervisor Riley Rice chimed in. “We just to make sure that what we’re doing is legal.”
McWilliams responded again with more information from research he has done on the project, stating that he measured the land to confirm that it’s 20 acres and that he asked the tax assessor what the value of the property would be once the building is gone. Dickerson stood firm on her opinion, stating that she just does not feel comfortable with this process.
Before the board went to executive session, a motion was made to approve this project, but the vote on approval was 2-2. District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald and District 3 Supervisor Ben Gaston voted in favor of the motion, while Rice and Dickerson voted nay. District 4 Supervisor Anthony Clark voted to abstain.
After executive session, Clark changed his vote in favor of the motion, moving the project forward.
