Bishop Willie B. Knighten has raised a crop of concern over the County Supervisor’s handling of his interest in property adjacent to the county farm outside of Moorhead.
At Monday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Knighten said it is his intent to lease the agricultural portion of the land and purchase the remaining nearly seven acres.
The full amount of land in question is more than 400 acres, which is mostly agricultural. However, Board Attorney Johnny McWilliams said everything is leased except 6.93 acres.
He also noted that a portion of the property was formerly used as a graveyard for indigents.
McWilliams said there was still a need for clarification because he found three different descriptions of the plots in question and suggested that they inspect the property before making any decision.
He did state that the agricultural portion is now being leased, but the lease will end December 31.
Knighten said he had bid on the 6.9 acres before, but the board never acted on it.
McWilliams told him that the parcel had been advertised for lease bids, but there was no record of Knighten or anyone else bidding on it.
President Glenn Donald offered to lease Knighten a portion of the property that contains the building but said they needed to keep the remaining acreage around the property.
Knighten said his intent was to build on the property and that was not sufficient.
Donald contends that the county road department has been using the piece of land that Knighten is asking for to extract dirt, dump debris and store road products.
Knighten said the citizens should have a say in how things are done since the supervisors are there to represent the citizens.
“Because I tell you, I’m just about ready to look at a new board if we can’t cooperate in one way or the other.”
“Bishop you just can’t say that now,” Donald said and he then reiterated, “We’re using that, Bishop.”
Donald explained that they could not put the road department in a position where they would not have a place to haul to.
Knighten said he has come before the county leaders on numerous occasions about leasing the property even before they started hauling “garbage” in there.
“Look at your minutes,” he said.
Donald said, “Bishop, I don’t want you to threaten our position on the board just because we’re not giving you that piece. You shouldn’t do that now. That’s not right.”
In further discussions, Donald offered Knighten an alternate piece of property to lease, but Knighten explained that it wouldn’t work because he planned to plant produce and the debris being hauled in would make for unsanitary conditions.
Knighten further stated that he should have already had entitlement to the property via prior requests and chided the board for allowing debris to be piled up on the land.
“Now all of a sudden you need it, when you’re suppose to be done leased it to me. If you had leased it to me I could have been on my way,” Knighten said.
In addition,
The county leaders voted to purchase at least four new patrol vehicles for the sheriff’s department at a cost of $32,000 each and a new vehicle for the economic development director at a cost of $42,000.
They had requested bids for that new vehicle; however, none were received.
They also took under advisement eight bids from landscaping contractors to tend the grounds of the county-owned buildings.
