August 25, 2022 Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

The Gadfly attended the August 25, 2022 Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

All commissioners were present.

There were about a dozen people at the meeting besides the Camden County employees who normally attend. This meeting was even more unusual because the asbestos removal in the courthouse meant the meeting room was unavailable. This Commission meeting was held on the front steps of the courthouse.

It felt like when your teacher would announce that class was going to be held outside.

The location probably wasn’t the best for the commissioners because the sun was blazing right into their eyes and on our backs. There was a nice, shady tree twenty feet away that I kept looking at longingly.

The good news for them (and us) was that this meeting was a quick one.

The only agenda item was TIF Ordinance & Redevelopment Agreement Review.

This was regarding the proposed Peninsula Project TIF. Commissioner Gohagan read from a piece of paper and made a motion that since the redevelopment agreement for the project had not been executed by July 1, 2022, the Camden County Commission would vote to terminate the preliminary funding agreement for the project. Any funds not spent on legal costs for the project would be returned to the developers. Presiding Commissioner Hasty seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

And that was that.

It seemed like sitting out in the heat does make government operate more efficiently!

This really raises questions about the future of the project. It was never clear how much of the project’s funding was planned to come from the developer and how much was coming from the municipal bond. I’m not sure if this means the project is finished or if it might be resurrected when the new Commission is seated on January 2, 2023.

Only time will tell.