Development guidelines, lobbying firm on Supes agenda

The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors will discuss drafted development guidelines and hear a presentation from lobbying firm Cornerstone Government Affairs during an 8:30 a.m. meeting Monday morning.
County Engineer Clyde Pritchard has prepared a draft of potential development guidelines. Pritchard’s draft came after the supervisors voted to move on from the subdivision regulations drafted by Oxford-based planning firm Slaughter & Associates because they did not address the county’s chief concern, large-scale housing complexes.
The development guidelines are aimed at preventing future infrastructure issues, such as the congestion along Blackjack and Oktoc Road, caused by large housing developments in the county. District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller said she has also heard concerns from residents on Poorhouse Road who wish to maintain their property value as development continues to expand in the county beyond the city of Starkville.
“In my opinion, the purpose of Oktibbeha County’s site development guidelines is to promote the health, safety and welfare of the present and future inhabitants of the county,” Miller said Friday. “This is done by assuring quality and orderly development of land to meet the needs of a changing population, giving due consideration to protection of the land, environment and current infrastructure.”
The final guidelines are expected to be much less complex than those presented by Slaughter & Associates and will not establish zoning ordinances, but will instead establish a process for reviewing the impact of high-density housing developments.
District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer said they county needs to get something in place as fast as possible before new developments break ground in the county.
After forgoing an opportunity to partner with the city of Starkville to hire lobbying firm Cornerstone Government Affairs, supervisors will hear a presentation from Cornerstone Monday.
During the board’s last meeting, supervisors voted to issue a request for proposals for lobbying services instead of signing the contract with Cornerstone. Board members did not say anything against the Jackson and Washington, D.C.-based firm, but wanted to give other firms the opportunity to discuss their services for state and federal lobbying.
Trainer, who brought forward the Cornerstone contract, said he still feels Cornerstone would be a good fit for the county.
“I don’t know whether we’ll be able to find anybody as high-quality as Cornerstone on the state and federal level,” Trainer said. “Cornerstone brings a lot to the table.”
Miller said other firms have expressed interest in talking to the county.