NEWS FROM HOUSTON COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

The Houston County & Dothan City Commissions have been working together for several months now, trying to reach an agreement on how to implement subdivision regulations in and outside city limits. Houston County Chairman Mark Culver says the commission hopes to remove confusion over whose rules apply where. The County Commission approved changes in their subdivision regulations, which should go into effect right away. Culver says he hopes the city comes back to the commission with some definitive boundries so that both entities know exactly where their subdivision regulations can be enforced. Chairman Culver says, "our request was and continues to be that they allow us to enforce up to city limits...I think they`re working on area outside of that, but our main thing is we have a line so that everyone knows where our regulations are enforced." Culver also said part of the county`s committment was that they would adjust their regulations to be more in line with the city`s. They are hoping that will make it easier for the county to implement their subdivision rules along city limit lines. Also at yesterdays commission meeting, the commission took up the matter of what do do with the Chattahoochee State Park. Back in the summer, the state threatened to close the park if Houston County wasn`t willing to take over the property. Since then, commissioners have been working on coming up with ways to keep the park open. Yesterday, they voted to proceed with those plans. Chairman Mark Culver said it would be a couple of months before they get their crews operating and in place. They have also set up a committee to give guidance on how the park should be used...they plan on meeting within the next few weeks to finalize the details. Culver says, "we have an issue with handicap hunting areas to address, and we fully intend to keep handicap hunting open because it`s a beautiful place, and we have other concerns to work on, but we want to keep it open, but don`t want to drain the budget." The Chattahoochee State Park Committee is expected to come together sometime in January.