OZARK — In an unprecedented move between the Ozark City Council and Dale County Commission, the two entities met behind closed doors for more than an hour on Friday to discuss what officials said could be a future economic development project.
Dale County commissioners went into executive session Friday morning and invited the Ozark City Council and Eric Basinger, executive director of the Ozark Dale County Economic Development Corporation, to attend as well.
County Commission Manager Frank Carroll said the meeting was requested by Basinger to discuss potential business prospects.
Ozark Mayor Billy Blackwell said the meeting was to discuss what could be “something big for the entire area,” though he said it could be some time before any official action could be taken on whatever was discussed in the executive session.
Neither would officials confirm whether or not the meeting had to do with comments Dothan and Florida economic development officials made Thursday regarding collaboration within Southeast Alabama and Northwest Florida to recruit a “mega” industry to the area for more jobs.
But the economic development corporation’s Facebook page mentioned the corporation did support such efforts of the Alabama-Florida Regional Alliance.
“This could be something that’s way down the line, but the significance now is the fact this is the first time that we as a body (the city council) have met with the commission as a body behind closed doors to discuss something like this,” Blackwell said.
According to the state’s open meetings laws, governmental entities are at liberty to discuss matters concerning economic development and land acquisitions behind closed doors, though official action in relation to those matters would have to be approved in a public meeting.
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