Harrison Council Approves Disputed Property Sale

The Harrison City Council recently approved the sale of a 0.1-acre lot on Mural Drive to Rock Holdings, LLC, representing Harness Roofing. Despite receiving a higher offer, the council accepted a $16,000 bid, citing downtown economic development as the primary reason for the decision.

The sale became a point of contention as three different parties vied for the property. The process began when Justin Harness offered $7,500 for the land. However, the resolution was delayed after Joshua Moore, owner of Moore's Barber Shop, argued that the lot was essential for his business's customer parking and claimed he was not notified that the land was for sale.

The situation further complicated when resident Curt Grisham entered the bidding. Grisham proposed creating a bee-pollinator memorial garden in honor of his sister, offering a high bid of $21,000. Grisham argued that a public pocket park would provide more community value than additional corporate parking and questioned the transparency of the city's valuation process.

The proceedings highlighted a lack of a standardized procedure for selling surplus city property. Several council members expressed unease, noting that the property had not been publicly listed as surplus before negotiations began.

Following the vote, Councilman Mitch Magness urged Kim Jennett and Harness Roofing to support Joshua Moore's business. Despite the council's decision to award the land to Harness, Magness asked them to help Moore with his parking needs. "I need you to make parking available for him and help him. Go take your kids there to get their haircuts or whatever," Magness said.

The majority of the council voted to accept the $16,000 offer, with Councilman Josh Earl as the sole dissenting vote. To prevent similar conflicts, the council also passed a resolution to develop a formal process for all future surplus property sales.

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