Florence city council held back-to-back executive sessions at Monday evening’s meeting to discuss a lease offered by the DeForest family for use of Crystal Springs.
The sessions were held for half an hour and 20 minutes, with the council, Mayor Bob Gayle, and city attorney Randy Pankratz present.
“At the recommendation of our attorney, we’re still in negotiations,” councilman Traycee Warner said.
The process has dragged on, but it needs to be solved properly, she said.
“It’s been physically and emotionally draining for me, but I agree all parties have to be protected,” Warner said. “That’s what negotiating the contract will do.” The matter fell to the council in the first place because the previous agreement did not receive final approval before the council members changed, mayor Bob Gayle said.
“If it had been taken care of by the last council, it could have been done, but it didn’t,” he said. “It fell over onto this council and this council has fresh eyes to look at it. They chose to go a different direction.”
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)