BAY MINETTE, Ala. — The Baldwin County Commission on Aug. 16 is scheduled to vote on a $2.17 million option-extension package for the purchase of a 3,000-acre industrial megasite in North Baldwin.

The Commission also will discuss a Tuesday proposal by Commissioner Tucker Dorsey to sell Magnolia Landfill to fund the purchase of the site, and forego a $25 million bond issue supplemented by $10 million from the general fund.

County Administrator David Brewer said the proposed appropriation to the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance will pay for a one-year option extension and marketing expenses. The current option will expire Aug. 31.

The alliance controls the option for the site which is owned by about 40 individuals and various trusts.

The Commission paid $235,000 to the alliance in November for the first option extension, site certification and related expenses, Brewer said. The Commission also tentatively scheduled an Aug. 9 executive session to review the appropriation.

An agenda item at Tuesday’s meeting called for Commission Chairman Frank Burt and Commissioner Tucker Dorsey, who also serves as finance and taxation commissioner, to sign a warrant purchase agreement between the Commission and Frazer Lanier Co. for issuance of the warrants.

Commissioner Charles “Skip” Gruber’s motion died for lack of a second.

Burt and Gruber have endorsed the purchase, while Dorsey and Commissioner Bob James have said the financial risk was too great.

Following the vote, Dorsey said he was not going to vote to borrow money for the purchase. He proposed selling Magnolia Landfill to fund the project.

“I want to liquidate assets to gain other assets,” Dorsey told commissioners.

Burt expressed surprise at Dorsey’s proposal and said legal issues involving contracts with 12 of the county’s municipalities and the enabling enterprise fund statute for landfill operation may pose problems.

“Forty-nine percent of the population is outside municipal corporate limits and that makes a long bridge to cross,” Burt said.

BCEDA director Robert Ingram, who holds the purchase option for conveyance to the Commission, said purchase negotiations were “going smoothly” and that he has been in contact with several manufacturing firms. He said Audi USA, a luxury car manufacturer is a prime candidate.

“This can be a face-changing asset for the county,” Ingram said. “A North Baldwin economic anchor will help the county’s stability if something goes wrong with the south end of the county, which happened last year.

“The people in North Baldwin deserve to make $50,000 a year and lead a good life. They need to be able to stay in a condo and eat at good restaurants if they want to.”

Ingram earlier said when the auto industry began looking at industrial sites in the last decade, large tracts began receiving certification as having completed environmental-impact studies, access to utilities, available rail, highway and interstate access, and other factors which would make a site “shovel ready.”

Ingram said similar sites have drawn major industry and pumped millions into local economies.

The site is east of State Road 287 and south of Interstate 65.