Brandon Shoupe Did A Good Job

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: Jun 04 2024 12:25 PM

DOTHAN-HOUSTON COUNTY:    As D4 Houston County Commissioner Brandon Shoupe was a "yes" vote to sell the Houston County Farm Center.

When D3 Dothan Commissioner Bradley Bedwell found out about the sell, he and other Dothan Commissioners found out that Dothan owned 15% of the property. Alarmed about what was going to be constructed on that property, D3 Bradley Bedwell and the Dothan Commissioners pulled a fast one and voted to purchase the Houston County Farm Center.

The Dothan Commissioners were concerned about a Florida developer purchasing the property and it hitting without notice it was for sale.

Then comes the elections for Houston County Commission Chairman. The long time serving Chairman, Mark Culver, was retiring.

D4 Brandon Shoupe sought election as Chairman of the Houston County Commission. Once elected as Chairman, Shoupe began to stop the sell of the Farm Center. Shoupe began to meet with Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, then Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper and members of the Dothan Commission, all the while talking to the members of the Houston County Commission.

Brandon Shoupe now serving as Chairman of the Houston County Commission began to develop a vision for the property of the Houston County Farm Center. As days clicked ahead Chairman Brandon Shoupe was able to convince the City of Dothan to agree to cancel their purchase of the Farm Center. And in the negotiations work out to help Dothan in the master plan of downtown Dothan developed by then City Manager Kevin Cowper.

Recently the first Farmer's Market sell was held at the Houston County Farm Center. And it was a tremendous success.

Chairman Shoupe got the members of the Houston County Commission to agree to purchase property on Prevatt Road that joined the property of the Houston County Farm Center. It was the white house that faces Prevatt Road.

The Houston County Water Authority had offices on the grounds of Houston County Farm Center. Their offices were moved to South Oates across from Ray's Restaurant in a building that was once a bank.

Today the Dothan Commission voted to purchase from Houston County to parking lot that sits at the coroner of Main and Oates Street across from the Houston County Courthouse. In addition, buildings further west that once belonged to retired 20th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Ed Jackson that Houston County owned for storage were purchased. The building at North Oates and Troy Street where Alabama Parole and Probation was housed was also purchased by the City of Dothan. All of this property tracks along with the plans for downtown Dothan and the LOVE DOTHAN project first developed by former Dothan City Kevin Cowper.

Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe has done a good job in formulating a plan for the Houston County Farm Center property. It seems, from what little I have seen, his plan keeps the integrity of the history of this county of the Farm Center, and turns it into a useful property that maintains the integrity of the people of the entire county.

I applaud Chairman Shoupe for his work and vision of the Farm Center and today was a great day of implementation of those plans.

I applaud the Mayor and Dothan Commissioners for continuing those plans and the implementation of those plans today in the purchase of the property of the county.

D3 Commissioner Bradley Bedwell, of which the Houston County Farm Center rests in his district, along with the support and innovative plans of his fellow commissioners, kept the property of the Farm Center into something that will only enhance and develop that area of Dothan to becoming better and bestter serving the community.

All in all, everyone was a winner.

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