Jefferson commissioners ammend Great Feeder easement

Jefferson County Commissioners have signed a corrected easement agreement with the Great Feeder Canal board that would again allow public access over the new headgate structure. The correction provides a legal description that only includes the canal company property.

Commissioners also ammended a previous motion, giving the Feeder board until August 9 to open gates over the canal to public access. The extension was intended to give the canal board enough time to review and sign the corrected agreement.

The original July 25 commission motion demanded return of money the county paid towards the project and threatened to vacate all public access agreements with the board if the facility wasn’t opened to the public by August 1.

County spokesperson Rebecca Squires said more signs and barriers have been placed along the road approaching the head gates and others are coming. She said established traffic engineering standards were used to determine the signage and barriers that have or will be placed at the site.

Commissioners were assured the structure itself is ready for public use and Jefferson County is prepared to assume the risk and liability set forth in an April 4 Memorandum of Understanding.