Decision on chicken manure plant delayed
Residents in Crisfield have taken advantage of opportunities to voice their opinions Monday and Tuesday over a proposed chicken manure plant in their city. Wednesday, city council decided to take a step back to re-evaluate the effects of going through with the new plant.
Public discussion on the plant went on for four hours at Crisfield High School where a presentation was made by Spangler, the company hoping to move in to the old Carvel Hall building on route 413.
Residents say they were left with more questions than answers.
"A lot of people had more questions than answers… The way to get a good contract, the way you know you're getting what you're paying for is good specifications. We were not able to see any of those," said concerned resident Tim Howlett.
City council voted to table the discussion for a later date following the barrage of questions thrown their way. Questions ranging from the smell that would be produced, if it is wise to have a plant at a tourist location, and flooding concerns.
Howlett says tabling the discussion was the choice citizens were hoping for.
"That's what the people want, stop the train, re-evaluate, but what people ultimately want is no chicken manure. If they want to put some kind of other plant there that people can understand it, it's been proven, and it satisfies the people and it all fits geographically and this is supposed to be a tourism town then i think they'll be ok."
Residents were still awarded time to speak at the meeting. Barbara Outt submitted over 300 signatures from residents in a petition she presented before Mayor Kim Lawson.
In the end, Howlett says the town needs to have more open dialogue on the discussion.
"People need to talk. There needs to be some collaboration here between all the folks that came to see and all the folks that were listening and we're working on that."
As part of tabling the discussion, city council will have to revisit the topic of the potential chicken manure plant at some point in the next 60 days.
