The Scott County Board of Commissioners voted to quitclaim county-owned property near the Austin TriHawk site to the Scott County Redevelopment Commission, moving oversight and development authority for the parcel from the commissioners to the redevelopment board.

The move followed more than an hour of discussion among commissioners about prior conversations with TriHawk, remaining survey and infrastructure work already paid for by the county, and the trade-offs between immediate cash from a potential sale and long-term investment in an industrial park. Commissioner Randy (surname not specified in the record) said the redevelopment board has done upfront work to market the site and argued the transfer would speed prospects for industrial investment. Commissioner (name not specified) asked staff to give TriHawk one final week to make a clear proposal; that request did not block the transfer vote.

The county attorney prepared a draft quitclaim that acknowledges prior informal discussions and the absence of a signed, earlier agreement with TriHawk. The commission voted to authorize signature of the quitclaim outside the meeting in the presence of a notary. Commissioners also discussed how sale proceeds would be handled if TriHawk or another buyer purchases acreage in the future; proceeds from sales made by the redevelopment commission would remain in redevelopment'a special, nonreverting fund intended for reinvestment in the property.

Commissioners said they expect redevelopment to remain engaged with TriHawk if the company re-enters formal negotiations, and several said they wanted TriHawk invited to appear at a future meeting to confirm commitment. One commissioner said he preferred tabling the item for one week to give TriHawk a final opportunity to present; the motion to transfer passed without that delay.

What the vote means: the transfer places responsibility for marketing and project-level decisions with the redevelopment commission, which the county controls by appointing members. The redevelopment commission and the city will each complete their approving steps before any property is sold. Any proceeds generated by redevelopment would be reinvested through redevelopment mechanisms rather than moving directly into the county general fund.

The commissioners did not set a sale price or change existing zoning or infrastructure obligations in the vote; those steps would come later if a buyer, such as TriHawk, presents a formal offer.