In a recent interview with SVI, Lincoln County Commissioner, Mel Shumway, offered an update on the status of an Improvement Service District, or ISD, petition that was recently withdrawn. He explained what an ISD is as part of the overall answer.

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“Its not a new idea, we have several ISDs in Lincoln County now, so it’s not a new thing,” he said. “The goal is to help get the infrastructure in place for mid-sized companies and corporations to come to the county. Our goal is to diversity the county’s economy so we are not so reliant on coal and oil. Infrastructure is the number one thing that people want is growth of economic development. An ISD is a vehicle to get development of industry to come in.”

A recent ISD petition was submitted, but then withdrawn during the most recent county commission meeting.

‘There was an Improvement Service District petitioned to the commission. The petitioners withdrew their petition so we’re back with no Improvement Service District moving forward,” Shumway said. “We’re still exploring options, working with the consulting company to move forward to see if we can’t get this infrastructure mechanism put into place, which is probably going to be an Improvement Service District.”

Shumway stated the reason for the withdrawal was that some of the land included in the petition was out of the county and the process needed more involvement from land owners.

“It just ran out of steam at the end,” he said.