The meeting took place in the Jackson County counsel s office with the mine property owners, county attorney Steve Rinkle, and Joe Strahl, director of Jackson County roads, parks and planning services. Strahl was out of town Wednesday and unavailable for comment. County officials have said the permit was not promised and, regardless, a permit could only be granted after a public hearing. At issue is the historic Opp Mine, the site of one of the largest gold strikes in Jacksonville s history. Property owners Hardin, his wife, Sandra, and her mother, Bernadine Wynnyk of British Columbia, want to haul leftover tailings from the old mine and other rock off the property.
Aggregate is used as a base for roads and construction.
The city of Jacksonville appealed Jackson County s original approval of a permit. The city cited concerns about more rock trucks rumbling through its historic downtown. A former logger, Hardin said he bought the property to start a family aggregate business with his four children, all of whom own and operate heavy equipment. This hurts us financially. Hardin s amended lawsuit cites Measure 7, which voters approved last November.