Lauderdale County supervisors are continuing to assess their options as they look to improve handicap accessibility at the new Lauderdale County Government Center.

Current handicap parking in the front of the building is too far from the ramp, officials have been told, and entry from the back side of the building is secure access for employees only. The Board of Supervisors has discussed adding additional handicap parking closer to the building in front or potentially opening up the rear entrance for public access.

County Administrator Chris Lafferty on Thursday presented the board with a third plan, which would add a second ramp on the left side of the front entrance, cutting the distance from handicap parking by about 50 feet.

Lafferty on Monday said supervisors needed to give him some direction on how to proceed. The additional ramp, which was proposed by LPK Architects, the architectural firm that designed the government center, is just a rough idea to gauge the board’s interest. The county will need to pay for designing the ramp project and drawing up construction documents if it chooses to move forward.

Supervisor Josh Todd said he supports moving forward with the design so the board can see how much the actual construction of the ramp will cost. Knowing the cost, he said, will help the board make an informed decision.

Joining Todd in support of the design, Supervisor J. J. Anders said the ramp would resolve his concerns about compromising the building’s security by opening up another public entrance and provide some relief to handicapped residents needing to conduct business in the government center.

“For me, it’s the security of the people of not only the people who work here, it’s our customers who are doing business here,” he said. “We start changing security plans and bad things happen, so let’s know all our options before we make a decision.”

Supervisor Craig Houston said he can’t support paying for the design if the board doesn’t know whether or not it will move forward with the project.

“You can’t spend money and then just not do it,” he said.

Supervisor Kyle Rutledge, who has supported opening up the rear entrance to the public since the issue first came up, said he still thinks that is the best solution and won’t support paying the design costs either.

Todd and Anders voted to pay the design costs while Houston and Rutledge voted against it. Supervisor Joe Norwood Sr. abstained.

Board Attorney Lee Thaggard said the board’s rules state that abstentions go with the majority, but because there is no majority the vote fails. Supervisors can continue to discuss the proposal and bring it back for a vote later on if attitudes change.

Later in the meeting Monday, Tax Collector Doris Spidle said herself and those working in her office encourage the board not to open the rear door to the general public. Her office, which is immediately inside the rear door across from the tax assessor’s office, deals with aggressive residents on a regular basis, she said, and security frequently has to get involved.

“I am very thankful that we are behind that bullet resistant glass. People have gotten more combative, and we have to call security down quite often,” she said. “It concerns me that if you open that door up what will be walking in that back door.”

Spidle said she recognizes the difficulty handicap residents face getting around the government center and supports making it easier for them. Opening the back door is not a good solution, she said.

“I don’t know what the solution is, but I’m telling you my concern is opening up that back door opens up more problems.”