Three commissioners of the East County Water Control District tabled a motion Monday night that would give the ECWCD authority to buy the I&E office building off of Williams Rd. in front of the Town Lakes development.

The District is currently renting one-half of the building for both its administrative and crew offices.

The three commissioners – David Deetscreek, Mike Welch and Mike Bonacolta said they thought it was not wise to agree to a loan for the building which is under receivership and would have to be re-platted before the District could purchase it.

One of them called the building a type of “Taj Mahal” and suggested a better solution would be to construct their own building on their own property where trailers were being rented for offices.

ECWCD staff members were asked to meet with each commissioner to get their ideas on where and if a building should be constructed, the size in square feet needed and other information. It is not known if the item will come up on next month’s agenda.

The current building which is being rented is in receivership and the bank will take $750,000 for its sale. Several months ago the building had been listed for well more than $1 million by its owners before they were forced into receivership.

Jim Mitchell, a representative from Fifth Third Bank, which would provide a loan to purchase the building, was at the meeting. He said the 90-day option to receive a loan for the building was still open, either for the purchase of the I&E Building or the construction of another office building.

The meeting was heated at times. Mike Welch, one of the commissioners, walked out on the talks, but returned shortly.

The board is divided over whether to borrow money to buy the I&E Building or to build another building on the ECWCD site.

If the building were to be purchased and paid for over a five-year period, it is estimated that around 94 cents in additional fees would be added to a landowner’s assessment annually. A quarter-acre lot owner is now being assessed at around $26 a year, officials said.

One-half of the building could be rented out to help pay for the other half, the side that the ECWCD is using, but one commissioner said it wasn’t fair to compete with others in the community by competing for renters.

Also during the meeting, Damon Shelor, president of Keep Lehigh Acres Beautiful, spoke to the board and suggested starting a “Friends of the Marsh” group.