The year will end without a public offer from the Warren County Port Commission to take down or remove the Ceres Plantation House, as the panel on Monday chose informal channels to find out how much it’ll cost.

Since the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees decided in October to drop a move to designate the Civil War-era farmhouse a Mississippi Landmark, the commission has wavered over how to remove the house and surrounding structures, which would free up 41 acres at the 1,290-acre Ceres industrial park at Flowers.

Supported in principle just 10 days after preservationists nixed the protection idea, commissioners have bogged down on crafting how they want to haul the house from the property. Asbestos removal from the home is likely, as is more requests for its hardwood flooring. Instead of spelling out a task description, commissioners have asked county engineering firm ABMB Engineers to send out broad definitions to the demolition industry in hopes of catching a low price.

“We’re saying draw up the guidelines and come back and get with the different entities that can do this kind of work,” chairman Johnny Moss said, voicing the vague directive to county engineer John McKee. “And come up with the best guess at what we think is the best proposal. Then we’ll decide what we’ve gotta do.”

Delta City-based Bell Demolition & Environmental Services quoted the commission $14,400 to take asbestos out of the main house and other structures on the plantation house property, project manager Katrina Shirley said. The quote didn’t cover any razing or a move to another location. Port commissioners also balked at the idea of amending its budget for the job unless a clearer cost picture emerged, instead OK’ing advertising for a new billboard to replace a weatherbeaten sign that’s faced the interstate for at least a decade.

“We can go to people in the demolition industry and say, ‘Hey, we’re working on the budget and getting a grant. Give us a best guess estimate of what range this is in,” commissioner Mike Cappaert told county engineers. “I can’t help but believe, John, that the right contractor can go in there and with the right equipment, be in there, gone, and out!”

McKee said any pre-public notice offers would likely be more of a “ballpark” figure and variations would be predictably higher once it is actually bid.

Port commission funding was slated to run a $224,201 deficit in 2010-11, according to budget figures adopted by the county in September. Overruns tied to upgrading aerators at the industrial park’s wastewater lagoon ran $16,691 at the end of last fiscal year, according to port documents.

The house dates to the 1830s and was built on land owned by the U.G. Flowers family until 1986, when it was purchased by the county along with the rest of the industrial park’s acreage. After eight months of off-and-on public and private debate — spiced by a drive led by out-of-state developers to turn it into a 19th century-themed bed and breakfast — MDAH said the home did not meet enough criteria for the designation.

Two proposals in February to demolish the main structure and an adjacent pool house ranged from $23,500 to $24,184, but were thrown out when the process began anew following MDAH’s action.