County Commission - Regular Meeting

Okay, it's 6 pm. We need to do the uh rocom. We got 17 present. Is that correct? No. 16. Okay. I'm going to ask uh Sergeant Miller of the Sheriff's Department to declare this meeting open. Let's come to order. This county commission now open for business. Thank you, sir. Uh, brother Tom Murdoch, would you please come to the lectern for tonight's invocation? Let's pray. Holy God, we come always grateful for this community, grateful for the people who are more than willing to give the talents, the gifts, the knowledge, the wisdom that they've gained in sharing in the leadership of the of Coffee County. We know that this is something we can only do together as we grow, as we develop into an even greater community. We just ask tonight for your blessing. We ask for your spirit to come to lead us. We're grateful for the peace you've given us, the place you've given us. It is something that's something we're proud of. So we give you thanks, dear

God. for this evening. In your holy name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, brother Murdoch. I'm going to ask our parliamentarian Joe Pedigo to lead us in the pledge to our the US flag for all. Okay, the next item is to approve the agenda. I do want you guys to uh we're going to add 9 C under appointments. Uh we do have a vacancy on the budget and finance committee and my nomination is going to be Todd Malone. That would be 9C. Todd's our new commissioner for district 9. We have a motion by Commissioner Morris and a seconded by Commissioner Smith to approve the agenda. Is any discussion on this? There being none, let's vote, please. You have to say it louder. Who? Commissioner Duncan, did you wish to amend the agenda?

The agenda has been approved with 16 yes votes. Public comment. Anybody wishing to speak to an agenda item tonight? There being none, we need to review and the approval of the minutes of our last meeting. I have a motion by Commissioner Stubblefield, seconded by Commissioner Duncan. Any changes, amendments, corrections to the minutes? There being none, let's vote, please. The minutes of our last meeting has been approved with 16 yes votes. Next item, resolutions, memorial symp proclamations. I think there is none. Elections and appointments. The notaries have been approved by the unanimous consent with approval of the agenda. The next item is appointment to the that' be 9B appointment to the law enforcement committee. I've uh appointed Commissioner Benton Brown because Commissioner Laura Nettles has vacated her position on that committee. The motion to approve Benton Brown for law enforcement is made by Commissioner

Dford, seconded by Commissioner Stubblefield. Are there any discussion regarding this? There being none, let's vote, please. Uh, Commissioner Bent Brown has been approved with 16 yes votes. Congratulations. You now have a job. He was on no committees. Okay. 9C. Uh, the vacancy by former commissioner Lynn Seaburn. We were we had two commissioners of that district and uh it was pretty much it took a while but uh Commissioner Watkins really could not serve on that since he worked for the county. He did not want to. We'll put it that way. So my my appointment is Commissioner Todd Malone. Motion by Commissioner Stubblefield. Seconded by Benton Brown. Is there any discussion regarding this appointment? There being none, let's vote. This appointment has been approved with 15 yes votes. Commissioner Malone abstained. Congratulations. You now have a job. Okay. Unfinished business. There is none. We're moving to Report of standing committees. Okay. Uh, budget and finance. Commissioner Morris. Yes, ma'am. The next meeting is the 24th of July at 5 o'clock. Thank you. Capital outlay. Commissioner Hirschman.

Our next meeting will be August the 7th and It'll be at 4:00. Thank you. HWR Commissioner Hollinssworth. Yes, we'll be meeting Thursday the 24th at 6 p.m. July 24th. Sorry. July 24th. Thank you. Law Enforcement Committee Commissioner D4. As of right now, our next scheduled meeting is October 9th at 4:30, unless we have a special called meeting before then, but it'll be announced. Okay. Thank you. Legislative committee commissioner Frank Watkins is not here. Commissioner Hers, are you on that? Legislative committee. Yes. Did I What did I say? I'm gonna refer that to you. Um, Commissioner Watkins is not here. So, who who is on legislative? Commissioner Brown, we have nothing to announce yet. Nothing. Okay. Thank you. Policy and procedures. Commissioner Hirsman, our next meeting is July the 21st at 5 o'clock. If you like to join us, just get your name put on the agenda. Thank you. Is that it? Uh, Commissioner Hurstman, would you please update us on animal control and health department construction projects? Um, I've been going out to the job sites pretty well once a week. Uh, right now, um, sometimes I actually go by the health department more than that. Um, all of our colors and everything have been selected for the health department. Um, the door colors of the is our next item

that they've asked us to select. So, I think that's going to be done this week, uh, probably tomorrow. Um, as far as the footings and foundations in on the health department, they're probably at at least 50% complete. Um, maybe a little bit ahead of that. Depends on how much they're getting for it every day. I know that these rains are kind of hindering them some, but they are moving right along. And they're also setting the laying the header block for the floor slab on the sections they've already got poured. The anchor bolts are already being placed in their foundation. So, they're moving right along with the health department. Uh the Coffee County Animal Shelter uh that is underway. They've run into um delays. Not that it's going to affect the uh outcome of the finish date at this point. Um some of that is because of the steel tariffs and a lot of um the reason why it takes so long on the steel building right now is everybody flooded the steel manufacturers right before any tariffs were installed or put into place which now has made the manufacturers back have a backlog of buildings to produce. Um and this building fell into that into that backlog. They are still on the schedule as far as waiting for that building. They have a lot of things they're going to be doing this month. Um they'll be starting to do the groundwork for the plumbing. Um the the approved drawings from the metal building manufacturer are coming in on the 18th of this month. So once those

are approved and everything is done on the engineer drawings from metal building manufacturer, they'll be able to move forward on the installing foundations and lab and all the plumbing in that part because it's all on a schedule and right now there's completion date still January January 7. Thank you. Does anybody have any questions uh for Commissioner Hzman? If not, the next item is statements and announcements. I have one I want to go over. Uh you know, we filled the uh Commissioner Todd Malone was just appointed to a vacancy on this county legislative body. We have a vacancy in the office of constable. I gave each one of you commissioners a handout which is going to be published in a newspaper. I want to read this out loud for the people that are listening via YouTube. The Coffee County Legislative Body take notice. The office of constable seat 2 for the Coffee County Legislative Districts 267 is vacant. And on October 14, 2025 at 6 PM, the Coffee County Board of County Commissioners will elect a person to fill the vacancy. And any person so appointed shall serve until a successor is elected by the next at the next general election. Before the board of county commissioner votes or considers any motion or resolution regarding the office to be filled, the chair shall allow registered voters of the county an

opportunity to submit names to the board of county commissioners for consideration. The names may be submitted in writing to the chair prior to the meeting or may be submitted in person at the meeting. In order for a name to be considered, a member of the board of county commissioners must subsequently nominate the person. Members of the of the board of county commissioners may also nominate a candidate or candidates to fill the vacancy. And such nominations do not require a second. If the person nominated is not present at the meeting, the person making the nomination shall submit a signed statement from the nominee that the nominee is willing to serve in the office if appointed. I'm going to stop right there and make a comment. Everything that I just read pretty much applies to filling the vacancy of the commission seat vacancy. What I'm fixing to read is what differentiates the constable seat being vacant. The qualifications for constable position basic qualifications of Tennessee code annotated 8-18-101. A person shall one be at least 21 years of age, two be a qualified voter of the district, three possess at least a high school diploma or general general educational development certificate which is GED. persons holding the office on or before June 30, 2011 and those reelected after June 1, 2011 without an interruption of service in the office shall only be able to read and write not have been convicted of any federal or state court of fel of a felony and not have been separated or discharged from the armed forces of the United States with other than an honorable

discharge shall file with the county election commission prior to October 14, 2025. One, an affidavit sworn to and signed by the candidate affirming that the candidate meets the requirements of this section. and to a letter from a psychologist licensed in this state who has conducted a cognitive and psychological test on the candidate stating that the candidate is mentally and cognitively fit to perform the duties of constable. This is in Tennessee code annotated 8-10-102. Candidates who must submit a letter from a psychologist are responsible for covering the cost of cognitive and psychological testing. Now that is the entire public notice that will be published in a newspaper and it's uh quite different from the commissioner seat. I personally think anybody that runs for county government ought to have their head examined besides constables. So having said that, that is just for you guys to work with. Uh if you know people, they've got two months. There's a lot of stuff, a lot of hoops they have to jump to be a nominated and appointed to conipal. So it'll be in the newspaper. You guys have it in your hand and hopefully everybody the word gets out, people that really want to be in this position will get their their preerequisites in order so they can do that. Other than that, I did want to make a statement regarding budget and finance committee. What a wonderful job I think they did working through the budget approval process. We got it done by the drop deadad date of June the 30th. We got good substantial raises for our uh county sheriff's department deputies and I just wanted to applaud

the budget and finance committee for having done that. Are there any more statements or announcements? There being none, a motion. I'll make a motion journ. Okay. Is that Are you ready? Got a motion by Commissioner Hirshman and seconded by Commissioner Stubblefield to adjourn. Our next meeting is uh as we approved in uh last fall, October the 14th is our next regularly scheduled meeting. Ajournment has been approved by 16 yes votes. Thank you guys.