County Commission - Regular Meeting

like to call to order the county commission meeting for May 18th. Commissioner Dawson, would you lead us in prayer? Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful day. Watch over us tonight when we conduct the county's business. and everybody have a good day tomorrow. And this I pray. Amen. Amen. Everyone stand for the pledge. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Madam clerk, call the role, please. Randy Simpkins, here. Ray Ledger

here. Dwight Mane here. Stacy Batty here. James Dawson here. Becky Spicer here. Carl Buckner here. Jody Barrett here. Mike Penny here. Danny Williams here. Rusty Grove here. Cindy Gray here. It's good to see you all here tonight. First order of business is approval of the minutes of the April 20th, 2026 regular session. Open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Petty, second by Commissioner Gray. Any questions or discussion hearing? None. All in favor vote by stating I.

Opposed. Thank you. Item number two, public comments. We have two sign up for public comments tonight on the uh item number five, amendment to zoning resolution sanitary or hazardous waste facility development standards procedure for special exception for mining activities and definition of mining activities. Uh first we have uh Miss Ellen Yansy. Have two minutes. Thank you, Mayor Riyle. Thank you, commissioners. I just wanted to reiterate um that I believe this is a common sense um piece of legislation for the county to have some kind of parameters around people coming in to add another rock quarry or begin a trash landfill. um with the growth in our county and our surrounding counties, people are looking for places to put their trash to get more gravel for construction rock. And I think if we have something in place to protect those that are building here and moving here or already living here, it will be a protection for the county. And I just recommend that you consider it and vote for it.

Thank you, Miss Yansancy. Next name is Jason Hollerman. Thank you. Uh my name is Jason Hullman. I'm an attorney. I represent Miss Yansy and other neighbors. I really just want to let you know that I'm available if there are questions as the discussion comes up, but do ask for your passage on this bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Holman. Next item of business committee reports. Any committees to report? Seeing none, the first the next item business appointments number one 911 board. Uh these are reappoints to by to Mr. Steve Sharer, Miss Tiffany Dawson Lane, Mr. Chuck Boyd, and Mr. Tony Adams. Open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Williams, second by Commissioner Brett. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of vote with stating I.

Opposed? Thank you. Item number two, library board of trustees also reappoints, Miss Andrea Bobian, Miss Tammy Kilgore, and Miss Lynette Edmonson. Open floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Spicer, second by Commissioner Ledger. Any questions, discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of vote stating I. Opposed. Thank you. Item number five, resolutions. Number one, quarterly financial reports, all school funds, boards of education representative, Miss Underh Hill. So, this is the same as we reviewed with you at the last work session. Do you have any questions?

Any question, Miss Underill? Thank you, Miss Under Hill. We'll open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Gray. Second by Commissioner Britt. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor by stating I. Opposed. Thank you. Item number two, quarterly financial reports. All funds except schools. Mr. Hall. I myself don't have anything to add for the quarterly reports.

Any questions for Mr. Hall. Open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Petty, second by Commissioner Ledger. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor with stating I opposed. Thank you. Item number three, budget amendments. Mr. Hall.

Yeah, I handed it out tonight a bullet sheet right there with about five, six items there. Uh, do you have any questions on what I handed you there? There were just some small items there, but there were some also some kind of big items. We uh included the capital outlay note proceeds that we had not accounted for on that first line item. Then we had some other salaries and wages that we accounted for and that type thing. Do you have any questions on any of that other information? And this area complete those.

Any questions for Mr. Hall? Open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Mawine, second by Commissioner Simpkins. Any question or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of vote by stating I opposed. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hall. Thank you.

Item number four, road dedication of Hunter Trail. Mr. Hayes uh brought this to us, our director of planning and zoning. Uh any questions for Mr. Hayes? We'll open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Buckert and Buckner. Second by Commissioner Ledger. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of vote with stating I. Opposed. Thank you. Number five, amendment to the zoning resolution sanitary or Hatter Waste Facility Developmental Standards Procedure for special exceptions for mining activities and definition of mining activities. This is also brought to you by Mr. Hayes. Any questions for Mr. Haze before we move forward,

any questions? Only comment I would make is the we've got people here for this tonight. Um, I guess this is something that that uh the zoning board and is approves of this or do we have any opposition to this?

Thank you. Any other questions? We'll open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Gray. Do you have a second? Second by Commissioner Petty. Any question or discussion? Mayor, the zoning committee didn't approve this planning committ. Where did this come from? It did come from zoning. It was uh not generated by county government. It was a from a citizen's request. Citizens request.

Yes. And the two individuals you had speaking today were two of the folks that brought this. Mr. trades. They went through the procedure to go to planning and zoning which was approved and now it's here before you. Is this is this countywide or is it just one special area or my understand be countywide? How's it going? What we're doing right here on purchasing the land any? No.

My next question about Hunter, ain't you got a little problem out there next to road? Was that going to pertain to something that's similar to this? That's a wetland situation that's being remediated uh through Ted Deck. So, no, that's not that does not apply to this and and the the landfield with with all that going on out there and everything, it's not going to affect this. I mean, we won't uh we adopt this, it's pretty serious thing, right? Like most things, it is. My understanding is it does not affect anything that's presently in place. Is that true, Mr. Reagan? So if it's already there, it's grandfathered down.

We don't have more time to study on this. This will the commission. We have a motion right now and a second for approval, but uh is this just going to go to the regular meeting? I mean, no, this is it. This is it. Yes. Yes, sir. Why don't we put this off for a while? Check and study this. Well, you have your motion for you by Commissioner Gray and Commissioner Petty. Uh you can either vote have a vote to amend their motion or they can withdraw their motion, whichever. And again, I'm just calling the balls and strikes. It's up to y'all. Well, I'm just saying someday down the road maybe the county might want a land. I mean, a rocker. Understand? Or you know, whatever. I mean, it sort of ties your hands looked like to me.

If you are making a motion to amend their motion. Am I okay over here? Robert's rules of order. Uh, so if you want to delay it, then that and that's your motion. Yeah. All right. That's Commissioner Dawson's motion for to amend their motion to delay. Is there a second? Second by Commissioner. Excuse me. Grove, you're about to be mayor again. There's already things in place to protect us already. Correct. You're going to need to send those questions. Mr. Hayes, why don't you come up front? You're going to have to answer those questions. We just let my pay grade. Mine, too.

What What do you got? So, we already have certain certain resolutions that's been passed and everything and then federal and state, I guess. Yeah. without without the book in front of me. I couldn't tell you what what there's stuff in place already to not put it like right in the middle of a subdivision or do that kind of stuff. But I do I do agree it kind of ties your hands a lot.

Any other questions? Mr. Hayes, I guess I get work What are we going to find out in the next few weeks that we don't know now? Um, who would we who would we need to who would this we need to everything's been presented a couple of times on the the same, you know, the same stuff's been presented already. The only information we have on it. So everything that's that's kind of the question that's been out here tonight has already been in front of them and that's the way they've they've ruled on it.

That that's the only thing I'd say. I mean what what are we going to who are we going to go to to ask besides the body you or your body? No one else. Thank you.

And I see what Randy saying and I've stated this. I don't think nobody wants a landfield and no, we won't be able to find a spot in this county where anybody's going to agree that there'd be a good spot for a landfield. No, nowhere. I don't think we could pick anywhere in this county they're going to say that's where we want it and that's where it needs to go and not hear push back on it. But I've heard the mayor sit up here and say over the last few years that our next big thing that this county is going to face is garbage. Uh the Camden landfill situation is where we're at five, six, seven years, mayor, before it's full. Yes.

So, at some point, it's going to have to be addressed. Nobody wants it. Nobody wants to address it. I don't have nothing against putting regulations on it, but I don't I'm like cotton a little bit that is it going to come a point in time where is it going to be okay? Uh I'm kind of like the mayor. Everybody wants to push their green can to the to the driveway then forget about it. But at some point it's going to become a major issue to this next governing body. So just things to think ahead too. Yeah, I see I see it being a negative, you know, for the growth anyway. I mean, because you don't never know what you're going to have to have down the road.

I guess we're trying to vote right away, you know. So motion on the for right now is amended the original motion to uh delay this to a time uncertain. That's a proper motion by Commissioner Dawson and a second by Commissioner Grove. Any other discussion on that? Can I make a comment real quick? Yeah, please. Um so this this proposal can be amended, can it not? Can we recommend any amendments to it to take it back to planning and zoning?

Right. You can. So, if you want something different than what is there, then you could vote down what's been presented and send it back to the planning commission. Uh it's helpful to the planning commission. If there's something stated in the meeting as to what it is that you're wanting to see changed and so if there's a consensus about that, that's helpful. Otherwise, it's a pingpong. But yes, you absolutely can do that.

I guess where we're at then, mayor, is um unless one of this 12 has got a solution to it, it needs to be made stated right now so he can have that to go back to his body with because they'll be the only ones that can change it. So if we need to make a decision what to do, we need the solution now. Well, discussion on and all true discussion on this motion is to uh proper motion is to send this uh to defer this and send it back to planning and zoning. U that's what we'll need to take a vote on first. If there's no other discussion on that, I'm not cutting off debate. Any more discussion?

No, I guess I I was just trying to clarify that like I'm not opposed to sending it back if if we're asking for information that we need. like I'm fine with more information like if we could give them some sort of direction of what we're asking them to do is do we want to look at look at what the other communities around us or middle Tennessee like what is the existing like I think that would be a legit question what is what is the normal

I kind of think that's the path it took uh Mr. Andrew Mills, our attorney. He's the one that drew all of this up and in the first place cuz we had a meeting um he and I and lady and gentlemen here had a meeting about it and uh he drew all of this up proposing what what you see what you have.

Yeah. And just to clarify, so Mr. Hollowman who's here drafted something that he presented to the county. Uh our office then made revisions to that after meeting and having discussions within uh county officials to pair down and make it where the restriction would only tied to R1, R2, and R3. And so there were some changes made to what was initially presented uh by the citizen group. And as they presented at that time and have since presented before this body, one of the principal reasons for bringing it was uh to try to head off the potential that someone could purchase property and be moving forward with doing one of these activities and at some point claim that they now have vested rights before this body really even got a chance to take action to do something about it. And so it was more of a protective thing to try to put that in place uh in in the you know in the outside chance that that could happen in the future. Uh I will correct one thing I said though. If you if this body tonight uh and I know the the mayor has a motion on the floor that'll be taken up first, but if this body tonight did decide on a specific change that it wanted, I do think you could vote to have it amended in that way. But if you do that, it is going to go back to the planning commission because if we're changing it, they have to have the chance to weigh in on it. And even if we don't like the weighin and it comes back, you could then approve what you had voted on even if the planning commission didn't agree with you.

I don't know. I might be wrong here, but it almost seems like two different issues to me. Like the rock core is one and the landfills another. I'm I'm perfectly fine with the rock corey. I'm just worried about restricting us and putting us in a crisis five or six years from now. Does that make sense? Can we split this in any way and have two different or is it got to be one? I also would like to see how many people

here represents for this to go through and I mean out here in the pews. Is it just him and her or how many people's that's with them wants this to work and see and and people in the fifth district I mean I don't know they don't know anything about it. I mean, if we need to take this back to maybe have a public forum of some kind, you know, we don't need to do this. I don't think so.

Okay. Well, then we we've we're to that point then that we need to move forward with this motion. The one made by Commissioner Dawson, one by Commissioner Grove, second to send this back to P to the planning commission for further study. That's the vote. Now, uh we'll go on post voice vote. If you're in favor, send this uh back to the planning commission for further study. serve study. Vote by stating I I opposed. Madam clerk, call the roll. Randy Simpkins, no. Ray Ledger, yes. Dwight Mane, yes. Stacy Batty, no. James Dawson, no.

Becky Spicer, no. Carl Buckner, no. Jody Britt, no. Mike Petty, yes. Danny Williams, Rusty Grove. Okay, let her finish the roll. We'll come back to that. Go continue. Um, Cindy Gray, okay, I'm going to restate it. The motion was to send this back for further study. So, that would be a yes vote. A no vote means you don't want to send it back for study. Does anybody need to clarify what their vote was? You Yeah, I do. Yeah. I want to be a Yes. Okay. Yes. Madam clerk, do the tally, please.

See, if you say no, it's going to be passed tonight. It ain't going to go.

Four yes. Seven no, one pass. Motion fails. Now we're back on the original motion made by Commissioner Gray and Petty to accept this discussion on that.

The statement. So I think and and you may want to clarify this, but I think I asked Andrew Mills this and I know it's not good practice, but government agencies are exempt from planning and zoning or zoning regulations. It's my understanding. So for let's just say the county decides that we need a landfill. Well, the county is technically exempt from this. And it also would be my understanding that any city, the city of Dixon or city of Burns could go out in the county and buy land and be exempt. That's the way I've always understood design.

I don't know about the cities going into the county, but I do believe that the county can do exactly as you stated. And I'll also point out, I mean, when you adopt this in the future, if you made a determination that there was a need at some place in the county and these regulations were blocking it, you have the ability to amend them at that time as well. Also want to point out too, a city or county cannot open a landfill without TD deck approval. So even as a private landfill may operate, the city or county would still have to go through all the steps uh to do that. One more.

Sure. That's on the but on the rock corey. I think what a lot of people don't understand is this body uh doesn't have the authority to approve a rock corey right now because 80s something% of our uh zoning is agricultural and a rock corey is zoned for agricultural which is a special exception by the board of zoning appeals. So if without this somebody could open up a rock corey in this county and none nbody here would have to vote on that. So that needs to understand that.

So this would kind of keep a we would still have control if we needed to do something in the future but it would stop privatization of it. Correct. Not necessarily stop privatization but it's going to restrict the areas where it can occur. 80% of the area in the county could have a have a rock corey and all it would take is for the board of zoning appeals which is a five member board to approve it. Right. With the limitations that we're putting in about R1, R2, R3.

Right. Right. Without this. Yes. Not cutting off discussion, but the motion right now on the floor is for approval. That was a motion by Commissioner Gray, second by Commissioner Penny. Any discussion on that hearing? No other discussion. All in favor of vote by stating I. Opposed. Madam clerk, call the role, please. Randy Simpkins. Hi. Ray Ledger. No. Dwight Mawne. No. Stacy Batty. No. James Dawson.

No. Becky Spicer. Carl Buckner. Hi. Jody Britt. Hi. Mike Petty. Hi. Danny Williams. Yes. Rusty Grove. Yes. Cindy Gray. Yes. Madam Clerk, what's the tally? Eight yes, four no.

Thank you. It passes. Next item, speed limit Merl Road. Commissioner Buckner, this is something you requested as uh Commi. Sheriff Ees, have you had opportunity to make a recommendation? sure I got the right one here. Yes, sir. So, we did a uh five-day study in the 200 block of Merurl Road. Uh got a lot of vehicle traffic there. 3200 vehicles. 3258 exact number. Posted speed limit is 45. uh going what we've been going with the 85th percentile was right at 40 and 39. If you want to go the lowest I would recommend 35 uh staying as close to the 85th percentile then 40 would be a recommendation to drop it 5 miles an hour but 35 wouldn't be unacceptable because most of our roads that we are changing are being 35 miles an hour.

Commissioner Buckner, is that your motion? Yes. And I'd also like to state that road uh from uh East Piney to uh Cowan Road is really narrow. Uh we've uh we've done a good job in the county uh black topping roads and stuff, but we've black topped that one from ditch to ditch and there's no shoulders in that area. So if you meet somebody on that road and a two doulies meet on there, you're going to scrub tires just about or two pool type trailers or something. So it's dangerous down through there. Uh and that's 35 miles an hour be plenty fast.

Thank you. That's a motion by Commissioner Buckner. We have a second. Second by Commissioner Mane. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of stating I. Opposed. Thank you. Item number seven, district attorney office funding $1250 court cost. Mr. Reagan, we talked about this briefly last time. It's just a law that was passed by the legislature that allows an additional $12.50 to be placed on court costs and the funds would be used for the district attorney's office. This was brought to us by uh District Attorney General Ray Crouch and I'm glad to answer any questions on it.

Any questions? Mr. Reagan. Open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Gray, second by Commissioner Petty. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of vote with stating I.

Opposed. Thank you. Item number eight, uh, landfill expert panel land acquisition. This is the 60 acres next to the landfill. uh that the landfill remediation fund that is being held in trust is to purchase uh 60 acres of property for $1.2 million. The reason it's before you tonight is uh even though it's not coming from tax dollars, you have to vote to accept purchase of property. So that's what's before you tonight. Uh open the floor for a motion. Motion by Commissioner Ledger, second by Commissioner Williams. Any questions or discussion? What are we going to do this?

It's what we talked about a couple of weeks ago. We're going to use as a buffer uh on property that's already has contamination under it from TCE. That way it'll be under the county's control where we don't have to worry about anybody building on it. We've also used this property in the past because the owners allowed us to store brush and storm debris until we're able to chip it. Any other questions? Hearing none. All in favor vote by stating I.

Opposed. Thank you. I sent you an email earlier today. There's two items that uh if there was no objection, we're going to suspend the rules. Is there any objection suspending the rules? First uh is is uh the barring I sent you. We have two barring items. One was the uh for the ambulance service. I'm looking at Mr. Hall and the other was for highway department. This is this is was already budgeted funds for the bar in this fiscal year. Uh the so the money's been spent. This is when we grab our money and get it back. And the reason we're having to spend the rules tonight because we have to have this barring completed 10 days before the end of the fiscal year because of our June meeting being on June 22nd. There's no way for us to get this done in a regular session and have it to the controllers's office within the 10-day requirement. So, that's what I'm bringing before you. Uh, we're just bringing it a month earlier than we thought we'd have to be glad to answer any questions.

They do need to be voted on separately. Yes. On both notes. On both. Okay. We need on this. We need the note uh for the highway and the one for land and the other for the amin service. They need to be voted on separately. Um I don't have them in front of me to know the difference. I can read that mayor. So please stay. So the the first one is a resolution of Dixie County, Tennessee, authorizing the issuance of interestbearing highway department capital outlay notes series 2026 in an amount not to exceed $1,250,000 and providing for the payment of said notes.

Need a motion and second on that motion by Commissioner Brett, second by Commissioner Spicer. Any questions or discussion hearing? None. All in favor vote by stating I opposed. Thank you. Mr. Reagan, you read number the next. Next one is a resolution Dixie County, Tennessee authorizing the issuance of interestbearing ambulance equipment acquisition capital outlay notes series 2026 in an amount not to exceed $272,288 and providing for the payment of said notes.

Mr. Ambulance open the floor for a motion. Commissioner Simpkins. Have a second. Second by Commissioner Mane. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none. All in favor vote by saying I. I.

Opposed. Thank you. The last item I sent to you today was, as you recall, uh you approved a purchase of the property of the Pond Convenience Center uh some months ago. Uh it was to purchase three acres for $75,000. The owner at that time wanted to split that property and sell a portion the remaining two acres of the total five acres to a neighbor. Since then, the neighbor has pulled out of that. Uh so to complete this sale, after speaking with the owner, she's willing to sell us the additional two acres for for $5,000 more dollars. That's moving the act what you actually approved from $75,000 for three acres to $80,000 for five acres. So before I can go forward to closing that, I need to you have y'all approve the additional $5,000 on purchase. Open the floor for motion. Motion by Commissioner Petty, second by Commissioner Mawane. Any question or discussion hearing? None. All in favor of vote by stating I.

Opposed. Thank you. Other business. Any other business from the county commissioners? Yes, sir. Um I need a speed limit study done on old county house road. understand our population has really grown in that area and I drove that road the other day and it's we've got a lot of new homes out through there and it's a narrow road too like Carl is talking about while ago you meet even cars meeting don't need to be running much more than 35 mph on that commissioner is that I know it's a horse you rose that end to end that's whole all the way through it you know we usually call from Charlotte and white bluff end of it but I've had people on the white bluff end also Okay. has asked for that too.

Good. That's okay with with cotton. Sheriff about Slatewood Road. Slatewood. Any length on that from a certain What is the length on that? I'll have to measure. I I'll include that in the report. I've had several calls on We'll get that added. Commissioner Sim, do you have another one?

Yes. I passed out our year-end report from a soil conservation office there. uh the programs we approved and got done this year. We we had pretty good pretty good amount of money and we got to utilize it and uh the two that we recognized there as our egg farmer of the year and then our other one forestry uh we went and visit their farms and uh they really do a good job. So the office is doing good. Thank you. It's good to hear. Next item of business approval notaries. Madame Clerk,

Jennifer Allen, Kelly Carpenter, Tina Carr, Ann Diamond, Hillary Duke, Norah Glickenstein, Carrie Hill, Elizabeth Johnston, Casey Morgan, Gloria Picowski, Jennifer Ramsey, Lori Beth Rodriguez, Robin Smith, Jamie Stanfel, Gina Swainer, Doris Umstead, Crystal Dawn Walker, and Natalie Yates. Have a motion by Commissioner Buckner, second by Commissioner Spicer. All in favor of vote with stating I oppose. Thank you. Any announcements. Miss Spicer.

Um I don't myself. May 30th, we're going to have a ribbon cutting and kind of a grand opening for the Dixon Farmers Market. Like for everyone to come. It's going to be I think this is going to do the ribbon cutting at 9 and going to have a lot of activities going on that day. food trucks, I think. Some music, face painting, stuff like that.

Thank you. Any other announcements? Yes, Commissioner Batty. I think two years ago, Mr. Christie let them start flag football in the county and Creekwood. The TWWSAA sanctioned it for the first time this year and Creekwood won the state tournament. So they won the first state tournament in flag football history. I guess don't don't clap too much because now we've got to buy rings

and I would like a donation from everybody. We're starting simple. We'll take all we can get, but they're about $250 a piece. We're going to need about 30. So, I will I'll stay afterwards for checks made to Creekwood flag football or we can get it to them. Thank y'all.

Well, to start the hat here, there's a few uh there's probably a lot of candidates out there that would hate not have their name on something that important. So, make sure you shake all them down. Uh any other announcements? Have two final announcements. plan. There will be a budget committee meeting, budget advisory committee meeting and public hearing on June 1st, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. prior to the June work session. The last is the uh the next reg next regular session meeting will be on Monday, June 22nd at 7 p.m. in the Buford Booty Jr. County Commission Chamber of the Digs County Administration building for Court, Tennessee. I have second motion journ Thank you.