County Commission - Regular Meeting

Get Jimmy. Yeah.

What you think I'll be shorter?

And I wondered about it, but it passed planning and nobody bucked it that night. Commissioner sign Yeah.

Where's Joe?

Joe, hit Joe. get. Is Jimmy Dale still here? No, he he he left. He left. Okay.

Okay. Thank you. disperse my card. Like to call this meeting to order the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners regular monthly meeting. Like to welcome everyone out tonight. Frank, roll call, please. 17 members present, four absent.

We have 17 present, four absent. We'll move right along to the uh prayer led by Mr. Joe Coleman and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance of Mr. Sam Solomon. Heavenly Father, as we come before you this evening, we come in humble obedience, Lord, to do your will. We thank you with everyone that we pray that your will be done in this service. We pray for the ones tonight that are out in these foreign lands and are having cha on what's on every hand. We pray God for the little nation of Israel tonight. Lord, we pray for deliverance from them. We know God the way that the world looking today that it won't be long till we'll all be leaving. And we pray God that our people would all be ready. Not just talking about it, but God actions may reveal it. Thank you, God, now for everything you've done for us in days past. And we pray, Lord, that you deliver us from all evil in days to come. We ask God that you take charge of our service tonight, that everything done in obedience to your holy word. For we ask these things in Jesus holy name and amen. 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.

Like to welcome everyone out on a cool December evening. Uh, first off, we would like to recognize the adult leadership class that's with us this evening. Would y'all please stand up? Give these folks a hand. Next, moving right along with the agenda, we have a uh proclamations and resolutions. I am not showing any, so we'll move right along to approval and corrections of the agenda. Mr. Chairman, sure.

I've got a resolution I had sent to you and asked to be placed on the agenda. Uh it concerns zoning regarding solar uh systems and wind powered systems. Be moving them out of the A1 zone and into the I2 zone. This does not affect accessory uses. I have copies here. If it' be the pleasure of the commission, I'd like to add this to the agenda. agenda it went through the three cities it's going to we would be just recommending it to regional planning then it would go to the cities then it would come back

the reason for this process Mr. chairman is if this body has no interest in this, there's no purpose in putting it through the cities or the regional planning because ultimately it's this body that can um approve.

I'm trying to control legal legal monies right now and u I got your email and uh very well spoken. But um the the issue here that I have as chairman with the resolution as it is is rather simple. The Jefferson County Commission didn't vote to fund having this resolution written. That I'm not trying to pick a fight with anybody. I'm just saying that, you know, it didn't come before me or my office to say, "Hey, we'd like to write a resolution." Because these resolutions normally start with zoning and make a circle around. Not trying to make a statement. I'm trying to make a point that when we paid, you know, as when you went to the county attorney and you had that resolution resolution written that none of the rest of the commission knew what was happening. So therefore I would like to see it in the future that what is going on because other people would like to have input as it's being written that there is a process for this and what needs to be done is it needs to we need to reach out to seas. We need to reach out everywhere we can to learn as much information about what we're trying to do so we do a good job so we're not redundant so we're not writing two resolutions. This is not a personal attack. It's just it's just plain I ruled on it that we need to discuss this for a reason is that let's let everybody in on everything that goes on in this courtroom upfront. Don't find out about a resolution after it's done written. Let's start in the beginning with it. So if you want to resend the rule to uh add it to the agenda, we can add it tonight or put it on January's agenda and you don't even have to vote on it.

Question, sir. So are you saying that we got to we have to bring every resolution to this body for development because that's not been the history of this commission. I think that statement is incorrect.

No, we have we have always done it this way. I've allowed two other resolutions to pass that we are recommending. You don't need a recommendation from the county commission to make this go what we call the lab. It's got to go out to all the cities. Okay? The cities can modify your resolution or they can vote up or they can vote down. We're not picking the resolution apart. What we're doing is is it needs to make its lap so we're not redundant. And if it gets rewrote, then you've got to write it again, which the county incurs more cost.

And we've done that many, many times in this process. Yes, we have, Jimmy. You just don't remember. We've done them with short-term rentals. We've done it with getting the campgrounds out of A1s. There is no process or procedure that says all resolutions have to come to this committee for discussion. Otherwise, what you're telling us is none of us can take the lead on an action to develop a resolution or contact our lawyer to do that.

Taking lead on an action is letting all that the county commission I will stand by my decision. You can vote to overrule the charity. That's entirely possible. But I will stand that all the commissioners should know when someone is wanting to write a resolution. They should know that we should vote as a whole. your purview as a county commissioner. Your real power is when you vote all together in this commission. The power is not into one person's hand. I believe there's a colleague said in the last meeting that look one person don't run the commission. So we'll stand by that by saying okay everybody needs to know what is going on when it's going on. If you want to write a resolution, bring it in front of the commission, say, "Hey, I'm looking at this resolution. Any ideas?" Okay? Then the full county commission can hire the attorney and pay him to do that.

All right. What I'm saying is everyone gets their input. Question. Are you telling us that we are not allowed to consult with our lawyer for background checks uh precedents set across the state while we're trying to birth a resolution or develop a resolution? That's not what I said. I said this particular type of resolution is what we're dealing with. I mean, you can vote to overrule my rule. Well, yeah, we have a motion on the floor, right? You make a motion to resend the rule. Pam, have you run this through the planning commission?

You want us to explain it again?

So, uh, the county attorney had told me there were two processes to do this. We could originate in regional planning commission, which I sit on, or we could originate in county commission. What happens when you originate a resolution in regional planning commission? It then goes to the cities. However, where I differ with the chairman, the regional planning and the cities can only make recommendations. This is the only body that can approve a resolution. So, if there's no in a resolution, to me, it makes sense to start here. County commission could just shoot this down and say that's not something we're interested in. It doesn't need to go to regional planning or the cities because this isn't something we're going to do.

Well, I think we're might is you're kind of going backwards, right? No, I mean we've never had a resolution come before us before. Well, we actually did this at We actually did it at the last meeting with data centers from the planning commission. No, we did exactly the same process at our last meeting. Uh it was voted on unanimously. Yeah. So, I'm this is an effort. Okay. T you speak Austin. Hold up. Let Tim speak.

Yeah, I saw I just wanted a little clarification there. Do you ever remember that going that way? I mean I don't know that you can't do it that way. just stoning. That's the only thing

right to the Yes, at least once I think it can it can be either way. In other words, like the regional planning commission which looks at the looks at the zoning ordinance well planning commission they look at it all the time. Clearly they can recommend this body to change it if they want. This body can also recommend changes as well. the same process.

It's not to approve. It means all it is all it is is to say we want you to look at this. It it's just to initiate at all. Yeah. Are you making a motion to resend the rule, sir? M. No. Mr. Chairman, I move for suspension of the rules to add a resolution concerning the A1 and I2 zones to tonight's agenda. There's a motion on the floor. Have you got a second? I believe I do. Jim's Congress question or comment before we proceed to vote. Katie. Katie.

Okay. So, I have multiple points on this resolutions that I've worked on in the past. Out of courtesy, we've all I've always let the chair know what I was working on when it's a resolution. And when we did the short-term rentals, the chair, the mayor, everybody knew what we were working on. We had a committee and everybody knew legal was involved. So, okay, another comment I want to make, due diligence. I am going to vote no on this because I haven't seen this resolution and it is not fair to ask any one of us to vote on something that we haven't seen in advance. So, I I have no idea what the resolution is and I'm not going to vote on a resolution that's going to affect our zoning that I have not reviewed. Okay. Also, I would like to say that the um planning commission just seated a working group to work on the resision revisions of the zoning resolution because they haven't had time in their normal meetings to get to that because it's always last on agenda. And my understanding is first thing they're going to look at is adding new zones to agriculture. So A1, A2, A3, I don't know. I would think this working group will address a areas and whether or not it needs to be there or not. I also have concern because our planning commission specialize in zoning and planning. Now, I know I have a voice. I have a vote on resolutions that affect our zoning, but I don't understand why we're starting to send things through commission first before the planning commission when the planning commission is not even addressing these issues yet. We're

changing zoning. So, I just want to let everybody know for due diligence purposes, I am going to vote no on this because I have not seen this resolution and I don't think it's fair to ask me or anyone else seated here to vote on something that we have not reviewed in advance. And if you had questions that you wanted to ask planning, zoning, citizens, no one's had that opportunity.

Mr. Snogress, then Mr. Bird. oop sorry um to address that it is this body's responsibility at all times to oversee the planning and zoning of this county we are charged with that at state level this simply this resolution is to request the planning and zoning committee to get started on this activity so let me take you back to our survey um couple years ago about protecting our agricultural lands and our rural field in the Lip Pine community we've had a large uh development of solar panel panels coming in right in the middle of A1. We've had another second one. It was actually in the city's growth zone, but it take took up a large chunk of agricultural land. So again, our county has spoken about what they want to see here in the future through this survey. All this is doing is pushing it to the planning and zoning commission to begin considering this process. Otherwise, tomorrow we can wake up and there can be a windmill in our backyard. Okay, how about all the articles that we read of the nuisance associated with those and disturbance to the countryside and the solar panels themselves? Once it hits and sits on a piece of agricultural land, it takes an immense amount of money to remove that to get it back into production again. And very few farmers have that kind of assets available. So, this resolution is pushing this to prioritize this in the planning committee. Thank you,

Mr. B. This is exactly what I was talking about in the budget committee. And a yes, a few years ago, we did come forth and say that county commissioners had to go through the mayor and had to go through the chair because there was we're $40,000 over right now in the lawyer. And that's what it started out back then. And it's for some reason it's jumped up again. and we did have whether it was an agreement or voted on that you would out of respect bring it for us and let us know what was going on before you went and spent a lot of money with lawyers. That's the thing that's got me upset about this. It was not mentioned to us and it's sort of come around out of nowhere. And as far as wind farms and stuff like that, have you ever thought maybe a farmer needs to sell that land to make a wind farm to keep his land? You know, you can't tell someone what they can do or can't do with their land if it it's going to save the rest of their farm. I mean, I've had friends here lately that have lost farms for just that reason. So, I like I said, we just need to get this back under control and not go down that path where every commissioner is going to the attorney without letting us know what's going on without getting permission from either the mayor or the county chair. Say, I want to get the attorney to draw up something and let us know what's going on.

Katie, make it short. You've already spoke to this. Okay. I just want to add a point of order. She's already spoke. You can only speak one time in the meeting. If you she wants to speak again, you got to have a vote. Proceed to vote, Mr. Chair. Can I have closing comments on my motion? Sure. Thank you.

So, I think some of this uh conversation was intentionally misleading. Uh the purpose of initiating, that's all we're talking about tonight is initiating this resolution. We're not approving or disapproving. It's simply initiating it. Secondly, as far as the attorney money goes, I have a feeling the $36,000 lawsuit has a lot more to do with our legal fees than the 30 minutes it took to write this resolution. With that said, Mr. Chairman, I once again move my motion to the floor for a vote. You're voting to suspend a rule.

Yes, sir. I give my time to Katie. I just closed. He's done closed. I'm sorry. He's done closed. We'll proceed to vote. If you're for suspending the rule, vote yes. If not, vote no. You have 11. O said yes. Failsome. Moving right along with the agenda, we're to the consent agenda. Mr. Chairman, we have not approved the agenda.

I'm sorry. We'll need to approve the agenda as not changed. Let us catch up. Mr. Chairman,

are you ready? Yeah, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to move to suspend the rules. I would like an update on the situation with the money that was funded for the VSO assistant. An update on the money. Okay, got a motion on the floor. Got a second by AJ Walker.

Oh, we're on the wrong thing. And I want to update I guess the finance director and the VSO. I want to know what's being done with the tax dollars.

We will uh probably do that under Jesse's time with the budget. Do you want to vote to add that or is everybody consent to adding that? If there's nobody got a problem with it, she can go through the numbers right then on her on her normal time. It don't have to be added. I'm fine with that. Yeah. So, we don't have to vote to suspend the rule then. If there's no objection, I'm fine with that. Mr. Chair, I don't see an objection anywhere in this crowd. I think you're good to go. Thank you. We'll wipe it clean. We've got a motion in a second. We have a motion to approve the agenda. It's been properly seconded. Proceed to vote.

This is as amended. We did with an update from our finance director. Okay. She'll do the update. Thank you.

All you got to do is ask her. 17 yes, zero nos. The agenda passes as is. We go by consent agenda into approval of the minutes. You have minutes before you. Mr. Joel, we have 17 yes, zero no minutes approved. Next, we have appearance of citizens. We have quite a few, so we'd like to get started. Uh, we'll try to make it as quick as we can. Here we have William Bumpus. Sir, would you please come to the stand? Next, we have a David Moore. Would you please be on deck and ready as soon as he finishes? Go time. Clock ticking. All right.

Clock ticking. Get started.

Got it. Thank you. I probably won't take three minutes. Thank you for letting me come here, commissioners, chairman, folks. I'm Buddy Bumpers. I native Tennessian and I live in Dandridge nowadays. Um, my grandfather was from Dandridge and I went to school at the University of Tennessee and been coming here all my life and I found a wonderful place to live. My wife did and I agreed to it once she said she wanted to go there and it was the best place we could ever find and that's in uh um it's called Fiddlin Fish Cove. It's uh out pass on 139. And uh the thing we found out last year that sent me into outer last week, excuse me, that sent me into outer space was that they were proposing to have a venue for wedding at the end of the road. My house is is circled by the road at about 270 degrees and they're talking about 70 people plus vendors coming to this location in lot 24 uh for weddings, etc., etc., to build a pavilion, etc., etc. And it sent me into outer space because my little space in paradise that God's been so got good to bless me with is now threatened uh by having 70 people coming in and 70 people going out. 20 miles per hour. There's only one way in and one way out. And if anybody's ever been up there, you know, you got to take it easy. There's no guard rails. Uh people could drive off the road easily and and that would be it. So, thank you for your time. And I just wanted to make out of the sense of full disclosure what's going on in my neighborhood that affects my life and can affect a lot of other folks as well. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Next, we have David Boore. Sir, could please come to the podium and Randall Robinson, you'll be next. Uh, yeah. My name is David Moore and I live on Cole Road in Jefferson City and I'm coming before you tonight over a zoning issue uh in the property in front of me. It used to be the old nickel sign company. Uh we have some heavy industrial going on and it is uh apparently it's owned C2. We've been trying to resolve this and see where we stand on it. All right. Is that all you have, sir?

Yes. Thank you for speaking. Next, we have Randall Robinson.

Chairman, commissioners, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. Um, I'm kind of following up behind Mr. Moore. Uh, I'm a neighbor. What what we have is a situation where it looks like u if you ever been to a hoarder's house and see what it looks like, well, this is a commercial hoarder. It's so stacked with stuff you can't see the ground. Uh, and it's obviously not properly, it's not a C2 zone. It should be industrial. It's in the bu middle of the neighborhood. There's not commercial for thousand feet in any direction. We've approached the zoning uh commission and they are going to look at it in the coming week. We wanted to make you all aware of it. Encourage you to go by and look at it. It may come up. we can't get it get some help from the zoning then we'll be back in front of you and it's at 865 coil and I appreciate your time and appreciate your attention.

Thank you sir. Mr. Chairman Katie so did you go to the zoning office or did you go to the board of zoning appeals? I went to the zoning office. I spoke with Stephanie and I apologize I can't remember. Okay. So can I ask Commissioner Seals a question? Do they need to go to the board? I know, but you have you have all the knowledge and the history to know. Do they need to go to the board of zoning appeals? Well, that's I can't remember the guys.

Yeah, Paris. I don't know. I mean, it's been quite a few years. I don't know if they're trying to I'm not debating it's C2. What I'm telling you is when you look at the definitions of what is a C2 business, it doesn't meet those definitions in any way, shape, form, or fashion. And and that and that's what we're trying to address because I really believe it's creating a health and safety hazard. Uh sir, I believe you're addressing the machinery that's parked there and I think they've acquired more land. I believe the job box it's a drill rig company. There's a lot of massive drill rigs there.

No, it's it's there's a lot of equipment sitting there. They're blocking the roadway with with semiis Jake breaking it at all hours of the night. And this is in a neighborhood where there's nothing no there's no other commercial I understand. I knew that at the time. No, I understand. And and I'm not trying to property. There's there's talk that that is going on, but just the fact that they're not actually complying with C2 zoning, but it's more of a light industrial. So, they're not although they're C2, I don't think that they're meeting the qualifications for C2. Need to look at. Mr. Brooks, what do you have to add, sir?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I just want to make sure you guys know that the BZA and Regional Planning Commission meetings for December have been postponed. So, we will not meet again until the fourth Tuesday in January. Uh because the fourth Tuesday fell on December 23rd. So, the body decided to postpone those meetings. Okay. But you've not heard of reszoning after. No, sir. Uh it sounds like their issue could come before BZA, but I just want to make sure you guys understand there will not be regional plan. I don't know the acronym BTA, Board of Zoning Appeals. So, you're wanting to appeal. Yeah.

Thank Thank you so much. I appreciate all your time. Yeah, that would be the avenue is the the zone of appeals because get on get in the right meeting here. Lisa Williams and next we'll have Mr. Austin Brooks. Oh, we'll pass. Next, we'll have James Lance. Well, I'm I'm here basically uh saying the same thing that my neighbors are saying. I live on 927 Coal Road. I'm here tonight to bring to your all's attention that the company, I assume it's pronounced Geodal, Jodal, uh, which is a corporate headquarters in Cincinnati. They have five regional offices across the eastern United States. They're heavy industrial company and they're they do drilling. Uh this company adjoins my family farm on two sides and I live about 100 yards down the road from that. My concern is the ongoing dangerous situation with the amount of heavy industrial equipment that is being driven on Cole Road as well as Mount Horb Road where I live is a thoroughare for Mount Horb elementary school and also for the high school. We are getting more than 100 homes being built in our area. So the traffic is increasing at this time. Uh on most days uh this company will stop traffic. They'll load or unload their heavy industrial equipment on semitrs on the road. Even when they're not loading their heavy equipment, it's parked dangerously close to the edge of the road. I can see someone, especially a high school student, as they're driving to school with their inexperience running into their equipment that's parked so close to the road. Our roads are likely

designed for residential uh agricultural drivers and uh equipment. However, our roads are being damaged by these heavy semi-truckss. The noise of their Jake brakes begins early in the morning and continues to late in the evening. It's my understanding that Jodel is trying to purchase six acres that adjoins the one acre that they own right now. Please understand that our area is agricultural and residential. This building was the former Nickels company which we've already said and that was a small company. This new company is not local and it is a national company. Uh, please understand, I'm not against industry in our county, but this company is located in the wrong place. It needs to be in a commercial park to give them space for their heavy industrial equipment. I want to be a good neighbor and I'm concerned if they are wanting to purchase another six acres. The one acre they are on is zoned for commercial, but I feel if they acquire the other six acres, then the traffic and noise from their trucks will disrupt our quiet neighborhood even more. I'm ask that you please consider not zoning the additional 6 acres, commercial or industrial. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have James Lance. Yes. Good evening, Jefferson County Commissioners. My name is James Lance. I'm a 27year veteran of the US Armed Forces, currently residing at 2246 Peninsula Drive, Jefferson City, Tennessee. I'm here on behalf of the citizens of Doggo Dakres. I want to address the commission tonight on two issues. First, I request commission permit our county veteran service officer to advertise and hire her assistant as soon as possible since funding for that position was approved during last month's meeting. My rationale for this request follows. From personal perspective, while serving as a veteran service office at Central Pedmont Community College, the hiring official for my entry- level position was my immediate supervisor. This is a normal practice for programs of that nature. Number two, furthermore, as a reminder, our county BSO is responsible for assisting over 4,100 Jefferson County veterans. These veterans are trying to navigate the Veterans Administration bureaucracy in order to obtain the benefits they earned while serving our great nation in uniform. Third, the additional manpower for the VSO will assist with managing this demanding case load and also provide an emergency backup point of contact for veterans if VSO falls ill or is activated to serve in the National Guard. Secondly, I request this commission direct an evaluation of the Granicus shortterm rental compliance software package identified by Mr. Frank H. Hearnden. The evaluation committee should be comprised of any individuals from Mr. He. return his office and personnel with experience in evaluating software capabilities. As a certified information security manager and project manager professional, I will only volunteer my time to assist Mr. Hearn's office with evaluation at no cost to the county.

According to my research, his capability should be able to significantly decrease the amount of time required to research and identify all short-term rental properties located in Jefferson County. If the program is able to perform the tasks as it claims and at the recommendation of the evaluation committee, I furthermore request your approval from Mr. Harden's office to procure this software at cost of approximately $19,210 for the first year with a recurring annual license cost of approximately $16,000 per year. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Next, we have John Beers. Please come to the podium. And on deck will be Sheena Perky. Is either one of them here tonight to speak? Cuz these were handed to me in a group. That's last month. I believe that's actually last month.

Yep. All that's last month. Yep. Larry Lawrence, are you here? That was last month. Do you wish to speak tonight, please, sir? All right, we got you covered. That will conclude appearance of citizens. And next on the agenda, we have approval of notaries and bonds. You have Tena Riddle, I believe, Frank.

Yes, Tena Riddle, an employee of First Bank, needs to be added to your list. Is there a question or comment to the list? If not, we'll proceed to vote. We have 17 yes, zero, no passes. Next we have nominating committee. Is there a report?

Yes. We nominated for a county for that correct.

All right. So you're bringing to us Aaron Lloyd to take the place of Terry Dock. Question or comment? Do we need to take them together or apart? We just go ahead. Yeah, it's only one. It's only one. There you go. Where's your tally? Uh, Miss Haida, we have 17 yes, zero no passes. Okay, Mr. County Mayor.

First of all, I'd like to say merry Christmas to everybody in the county. Glad that you're here. God bless you. U, Mr. Chairman, happy to tell you that we got a grant from the East Tennessee Foundation. That's to the Jefferson Foundation. Uh we will be putting 20 AEDs in county buildings. U we'll try to have one on every floor of every building. We kind of counted out to do that. We're also will be adding them into as many maintenance vehicles as we can. As you know, AEDs save lives. We have no cost to them. We need to get them out. and it it's good program you know spent 30 years paramedic it's highly recommended does the job keeps people alive in addition to that we are putting um one one one boxes you'll see one box is out that's Narcan they're available to anybody that wants them you want to take it you raise it up it's got a DVD that walks you completely through how to administer a narcan to someone has an overdose on to do that. You open it up, it walk, anybody can do it. So, that will be going out. So, we've got those two things. So, uh no cost to you. We're just trying to trying to improve the health of our residents in the county. Uh getting those things out there. So, we're always looking for grants. Carrie got that that one grant that goes to the Mos Creek viewing area. Working on that, getting the legality on that. No cost the county other than maybe the attorney would donate his time for us for doing that but kind of doubt it kind of doub

sure sorry microphone so there's some confusion and if you could clarify it for us and maybe Doug you need to jump in here too but who does their current BS all officer report to you or chairman of county Commission chair of county commission chairman of county commission

where the I might be able to tell you where the confusion started but I may not be able to clear the confusion up. The confusion started when the mayor when I was chair of county commission that made the mayor the supervisor of the BSO option. Then when I was no longer the chair of county commission, that supervisory power still stays with the Cher County Commission because it is a county commission employee, not hired by me. Uh the personnel used the committee that recommended to them. Then they recommended Marissa to the county commission. County commission hires and fires on that. Okay. So, so if

I think when the switch happened, it stated for some reason it said mayor to report to instead of chair county commission, but when that switch changed when I when I no longer served as chair and was just mayor, that's okay. Around that time, other than that, I don't Is that the confusion you're talking about or It's always That's part of it. Yeah, it's always been what? It's always been since I've been here on that reports to county commission. Yes. Not the mayor's office, right? because it's not sometime they separate and said there's departments that the mayor has that the mayor hires and

okay hopefully doesn't fire in but uh the same but the county comm the BSO officer was the only I don't know how that happened but the only one and state statute says that you all can decide you hire how that structure is and counselor he's all right just one final question. Oh, okay. Sorry. So, when we all we've all reported somewhere down the line, well, she's got 21 of us to report to. So, who does she go to for direct contact in event of emergency or so forth? So, technically that would be the chair county commission.

Okay. You need something worked out that we're first contact and we contact the chair for her. Since how our office is here every day, we're willing to work with you anyway to to make it possible. That that's that's not a problem. I can't change your rules that that I'm her supervisor. He's he's the chair isn't. I'm not advocating to I'm confused. You said the chair is her supervisor or commission is her supervisor. Well, we are, but the chairman is the one that Okay. does it. The job script says reports to

Cherry County Commission and then it was county mayor when that little confusion thing, but it should say reports to Cher County Commission. I and I don't know whether that means he's supervising dayto day or whether she's going here's my hours I work. That's never been defined. Doug, do you have anything to add to that? Well,

thank you mayor. as quickly as I can. With respect to the VSO, uh, state statute specifically says this body hires and fires, period. Uh, it really doesn't say anything else about supervision, you know, about direct. This doesn't say anything. to be candid with you. Um, if you can hire and fire attendant with that is some level of supervision. You the whoever the officer I think the Supreme Court characterizes a VSO as a um an employee by contract um meaning that

um you all hire her, you all or him and fire her and him. there is absolutely zero um legal precedent with respect to like um a direct supervision. However, it's in my opinion and this has not been tested legally that it has to have there has to be some supervision of an employee by contract clearly. If if you can hire and fire, surely you can supervise or at least monitor one way or the other. There has to be some way to do that. Um I don't know with respect to the job descriptions. I don't know how that came about or when that came about. Um candidly it makes sense that there would be some body rather than as you say 21 people that

this employee by contract would report to or or through which a li le liaison or something through where somebody would be able to ask a question if one of the commissioners had a question about what was going on or what was doing. And it makes sense that there would be at least a a figurehead or a liaison where they would go to. But I'll just be honest with you, the statute silent. Uh it makes sense that there would be a person whether it's the uh the chairman of the county commission. Um I don't know that the mayor that is not the chairman of the county commission since the county commission is the one that hires and fires would would be that person. So,

so what does she currently do when she needs a vacation day or flat tire or who does she contact currently? I I don't know. I assume it would be uh currently the chairman or the mayor depending on what job description that was, but I I don't know that. She says carry a notice. So if somebody calls for you and say she's not there approving it or disapproving it, we're Yeah, it's just informationational exchange. We're passing information on but it would make sense that it would be um there would be a somebody report to that would rather than 21 people every time. Understood. Thank you,

mayor. Conclude your time. Do you have anything else? Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. All right. And then moving right along on the agenda here. Chairman's comments. I have none. Other elected officials, we have Jennifer Hall. There's my monthly report that made it to my docket. You have county attorney on Yep. Mr. Doug Green. Your turn, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Uh, real quick, uh, my comment had to do with a, uh, one of the planning commissioners, uh, Commissioner Nelson had, uh, discovered a misnumbering uh, issue with respect to two zoning resolutions. This is not an amendment to the zoning resolution. Uh it is simply a a clerical error that needs to be corrected. That means that the planning commission has already voted on it. Uh I'm going to do my best to briefly explain that and then request a motion simply to fix the clear air. Um there were there were in numbering sections. There was a there was a resolution 202316 and then one passed interestingly in 2024 which still bore the number 2022-16 and both those were numbered uh 7.17 in our zoning ordinance. So the only thing that needs to happen is that one of those needs to be 717 and one of those needs to be 718.

Um uh one question that was raised is whether or not because a lot of the time in the resolutions that I prepare it'll say if anything conflicts with this it's repealed. That did not appear in the section. So nothing was repealed.

Um it it can be changed. It's simply a clerical error. I'm going to read this um for the clerk's benefit and for your benefit. Um, I would ask that a motion be made that the numbering of the se of these sections be corrected to reflect that the 2023 zoning amendment resolution 2023-16 which was passed in July of 2023 should bear the section number 717 and the 2024 zoning amendment reflected in resolution 202216 which was not passed until October 2024. um should read 718. So the 2023 amendment would read 717 and the 2024 amendment would read 718. Any further printing of the resolutions uh the zoning resolution should reflect these corrected section numbers. Um and this numbering correction that just needs to be included in the in this body's minutes. Again, this is not a zoning amendment. Thus, it does not have to go back through the process of going to all the cities and going back to the RPC and this body. It's simply a correction of that number.

Mr. Chair, I've got planning commission. Sure. Uh, I don't know if we got to suspend the rule or not. Does this require say that? I would think so. I would think so. So, we'd have to suspend the rule to do that. Mr. Chairman, I move for suspension of the rules for Do you want to know what the rest of the motion is? Yeah, we do. We do. For uh the correction of a typographical typographical error uh discovered in our zoning regulations.

We have a motion on floor. It's been seconded. Does anybody have a question or comment? We're just merely renumbered. Not hearing any. We'll proceed to vote with suspension of the rule and then we'll have to vote on it.

The rule has been suspended. 17 to zero. Now for the motion. Same as above. It be the same.

M. If I may make the motion, uh, a typographical error was discovered with respect to 7.17. It was discovered that in 2023, the county legislative body after proper process passed a zoning amendment adding a section 7.17 and two. In 2024, the CLB passed another zoning amendment after the proper process which mistakenly contained the same number 7.17. There's no question that the amendment was to be an additional section. Nothing in the 2024 amendment repeals or replaces any previous version of 7.17.

So that one will be renamed to 7.18. As a part of this motion, if I may transmit this to our county clerk, he would greatly appreciate it. I bet he'd greatly appreciate it. So move, Mr. Chairman.

Question or comment. We'll proceed to vote. We have 17 yes, zero no. Motion passes. We stand to be renumbered. Next on the agenda, we have uh finance department. Jesse, you are in the light, ma'am. like to start off by saying merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Thank you. Appreciate it. Um Mr. Brooks, I I'll be happy to answer whatever kind of questions you may have on the VSO officer. Uh the status is the funding's been it's in place at that point. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah. So my question was there seems to be a little bit of confusion. So we transferred the $53,95 I believe uh which passed unanimously last month, but I haven't seen anything posted uh to fill that position. So I don't know if that's you or maybe our VSO can speak to why that position has not been uh posted to be filled. My job is to get the funding in place. So the funding is there. Okay. We're there.

So, I'd like to speak to our BSO and ask why that position hasn't been advertised. Committee met tonight, discussed the whole matter. We can bring BSO officer to the podium, but the personnel committee had a meeting at 4:30 today and they discussed the whole matter, set the ground rules, going to put it out to advertise the job. Yeah. If I could just get an update from the BSO, please. Sure. Do you want me to Does anybody have any questions on financials? Why don't you go ahead and do your financial and we'll bring her up at the end be better. Does anyone you have October's financials in your packet if anyone has any questions?

Question or comment? Okay, I'm just going to step aside since budget committee's coming up and I have a feeling I'm going to be handling that. So, You want to wait till the end of this? Yes. It would be handier if you went ahead and finished. Are we rolling with budget committee? We are rolling.

Okay. Absolutely. Um so we did pull you see in your agenda that 101 BA number 14 item one that was pulled. So we'll start with um all of these were recommended by the budget committee. 101 BA number 12 item number one. Does anyone have any questions?

Not hearing any. We'll proceed to vote except for number 14. Y 170 pass, ma'am.

All right. Um, general fund 101 amendment number 13's utilizing $45,000 of fund balance and $80,476.95 of reserves. Um, you're and item number five is $40,000 of fund balance and that that is adding um to your legal services budget for county commission. Item number six is fund balance and this was recommended by the facilities committee. It's um to a couple of trees over here in the courtyard. And item number 11 is fund balance. And this is um something that we are required to pay for. And uh we've never had that, so it was not in the budget. So we're moving $1,000 for sign language.

Question or comment? I think we've all done voted. Miss Haida, please vote. 170 pass. Carry on, ma'am. Okay, we're going to skip item number 14. So, we're going to move to drug fund 122 amendment number two. No use of fund balance or reserves. Question or comment. Proceed to vote.

Ronnie 170 passed. All right. We have highway fund 131, amendment number four, and this is utilizing $500,000 of reserves which were specifically set aside for paving. Proceed to vote 17 to zero passed. Ma'am, next item, landfield fund 207, amendment number five. And this is just posting what local government finance approved for the inter fund loan. It's the second half of the portion of the shredder. Proceed to vote. 17 to zero passed.

Okay, we're moving on to schools budget amendments. Uh, general, it's utilizing fund balance and reserves. Otherwise, it I appreciate it though. Um, general fund 141 amendment number eight utilizing 14,500 of fund balance and 180,000 of reserves. Proceed to vote.

Miss 17 to zero pass. General fund 141 amendment number nine is adding back to fund balance $222,58.93. proceed to vote

17 yes zero no pass 141 amendment number 10 um it's a net of zero we're utilizing 250,000 to fund balance to move to an ADA reserve question or comment proceed to vote 17 yes zero no pass federal funds 142 amendment number four there's only two items before you proceed to vote

17 yes zero no pass student nutrition 143 amendment number one it's no use of fund balance or reserves Proceed to vote.

Mr. John, vote, please. 17 yes, zero no passes. Okay. The the last item from budget committee is for the short-term rental online platform funding request. Um it's for $19,29.85 and this is only for the first year. I believe going forward is around 15,000. Uh we did get okayed from the state to use hotel motel reserves for this year. So that was the motion by budget committee. $19,29.85 85 cents from hotel motel reserves to county clerk's budget for the purchase of this

question or comment. Not hearing any proceed to vote. We have one no 16 yes passes. Okay, Mr. Brooks. Thank you, Jason. Sure. Hang on just a second here. Jesse, got a question for you. Well, maybe it's for you, Commission. I mean, chair. So, theformational the property tax impact summary that you gave us in budget, can we put that in our county commission packets forformational purposes only?

Sure.

Each month. And also, could you add like down here, not in our next year's budget, but if the wheel tax ever goes away, like a line item down here, what it what the result would be and where that will tax funds, so we know for future um budgeting cycles. But I think for transparency for all the commissioners and for the citizens since the commission as a whole is voting on these changes throughout the year that everybody needs to be aware um not just a budget committee on what the impact will be for next year's budget. Thank you.

Okay. Uh I can go ahead and um I'll see if the mayor's office can help me. We'll send those out to county commission tomorrow. What she's referring to is I just included a little one pager in the budget committee packet to show items that had been voted on that's going to impact the property tax for next year's budget cycle. That way we can just see a running total. So right now uh we're at one penny just on items that have been voted on. So but I'll I'll start including that. I can include that under mine or budget committee whichever ones in your packet going forward. Thank you ma'am. Hold on. Okay. Concludes. Oh, you got a question?

Yes. Can you um start adding up in the packet of how much the attorney charges for commissioners to use and how much the commissioner has used a month. I mean, they used to do it years ago and they would tell how much money was spent on the commissioner for talking to attorney. I would like to know that if you could add that to it. Uh we we receive their invoice each month. Um, we could include that that entire invoice. It's a public record if you want. It can come from the chairman because I I I sign the I sign the bill every month. Well, could you do it then? We can do it.

Easy, guys. PSO officer, Mr. Brooks. Have you received the money that the county commission appropriated last month? Um, it I've seen the budget for it. Yes. Okay. Okay. So, you have not put out for a position yet. I am I've not put out for the position because I was made aware that I'm not over the position. Um, there was a personnel meeting this evening that I was not made aware of. Um, and honestly it would have to come from personnel because I'm not really sure what's going on with it. Who's over the position then?

I think M the chair. That doesn't make any sense. I I I'm not I'm I'm really not sure what happened with the position at the personnel committee tonight. I came in on the back end of it. Um I thought the personnel or the nominating committee was going to meet tonight at uh 5:30. So, I showed up at five and it was the middle of a personnel committee that I wasn't made aware of. So, the personnel committee hires assistants for offices now. I I'm not sure. I can't I I I Anybody that wants to answer the question, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Mayor,

be be glad to answer. The personnel committee met at 4:30 today, advertised meeting. Miss Haida Thomas is the chairperson on that committee. They voted on various stuff. if she wants to elaborate tonight. Miss Heidi, can you can you speak to what they voted on? Turn your microphone on.

We voted on two job descriptions. We did one for a full-time veteran service officer and we did one for a an assistant. And the reason for that was that the long-term that's that may be required if you um that you you might need to have a an assistant starting out first. That was basically a backup position. But we voted on both positions and we had two two amendments to to the job descriptions and one was simply changing it so that they reports to the chairman of the comm chairman of the county commission and also we inserted the hours that the office must be covered Monday through Friday.

Those were the two amendments. So, these are recommendations that the personnel committee is making to the county commission for approval. Yes. When will we see those? Next month. Next month. So, I'm As soon as I have the minutes typed, I will send them to and we're that she's going to begin the process of advertising. So, do do I need to post the position or does that come from somebody else? That will come from the personnel committee. Okay. They will they will do the posting through Carrie and the the commission office. Okay.

And uh it'll all it'll all be laid out, advertised, and then the respondents will come back to the personnel committee because you're actually the the motion reads that was passed a BSO officer. No, it doesn't because it No, it doesn't. That's not what it says in in two separate. It gets real complicated right here. the meeting minutes from last month and it was an assistant BSO. That wasn't what was reported to me. Mr. Frank, what did we actually vote on?

It was It's in the minutes. Voted to approve. There's an ulterior motive. The budget committee's recommendation. My understanding was it was a VSO officer. That was my understanding of what happened. Budget committee was full county commission because budget committee didn't pass uncharted brought before full commission and the full commission voted as a whole for an assistant. But we're getting all the way out. It was a unanimous vote and then we voted for assistant as well. Yeah, I thought it was too. Well, there's other people that don't think it is. So, Mr. Coleman,

I've got the minutes. My recollections is that when Commissioner Brooks made the motion, it was for a veteran service officer and that's what was approved. He did not say assistant. Now, long story short, what's the big issue if you're getting the hell? That's what I don't understand. Hold it. There'll be no outburst from the crowd. Mr. Coleman has the floor one at a time, folks. Please. Mr. Coleman, like I said, you're getting the help. So, what is the issue?

So, the the issue is clearances. You can't. And this is what I explained to the personnel committee earlier. I already had those clearances coming into this position. I carry a level clearance 12 as a VSO. An assistant uh VSO carries a level seven uh clearance. Uh down at McMin County, I was an assistant VSO for two years before I gained my official VSO status. Um you can't hire an electrician off the off the street. They have to go through their journeyman experience. that. And another reason I want an assistant is, God forbid something happens to me, but that office sat empty for six months after Curtis died.

It's a way to ensure that your veterans are taken care of if something were to happen to me or if I have an emergency or I'm deployed. Well, wouldn't it make sense to hire somebody with your same credentials if they apply for the position? Yes. Then that's why it's been put out to bid on. Well,

and I mean that's fine. you can do that, but somebody you lose your accreditation within 48 months if you're not a VSO. Um I think and personnel committee can correct me, but I think out of the many applicants that applied for this position the first time, only three of us were accredited. Two of those people already have jobs within TDBS and the the one of the people I beat out here. He's a regional now. So, I mean, that's he's not going to apply for that position. But again, there's certain clearances they have to have. They have to be able to go through a DoD ID background check. If they've never been a VSO before, they're going to start at level seven. Um, that's just the way they did it with me. That's the way I'd like to do it here. And I'd like to be involved in the process.

Ronnie, you settled? I am. All right. Mr. Jim, you're next. And then number two will be Janet Norton. All right. Our minutes state what we voted on assistant BSO.

We can't change that in midstream. Although I think I think your point is very reasonable running. I appreciate that. But we voted on an assistant BSO to support Rissa because she's so overwhelmed doing such a great job reaching out making things happen. That's the bottom line. That's what we approved. an assistant BSO as a commission. I think most of us are shaking our heads here that that's what we approved and it's also just in the minutes we approved. You hold the floor.

Jenny, if I understood correctly, when we were in the meeting last time, there was some confusion and concern about pay. Um, so what I understood we were voting on was an assistant and that was what best fit her needs in that office. So I just wanted to reiterate. I think there was reasons for why we did the assistant. Next, Katie Huffer. Okay. Policy question. So, if we approved a full-time assistant last meeting,

did the personnel committee just develop a full-time assistant job description or did we have a job description for an assistant prior to our vote last month? And also, I think the pay was relatively the same. Maybe a $2,000 difference or was it more than that? What was the difference? Are you asking? Hold up. Hold up. Now I'm asking our Katie. You're asking Jesse. I'm asking our finance director. Okay. Then you ask her directly. Okay. Okay.

Come to the podium. You can do it right there if we can hear you. Get your butt. Okay. Um so what we approved was a $1322 per hour position. um if we were looking at something equivalent to that one to her position uh we would need $22.17 per hour. Then I was wrong on that. Okay. And that and that was the funding as my understanding it was for the full year.

Okay. So what was that dollar amount? So, we approved $27,500 for salary along with the associated uh cost for a full-time employee as well as $2,000 for staff development. Um, I believe that's for credit accreditation. Thank you. And other staff development cost? Yes. Okay. So, the intent of this, it's an assistant. If the person ever became a full-time VSO, the salary would go up to what we pay a VSO for.

Yeah. And I believe that would um it's around 18,000 additional, but um I believe with associated costs, we'd be looking if it was this year, we'd be looking probably around 22 23,000. Okay. Total additional funding. Chairman question. Has the commission approved an assistant position yet for the VSO or will that go back come back around to us next month because you all voted on it tonight. It's just a policy question. Is that for me to answer?

Okay. I think it would be for the I think it would be a question for the chair of the personnel committee or the commission chair. And your question is because I was in the middle of something else here. Has the county commission approved a position description for a VSO assistant? The county commission has not, but the personnel committee has approved both. They approve they approved the helper. They approved the description for a VSO officer. So, they've covered both bases tonight.

Okay. So, can you advertise prior to that being approved by the commission? I don't know the answer to that or if they can go hand in hand. I mean, it it can be done for both as a policy. Okay. What we've got to do is clear up the confusion. So, we're going to have to take this apart and then put it back together and straighten this up. Mr. Chairman, We cannot advertise for both. We only approved assistant BSO officer. This commission has not approved an additional full-time BSO officer. That's it.

So that's the confusion right there. That created more confusion. Okay, we got Brooks has done spoke. So Mr. Great.

There's a few things that that I would like to say. There's a I've got a copy of the personnel committee from August. There's a job description for assistant VSO in that. From what I understand, it was approved. And if you go online and do some research, if you look at the VSO position in the state of Tennessee, you will see a generic job description that is used throughout Tennessee for the veteran service officer. And I would like to remind the personnel committee that back when we hired Marissa before we seen her as full commission, the personnel committee was meeting to take a look at the ones applying for this position. They realized that they had a major general that had offered her expertise to the personnel committee as far as vetting such a serious position. The veteran service officer in Jessford County is a very serious position. It's very important. It brings over $4 million a year into this county from the veterans, some of who are sitting in this audience. The second thing is a very simple for a veteran service officer and the veteran service officer should be the person in charge of that assistant VSO because it's her responsibility to mold, train, and ensure that man or woman are capable of stepping into her shoes and doing the job for the veterans in this county.

You know, you you a lot of our people in a county talk about how much they appreciate us and here we are going through the same thing that we went to went through last month. She should be recognized as a VSO. She is actually a department head. She's not secondhand help. She's very important and she most likely has dealt with every veteran that's sitting here in this auditorium. And yes, no stop. We have to maintain order please. And and one of the things that I hate most in this county is the inu innuendo and the gossip that takes place. I have heard that and I don't know if it's true or not, but Mr. Chairman, I thank you for pointing out that we need to be informed as county commission. There was a personnel committee meeting today at 4:30 for the VSO. She wasn't here and I didn't even know about it. How about getting our county commission involved with every committee in this and that that we're responsible for as a whole committee? It's time that we do that. It's time that we quit blowing smoke and we be direct. There's a lot of stuff being said that there's someone already in line to that has been picked out by someone to take this position. And that makes me feel like that in some way we may be attempting to push her out. Ain't going to happen. We're going to fight for it.

I'm going to fight for it. It's my responsibility as a commissioner to make sure that we do what we're supposed to. It worked really out nice with a personnel committee because

I'm a Marine. I love Marines. But she outshined a Marine first sergeant to the point that I said, "Wait a minute. If you want to hear my vote, my vote's for her." And she's lived up to it. You know, if I I know when I was a 911 director, I cannot stand micromanagers. We don't need a micromanager on her. She reports to all of us. We need someone that's going to take care of the ladies and gentlemen that deserve what they're getting. And I I you know, there's so much gossip. Why can't we be truthful? Why can't we make a commitment to stand up for the truth of what's right? I'm not here for power. I'm here to serve you, the people. And I know that some of you get talked to ugly by sitting commissioners. That is absolutely morally wrong and unethical. And if I have to as a commissioner start calling out people that I think are unethical and if you think I am, you call me out. I'll be glad to defend it. And if I'm wrong, I'll be glad to admit to it. But we got a good VSO. And if I was her, I would have probably already packed my seabag and went somewhere else that appreciated me. I don't want her to leave. I don't think you, ladies and gentlemen, wanted to leave. And no one should have the right to try to intimidate, try to manipulate, and try to force her out.

And you know what? This county needs a human resource department so our employees can be protected because they're not protected. Next, we have Greg B. Okay. I'm not on the personnel committee, but I was sitting here when they had the meeting. And you said they don't need the two positions. Well, she was at the meeting also. She come in and she told them you can't hire probably somebody to be an assistant

to her because they won't you have to hire maybe somebody that has to be trained by her. She have to go through the procedures and stuff. That's the reason why they have the two just in case we can't get someone soon to help her out directly. That's the reason why we have two. So that's the reason why you have an assistant and you have, you know, another uh veteran service officer.

So that's the reason why we have the two. They took it off her recommendation. So she was at the meeting and they took they actually listened to her. I know some of you are going on like they've ignored her, but they listen to her today and I'm not on it. I sit there where you are, Jimmy, and listen to her talk. And that's exactly what she told them. And that pretty much what they did for you. You said, "You probably can't hire nobody." So they made a second one just in case we can get somebody to hire and help you out sooner. Was that not what the agreement was? You didn't agree to it. I'm just But that's how they did it. I didn't hear most of it. I have hearing loss. Okay. I sat over there. Well, she flat out said that you probably can't hire somebody straight in.

So then we may have to hire somebody to be trained. And you said it might take a year to get to the training. So, do you want to wait a year for them to find someone who's already trained or to get someone in to help her? That's the reason why you have the two. So, I'm I'm You need to respect them a little bit on that. Don't tear them down for that because that was a good idea. Ronnie and y'all, I appreciate what you did. We were trying to Yeah, we were trying to facilitate. That's all I got to say. Before we trash him too much, you want to close? I'd love to close. Sure.

We all agree the money's been appropriated. The personnel committee does not have authority. The all committees make recommendations. The authority comes from the full county commission. So, am I correct, Mr. chairman that the personnel committee has recommended a job description for an assistant to go both ways. They recommended they approved both for a BSO and an assistant because you know it's in the record now. That was my understanding of what they did. Do we not currently have a job description for a BSO? Uh Miss King turned us one in. I have a copy of it here. So the personnel committee

understanding was it was sent directly to me. Mine don't look like that.

I believe that's correct.

So who is going to do the hiring? My understanding if it's her assistant, why wouldn't she post and hire the assistant for her office? That's that's my confusion to me open to a suggestion to the whole thing because I was led to believe the whole time we was we was hiring a PSO officer. My questions were and and now it's it's an assistant. So if it's an assistant, Mr. Mayor, where's get crossed at?

Cuz I was not at the personnel meeting, but I was today. Well, if we're in agreement that it's for an assistant, can we go ahead and get her get the hiring process initiated to get this ball rolling so we can get our veterans the help that they deserve, the help that they're paying for with their tax dollars? Mr. Mayor, let me let me let me simplify. Mr. Mayor, what would be the quickest possible way to get an assistant into the VSO office? Can I ask a couple questions? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Is this an assistant to her or is this a full-time BSO officer? An assistant to her. Assistant to her.

It's assistant to her. It's her employee. She should be heavily involved in the hiring process if not all the hiring process. She would need to do that. Maybe not so much in conjunction with personnel but with personnel because personnel upon her recommendation then will ultimately make that recommendation to you. You do the final county commission. That ain't true. We we the difference is is which one you're hiring. Since you're going to hire an assistant changes the hiring process directly. Okay. And that changes the whole chain of events.

And so one other issues that they talked about as they were trying to determine is this a full or I know it gets confused. So the personel was like, so she's a BSO officer trained this way and this is a BSO trained this way. Theoretically, you would probably say the senior is the uh I don't know whether supervisor team lead was like

I think all the confusion was did we hire an assistant to her or did we hire a PSO officer? So if it's an assistant to her, it's her assistant. Most department heads hire their own assistant because it's a county commission employee. They should advertise go through personnel gives a little more authority to it or a little more weight, but ultimately it will be recommended to you to hire who that person. She she can hire, but ultimately the final say is yours just like it used to be with your will tax. Mr. Chairman, could we streamline this and have our VSO bring us someone initiate the hiring process, bring people forward? I I want to get this done as as quickly as possible. There are veterans in here tonight that I know are waiting and are going through an appeal process. We need help in that office.

Question for Mr. Dan. Mr. Dan, would you take the podium, please, sir? I think you know what I'm going to ask you. campaign here in the what what is the legalities involved in a streamline process for this Doug?

Well, the best I can tell if you designate the status of whoever this assistant is and I don't know who fig it out exactly if it was an assistant to her. I think it would be way quicker for our VSO as one person to hire someone than it would be for 21 of us to drag this out for six months while our veterans go without help. number. Office purchases. Thank you. Yes. Recommend to do that. I just don't know that I understand your question with respect to streamlining.

Can I clear it up? Sure. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, I can this commission just go ahead and empower our BSO to fill that position?

I don't know about that since if you consider a BSO that contract employee, which is by statute your basically your your contract employee. Okay. Um there's no real guidance zero guidance in the statute whether or not there's I think you could actually hire a second if you wanted to but there's no guidance as whether or not you can hire an assistant to that my gut is not been tested by any lawsuit not been tested by court not been spoken on by anybody is that if the VSO is a contract employee spring. It would make sense to me that if there is an assistant there that the county commission would in on that I agree with the mayor that it's going to be her assistant. She should be involved in that process for sure.

I don't know about streamlining that process.

I really don't think we can streamline it because the job still has to be advertised. It's a public job. It's taxpayer money. So therefore, everybody has got to be in no. So as to cutting the corner to the chase, I'm a Doug. That's why I call Doug up here because I don't know that we fully understand if we streamline and somebody says, "Hey, I want to change the job." Then you got a problem. that is safe with respect to trying to follow the letter county commission to ultimately engage or hire a person. Okay. Doesn't mean that the DSO obviously wouldn't be heavily involved. She's she's got to work here.

It makes total sense that she would be involved in that process. However, you're n that hiring process goes. It makes sense to me that she would be able to say, "Hey, this is my person." I don't know that that stop you from hiring person X versus the person she recommended. You see what I'm saying? Sure, Mr. Chairman. I guess I have a question for you.

Just give me a minute. I'll come up with some more. I want I would like to see this job like the position posted ASAP. I mean, it's already we've already burned them off and uh I want to know what needs to happen to get that position posted. Uh what is the hiring process for the county? What what has to be done is Carrie has to put it out to an advertisement now that we've settled on that it's an assistant, which I was misinformed about. Okay. It being assistant that changes how this process works. So we can expedite the advertisement. We still have to put it out for 30 days. Understood.

We're looking at probably midFebruary at the February meeting. Hold up. We're probably looking at the February meeting. I can talk to Carrie about that.

But you know, I would have liked to have seen it happen in January, but see, we've got the holidays right now. So anything that happens after this week is going to be put off after the first of the year. So that's going to crowd the next meeting. You're going to cuz you got to advertise for 10 days and you know there's some logistics that it's going to be hard to cross. So we got to figure that out. Now, I could probably give a better answer by the end of this week cuz I'm going to have to do research and see what's the bare minimum that we can do to not get oursel in trouble.

Yeah. I So, what I'm driving at, Mr. Chairman, I would just like to see this position for hire posted because as soon as it from the day it's posted, 30 days, that's our that's our hiring procedure. Correct. Okay. So, so every day that goes by is we can cut that in half. We will. But see, anybody in a government position, if they don't get ample time to apply that wanted to, they could come back and say, "Look, y'all circumvented the rule of law." If they've got a compelling argument, we're in trouble. Yeah. I'm not suggesting we cut the 30 days. What I'm suggesting is that we get the 30-day clock running as soon as possible.

I agree wholeheartedly. And and what I'm going to try to do as chairman is I'm going to try to get this done through the month of January to where at the latest February meeting we can vote. But we got to make sure logistically we can make all this happen. So what needs to happen to get the job posted? Advertising with Carrie. Carrie, would you please come to the microphone? Ma'am, could we do that this week? You do that this week. We had the written ones from when the rest was hired out. It's got to come to us. Carrie, can I respond? Sure.

Um, so the purpose of the personnel meeting tonight was because all we had approved was the job description for a VSO. personnel never approved the VSO assistant that Marissa wrote herself. Okay. So, I needed personnel committee to meet to approve that assistant position. That's why they met tonight. It should have been very simple. Now that this assistant position has been the job description has been approved. I will get with Marissa and based on that job description, we will get an advertisement done up. We will advertisement advertise it everywhere we can for the next 30 days. So that's the minimum. So hopefully before the end of December, you know, taking into consideration that it is Christmas. So hopefully before the end of December, Marissa and I can get together, we can get the advertisement done, we can get it advertised. We'll advertise it the whole month of January and then hopefully reconvene in February to take recommendations and review resumeums and you know bring it forward again to either personnel or county commission.

Would it be possible for that to take place this week? What's that? Uh getting with Marissa and getting uh this advertised. Absolutely. The last word I got, Marissa wasn't going to be in the office the rest of the week. That's right. I think she called sick days. Her and I will get together before the end of December and even if it's, you know, through email and text message, we will get the proper advertisement on it. All right. So, let's throw the brakes some right here. Katie Hbaker is going to

Mr. Chairman, thank you for your for letting me ask those questions. I do greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Carrie, for your leadership on this. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, county attorney. Thank you, Marissa. Thank you for everyone that sat here and listened to me ask all those questions. Katie.

Okay. First, I want to thank the veterans. I want to apologize for all the confusion and misinformation that's gone on amongst us, with the citizens, with the veterans. And I don't mean to muddy the water more, but I'm about to. So, I know why I was confused. In our minutes, if you look except at G of our minutes that we just approved earlier, Veteran Service Office, Finance Director Elder stated that the budget committee has approved a full-time position with a salary and associated cost of $51,95 with a total request of $53,95 with 2,000 being allocated to staff development. Moved for approval by Commissioner Douglas, seconded by Commissioner Brooks. Roll call vote was taken. 200 all in favor. I support either position. I'm not trying to delay either position, but according to our minutes, we approved $53,000, which in my mind was a veteran service officer. So that's why I was confused earlier and asked what the dollar amount was.

Yeah. Thank you. And that is verb verbatim for the video. That's verbatim for the video. That's all that was mentioned in the meeting. That was my rendition of that. Now you know where I stand. Okay. Okay. Take the podium, please, sir. You ain't going to start trouble, are you? No. Need to be clear. Well, everybody else asked the same question. We we busted 50 53 then two for staff development development 53 53 but that's annual

that's annual so half of that or whatever amount from there forward so do we have money budgeted I mean we have money moved I'm sorry we probably covered this we have $27,500 which is equivalent to $1322 an hour approved for this fiscal year. It has already been posted. Funds are available. Um, in the budget committee, they approved an assistant position. I apologize. I must have left the assistant word out in the video for county commission. So, I apologize if if all of this conversation is on me. I'm so sorry. Um, but I was under the impression it was for an assistant. So,

I was under impression it was both, just depending on who I was talking to. Yeah. So, uh, but the money is there and it is funded and it'll be an annual position of 53 just to clarify that everybody cuz we're actually finishing this physical year and it'll be figured into the budget for the next cycle. Correct.

Correct. And that that's where the penny comes in place to fund it since it's a reoccurring position. Now, the salary is not $53,000. It's $27,500 along with associated costs. We do have to plan for family insurance coverage since we do not know who we're hiring. That is an annual amount though. That's not for probably the five months that we're going to be paying someone from February potentially to to June. All right. So, let's move right along.

Risk rest this topic and we move on to uh county commission items. Approval letter Tennessee comproller division of local government finance. That's information only. Jefferson County Capital Outlay notes. Jefferson County Landfill 387,669. I believe that's the other part of our shredder. Next, we have new business resolution 2025. We need to vote on that. I'm sorry. Proceed to vote. I thought you was voting on what I just read. Oh, you may. Mr. Chairman, can we clarify? We are not voting on anything to do with the BSO right now. No. No.

That's what the computer says. Let the computer catch up. Computer's catching up. We'll be caught up here in just a second. Bear with us. Well, we got to take that off somehow. All right, we'll have to get cleared up. So, if we don't vote, Back on 68.

We're back on 68. That's right. New business resolution 2025-68 declaring a surplus to authorize Jefferson County Property Office to surplus and transfer said equipment to the University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension Office in Jefferson City. Before you question or comment, not hearing any, we'll proceed to vote. We have 17 yes, zero no. It passes. Next resolution 2025-69. A resolution recommending the allocation of opioid abatement grant funds as submitted by the opioid task force of Jefferson County for the 2026 calendar year. Disimbursement of grant funding is before you.

Question or comment? Not hearing any. We'll proceed to vote. Last, we have announcements. I have David Seal on announcements about Nashville. Is David with us, sir?

Come to the podium. Y'all arrived on a very special night. I promise to keep you all informed on the legislation, the real estate, real estate tax legislation to bring us a million dollars a year if we get it passed. And I'm keeping with that promise to keep you all informed. I started contacting legislators in June to formulate a strategy to get this legislation enacted. Most of my activity over the past few months has been pursuant to their advice. This includes advice from the bill sponsors, Mr. Pat Marsh and Senator Jack Johnson. In addition to the co-sponsors that were added recently, we've had several legislators reach out to the governor and state funding board with letters of support at my request. Remember from last month, I said the easiest pathway to getting this thing passed is to convince the governor to put it in his uh fiscal year budget that's coming up. And we're working on that. I've continued with the legislators that I work with on a regular basis asking for those letters of support. So far, the following legislators have written persuasive letters to the governor and state funding board. Representative Elaine Davis in Knoxville. Representative Rick Eldridge Morristown. Representative Bud Hall at Kingsport. Senator Rusty Crow Johnson City. Representative Monty Fritz Kingston. Senator Tom Hatcher in Blunt County. And today, Representative Andrew Farmer from Sevirville wrote his letter. Previously, Senator Jesse Seal of Tazville addressed the Senate Budget Committee Chairman. There's letters pending and there's four of them and I've spoken either with these representatives or their staff. Representative Iris Ruer, Winchester, Senator Steve Sutherland, Morristown, Senator London Lamar in Memphis,

Representative Susan Lynn in Mount Juliet. There are several grassroots organizations I've recruited to help with this. Obviously, one is Empowered Jefferson I've spoken about so often. The other is Tennessee Constitutional Grassroots Coalition. They represent 28 counties and 24,000 followers. The Beacon Center is reviewing it at my request. Publicity is being provided by the Tennessee Conservative News and the Jefferson County Post. And I would ask you to pray that I pass my training test on January 1st. That's all unless anybody has any questions. Any questions? Question or comment. Not hearing any.

This concludes our business tonight. I can say merry Christmas and we' entertain a motion to adjourn. It just is.