County Commission - Regular Meeting

without signing. [Music] One more zone.

Put it on the bar. Soon as they get get the gears turning,

tell everybody hit. Commissioners, hit present. Commissioners, hit your present button,

Miss Janet. Yes, sir.

One, that's Terry, right? Okay. You ready? I'm ready. I will call to order the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners regular session meeting. Jefferson County courtroom. Mr. Clerk. 19 members present, two absent.

We have 19 present, two absent. We will move right along to everyone please stand for the prayer led by Mr. Joe Coleman and remain standing for the pledge led by Mr. Sammy Salman. world's situation today. Thank you, God. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. This is what they call the youth group. Is that the youth group? Youth leadership.

Youth leadership. I'd like to thank everyone for coming out this evening. I'd like to recognize the youth leadership. Are they with us tonight? Please stand up. Thank you for coming. Next on the agenda, we have uh proclamations and courtesy resolutions is uh sponsored by Rob Leven, Marcus Reed, and Jim Snogers is u Melissa Murray here. I have not seen her. I tried to contact the 911.

All right. Well, we will just move this to the next month's meeting. If that pleases the sponsors, we have no public hearings, approval, and corrections to the agenda. Does anybody have anything to add or delete? Not hearing any. We'll move right along. Consent into approval of the minutes. approve the agenda.

Oh, we we need to uh approve the agenda. I'm sorry. We have 19 yes zero no to approve the agenda. Next, we have before you the approval of the minutes. Have a motion in a second. 190. Next we have approval of citizens. First up, would you please when I call your name to come up to the podium and state your name and address and you have three minutes. Josh Clark, would you please come to the podium? And next it'll be Linda Mcmith. So, my name is Josh Clark. Um I am here on behalf of the Lake Haven um Cabin Owners Association. Um, and I want to just thank the board of commissioners for their continued support of our resort. We um acquired that land in 2018, received our preliminary um approval for from you for 250 cabins on that site. Um to date, we've got 143 platted lots. We have completed our private sewer utility and a private

water utility, both statelicicensed um that can accommodate um all 143 of those lots. We've built cabins on four uh 52 of those lots and um are actively and we are short-term rental only. So, um I'm here um this evening to just um you know uh listen to um the commissioners as you approach how you approach this the latest um version of the um regulations for um monitoring short-term rentals, licensing, permitting short-term rentals. Um, you know, to date we have uh invested a lot of time and energy um on the business side of things and the county's just been great to us uh on the government municipality side of things providing us clear direction guard rails so we can understand um what it is to be a good citizen uh what the county desires from us. I'm pretty proud of the um revenues that we've had a part in creating and contributing to the county and look to see that continue. Um I was able to just review um um I do want to just thank Janet and Katie specifically and Mayor Pototts. I've been a part of um quite a few just been able to attend and observe quite a few of the special planning meetings um as they've worked really hard to hear all the stakeholders. I was a pastor for about 15 years so I understand what it is to have lots of different stakeholders and try to create policy governance that can provide clear direction for that. Um, I think tonight is maybe the first reading of that of the policy as it exists and we'll just continue to ask for um clear guard

rails, clear direction and understanding. You know, we started this project back in 2018. And so I like to say as a developer, we're planting trees, not grass. And so probably the most challenging thing for me is when there's ambiguity and uncertainty because the decisions I make today um really we're not co CO in a cabin for 12 to 14 months on some of our larger cabins. And so um as things change, we really do need to just understand what those changes are and how those may impact us moving forward. So I just wanted to state that say I appreciate you guys and look forward to the rest of the evening. And thank you, sir. Next, we have Linda Mcmith. And on deck, we have Jason Martin.

Linda Mcmith, 3766 Island View Road, Severeville. Parrot. I live in Parrots Chapel. I'm not representing Parrots Chapel tonight. Um, I want to thank you guys for a lot of the work you do and making a lot of progress in moving towards more frequent meetings, working on communication. I'd like to still see some additional things. Getting the packets posted so that we have the information that we can review before the meetings so we can address in our three minutes what is important to us and be able to voice our thoughts and ideas. Um, also want to look at the short-term rentals. You know, this has been one of the things I've been out there and about. I am on our fire department um as a volunteer and I'm on there from an administrative role and I do still have some concerns and part of them relate to the um first of all addressing the HOAs. There are some HOAs that are not addressed in the document. So, making sure that they address whether they have an HOA within the application process and are they including a copy of their HOA guidelines within that so that you can see whether or not they are allowed within that um HOA. Secondly, looking at um addressing a little bit more on complaints. I know previously we had a little bit more verbiage about complaints. Here it just says how they'll be reported and what would happen if you file a false

complaint. So going in a little bit more on what triggers a little bit more movement or anything else or triggers any kind of activity as it would relate to complaints. Also, I'd like to bring up the concerns with Jefferson County Elementary. Um, there when is it really going to start? Have we started? There's been no communication back from the commission. We've not had anybody speak from the school system, give an update. So, where are we? Can we have regular updates at the meetings so that we know what is happening rather than being blindsided like we were last year? Also, why is there such a delay? Did we anticipate the delay or is this something that is just happening? And why did the parents have to go out and clean up the existing landscaping before school started? Is that done at all schools or how does that normally work? Because that, you know, when that gets put out there, that is a little alarming to me that you're asking this the parents to come out and clean up the grounds of the school for their kids to attend. So, just making sure that we're doing what we're supposed to be doing and being held accountable, the school systems and our county government, and working on our communications back to us. Thank you. Next we have Jason Martin and then Kesley Tucker. Hey guys, Jason Martin, Lakeshore Drive, Dandridge. I don't really have much to say. I think the U copy that I received for the short-term rental is not up to date. So

I can't really speak intelligently on u what's current. um which that in itself kind of seems to be a problem. Uh but anyway, um I would like you to consider uh this ordinance and and create something that is like was said very clear and defined for both sides of the party. Uh we had some great meetings on both sides of the aisles. I think we worked well together uh trying to draft something up and um but again, I don't want to do anything quickly. I want to do it right and uh if we could just look into it, make sure everything is proper um for both sides. Thanks.

Thank you, sir. Next we got Kesley Tucker. Then we have Rhett Bowling. You'd be next.

Kesley Tucker, uh Lake Shore Drive, Dandridge, Tennessee. Um, we actually own several short-term rentals both in Dandridge City, which already has an ordinance, and we have two that are out in the county. But I own Mountain Lake Getaways, which is a vacation rental management company here in Dandridge. All the properties that I manage are in have a Dandridge mailing address and are within Jefferson County. Two are in the city and they're already under the city ordinance. The others are all in the county. Um, a lot of the things that are in the ordinance, you can clearly tell, were written and compiled by people who do not know how short-term rentals operate. And so, that's an issue because it's hard to be compliant with a lot of the things that are in there because some of the things that you all have as regulations actually don't work in the real world. And so that's an issue. Um there are things that are just way too vague. And um I know that the committee that had met on this since like LA maybe last November, I was at most of those meetings. Sometimes we were meeting weekly. Um, and like like Jason said, we were going back and forth with people on the other side of the aisle trying to come up with something that was going to work for everybody, making sure that things are safe, things are reported correctly, taxes are paid, things like that. Um, one of the things that's very vague in this is on the uh business license for the short-term rental. So, nothing is mentioned about what if they are managed by a professional management company. Does that individual property still have to have its own individual propert uh business license? Because I would assume that the management company's license would be the umbrella over those rentals. Most people who have professional management companies know nothing about

operating or managing a short-term rental. That's why they have a professional management company. And a lot of the things that are in here for compliance and even the documentation and the requirements in doing the permit or that are even has to be done before the permit. They're going to have no clue. Absolutely no clue. It's very encumbers encumbering what you all have put together. It's going to be terrifying to them. Um it is um not very friendly for property rights at all and um I think there's there's a better way to do things and this like we said this is a first draft. I still haven't seen it because I was directed to the uh packet for tonight and what was on there is not what the newest version is. So it's changed multiple times since you all voted on it at the committee level. So this is a a first time being brought before the full commission and to everybody here and I don't even have a copy still. So that that's an issue too. It's hard for us to be able to um communicate intelligently with you all when we don't have accurate information. And that's how a lot of the things in what's written that I have seen is it's a problem because it's very very vague in a lot of areas. Um, even the grandfathered in stuff, it's like it doesn't even mean anything when you read what I saw. So, we need some clear guidelines as to what is grandfathered. What does it mean?

Thank you. Next, we have Rhett Bowling. Yeah, thank you, sir. On deck is James Nolan.

Yes, my name is Rhett Bowling. I'm one of the co-owners of uh Cowboys Smoky Mountain Lakeside Resort Marina. Now, uh I don't I think I met Josh one time before at one of these meetings. Uh said hi to him, but I feel a lot the same as him. I even sent some messages back and forth recently with Frank. Everybody since we acquired that property in 2020 has been nothing but great to us. Everything we've pretty much have asked for, I think everything we've asked for has been within reason. Uh everybody has worked with us and helped us out and we're very proud of kind of what we've done there over the last four or five years. One of the first things we did when we got there was we went to the state legislature. They deemed it a resort of historical distinction in the state of Tennessee, which we're proud to have there as well. And and kind of like what Josh said, mine's more about clarity. Every one of us in here who are maybe in what's considered STR industry have probably different questions because we go about it a different way. I don't have any houses that are in different neighborhoods or throughout town. All of my uh short-term rentals are right there on on Cowboys property. Six of those is a hotel unit, right? So those that hotel was probably built there long before I was born and maybe about the time my mom was born. It's been it may have been the first hotel in the county. I don't know. But so six of the 10 that are there are hotel rooms. Did they get treated like a hotel? Do they get treated like Airbnbs? I have to advertise them on an Airbnb website, but they were a hotel. I just changed the name because I didn't think a six-unit hotel really fit very well uh when we were naming everything. Uh, so I I just got a few more examples like that because to me it's all about clarity and I know there's people who want these things to be expedited, but when the goalposts get moved, there's a lot of money at stake. I probably don't have near invested what Josh does just by hearing the scope of what he's doing. But we're talking about things were created with a P&L working in a certain way to make ends meet. And when you move the goalpost and you got to try to figure out, can you still win the game

with the goalpost moved? Um, another example like uh just a couple of more and I'll take my time real quick. Uh, at the top and again I also have the old copy. I don't have the one that was that I should have had tonight. I apologize for that. Maybe that's on me for not being more pursuant to that. But there's a part of the one that I do have. It says residential units include except and there's a line with nothing in the exception. Well, what could fall on that exception? Then there's a place and it said should this include campgrounds or not? There's a lot of campsites that are rented throughout this county. What are you going to do with them? Why would the campsite that's rented for $100 a night by the lake be treated different than a cabin that's by the lake? I don't know if it should. So, those are the ambiguities that have to get out. And here's another big one for me. I've been working with Matt on your health department. Uh we're looking to put in a $180,000 pool there for our guest uh that we worked through Matt and the health department to get in. Got the loan coming through in the next uh probably 7 to 10 days. The statute says for STRs, which I think I would technically fall into that, you can have no cameras pointing towards a pool. And I understand why in an individual world. I get that. This is about where do I fall because you look up the state statute in the state of Tennessee and in reasonable areas that are expected by the public around the pool, a resort can have a camera by the pool. So, does that mean you Everybody could say, "Well, we'll figure that out. That's that's just common sense." when you're dealing with things that aren't in writing in government sometimes it ain't always common sense and these are the reasons and I know so it's been like a year or two I've only been to this game for a little while with you it's just got to be done right because these little things are out there and I just don't want to see people get hurt and I apologize for the extra 20 seconds or so thank you

thank you sir James Nolan you're next up we have Marian Knight James Nolan 714 McGuire Road New Market Tennessee I'm here to recommend that the county does not purchase that more property because it's approximately $2 million and you guys have sat here for months and months complaining to the taxpayers they can't make the budget and stuff and you've raised the wheel taxes, you raised the property tax several times. So, I think if that was purchased by the county, that's a direct slap in the face to the taxpayers. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Bury a night.

James Lance, you're next.

Marian Knight Dandridge. At last month's meeting, the possibility of purchasing a large lot of land for future use came up and commissioners seemed excited. Then we heard the cost of the property. Um, after Mr. Seal had been grilled in the name of fiscal responsibility for his lobbying cost of $25,000, it appeared that the commission was willing to spend $1,750,000 for this land with very little discussion. Then last week, I attended a presentation by the Dandridge fire. He explained that the county used 78% of its services while providing only 26% of its funding. The rest from comes from the town donations and fundraisers. A few days later, I got a request from Jefferson County Rescue Squad for donations to fund its services. Apparently, county funding for this emergency response group is also deficient. From budget discussions, I knew that sheriff's de deputies are paid substantially less than surrounding areas, including cities in our own county. I'm here tonight to ask you to please re-examine your priorities. If you ask residents and tourists what governments should fund, the first response would likely be public safety. Purchase of land for future use might never be mentioned. Every year during budget discussions, it seems that the county is balancing its budget on the backs of its employees and does not value public safety enough to fund it. So, please prioritize public safety. Start funding public safety groups fully and start planning to make our county salaries competitive, especially law enforcement.

If this means you must institute a mining tax, a short-term rental tax, some other tax, or even higher property taxes, so be it. You can always create exemptions for those who cannot afford to pay. Public safety departments should not have to beg for funds. You could even lobby to add the use of hotel motel taxes to fund strictly fire, emergency medical, and law enforcement. After all, tourists have to be safe, too. While it's tempting to purchase land, please refrain from doing so until critical services are fully funded and employees are paid equitably. Thank you. And I mean no disrespect to anyone and um I also support the grinder. Thanks.

Thank you. Next we have James Lance. And on deck we have Mr. Bryant.

Good evening Jefferson County Commissioners. My name is James Lance. I'm a 27year veteran of the US Armed Forces residing at 2246 Peninsula Drive, Jefferson City, Tennessee. I'm here on behalf of the citizens of Davu Acres. I want to address this commission on two issues. First, I request the commission approve the short-term rental revenue tax resolution on tonight's agenda. This resolution will add another additional source of operating revenue for the county conference. This tax will be borne by individuals, a significant number of whom do not even reside in our county. The short-term rental owners will undoubtedly pass along any tax you impose to their clients. Secondly, with regard to the budget and expenditures, I asked this commission, "What are you doing?" During last month's county commission meeting, the budget committee debated for the majority of their meeting regarding spending $25,000 to pay for our own lobbyist, someone who is willing to work with state legislators in order to protect and promote Jefferson County interests. This appears to be a prudent use of Jefferson County constituents taxpayer dollars. In contrast, there was a motion to spend $1.75 million to purchase property adjacent to the county landfill. It appeared this was first heard from many of the county commissioners, not to mention all of the constituents in attendance during that meeting. I commend Commissioner Snrass for requesting the commission table this motion until all commissioners could obtain additional information on proposed transaction. Furthermore, I'm deeply concerned regarding how this motion was initiated. In fact, during the past two years, numerous concerned citizens have addressed this commission regarding the county's seemingly wanting spending problem. The proposed significant $1.75 million expenditure of hard-earned taxpayer

dollars further reinforces my long-standing position that this commission does not have a strategic plan to develop Jefferson County. Subsequently, I'm requesting commission do the following three things. Number one, request our commissioners redouble their efforts to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars. Number two, do the work necessary to develop a five-year strategic plan with the associated fiscal guidance to the county departments. and number three, improve the level of transparency in our local government, especially with regard to expenditures and other budgetary issues. Thank you.

Next, we have Benson Bryant and Jim Fox. You're next.

My name is Benson Bryant. I live in at Angie Lane in in Dandridge. Um I'm here to discuss something very basic clear agenda descriptions. You know, as Jim just discussed and various people have discussed last month, this is the the biggest glaring example of what I'm talking about. Last month on the agenda, I I don't even know if it said more property. It just it just all of a sudden we were talking about $1.7 million for uh 86 acres of property adjacent to the to the landfill. Come to find out, you know, you would think that this is going to be for a landfill, but they're going to use uh uh money from um I'm sorry,

hotel. Well, yeah, the hotel motel tax, tourism, and and economic development. I still can't I don't understand how a county a government agency is in land development. I mean, I don't know why taxpayer money should be spent on on land development and why can't the you know, the owner can't how come the county can't just reszone it for that owner and they can develop it? I don't I I don't understand. Maybe I'm all for small government. I'm not for big I don't understand why a government would even purchase property unless it's for safety. you know, I know the hospital or you fire stations or, you know, government build, but but but you know, economic development, I I don't know how that falls under a county um jurisdiction, but anyway, so again, last month, who knows where this and and like you said, fortunately, Jim Snodgrass tabled it or else, you know, it appeared like there was going to be a vote on it. I mean, and nobody I'm not sure if any of these I certainly didn't know and I've talked to various different commissioners since then. They had no idea what it was truly about. But I don't I still don't think we do. And and and again to the my point here's today's agenda and all it is on old business tabled more property. That's what the that's what our citizens that's what I have to go by. You know that's all I have to go by. So how can I get up here and discuss what's going on with that or form an opinion when all that's shown to me is more property under old business on line 14. So, I've been working with I've been talking to her name's Carrie Dixon. She puts out these agendas. She is greatly improving things. I mean, I know that you guys got your packets early or earlier than normal, almost 8 days ahead of time. That's great. Sounds like they're, you know, um there's certain things that are, you know, the the the uh the budget committee's uh packet was is online. So, so the public can see that. That's that's a great improvement. Those, you know, that's transparency.

Um, so those are those are good things. So I'll get to my point very quickly. Um, so right, uh, we need to have better descriptions for agendas. They need to be more clear. Uh, Tennessee code 8-44110 requires that agendas published at least 48 hours before the meeting and they must reasonably describe the matters to be deliberated or acted on. And that's the that's what we need going forward. for for you and for the citizens. Thank you. Next we have Jim Fox. And last we have Kathleen Villers. You're up next to last. Good evening. I'm trying to keep this just a little short. Jim Fox, Abalene Trail, Dandridge. Uh some two and a half years ago, I saw the need for short-term rental regulations to be implemented in Jeff County to set health and safety standards for the rentals and to ease the conflicts between the rental owners and the neighborhoods. I also believe that if you present a problem, uh you should be willing and have a solution for it as well. So instead of just complaining about the situation, I as a private citizen set out on a journey to fulfill the need. I did a ton of research for short-term rentals, not only locally, statewide, nationally, and even internationally. Along the way, I enlisted the help of several citizens with other citizens volunteering to help out as well. Then we as a group engaged the help of several commissioners, most of the if not all the department heads and even the mayor. So, and I would like to thank everybody, but it' probably take me 10 minutes to thank everybody individually. Um, the result of that work sits before you tonight as a short-term rental

resolution that will accomplish the goals that were set at the beginning of this journey. Members of the commission are already talking about a property tax increase next fiscal year. Even though we're less than two months into the current budget, the short-term rental resolution has the potential to generate large additional revenue to the county, possibly solving potentially solving the property tax issue for the foreseeable future. uh in response to a couple comments that were made here. Uh this does not interfere with property rights. You still have the right to choose whether you not whether or not you want to have a residential dwelling or rent it out. If you rent it out as as a commercial business, you're subject to a higher standard and that's what this is aims to do. Secondly, CASS says uh that this is the most detailed doc uh short-term rental document they've ever seen. So, uh so there's been a lot of effort put into it, show showing a lot of effort been put into it. I asked the committee to pro to approve his resolution. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, Miss Kathleen Villers. Good evening, Kathleen Billers, 2202 Arrowhead Drive, Dandridge. I'm here on behalf of my husband, William Billers, and myself, and it is in regard to short-term rentals. I would ask the commissioners to please vote yes for the short-term rental resolution. A couple of key summary and pieces of information as to why. Um, prior to that, again, a thank you also to the commissioners who've worked very hard on this and also citizens. It's been a collective effort. And the result of such is a resolution before you that I think really represents a compilation of best practices and very, very good approach for the county. Why is it important we pass the short-term rental resolution? because there's already estimated to be at least a thousand short-term rentals in the county and that number is expected to increase. We see neighboring counties like Sevilla with already 8,000 short-term rentals. And why is it important? Because some of the key reasons um if we look at the permitting and procedures, we need guidelines on occupancy limits so we don't have 20 people occupying a unit maybe suited for six. Annual inspections need to be conducted. Parking considerations need to be also considered so we don't have streets blocked or fire um say trucks not being able to get through. And additionally, health and safety issues need to be considered. Not only the fire prevention measures, but also things such as pool and uh t hot tub

safety or privacy so that there aren't cameras invading on people's privacy. There are risks of not passing. One could be exposure of the county to legal liability issues if something serious does happen. There could also be the decline of neighborhoods, housing availability, but also loss of revenue. There have been some estimates and conservatively um this resolution, as Mr. Jim Fox pointed out, is um really looking to bring some significant monies into the county. Starting with maybe conservatively a low estimate of 2.9 million per year, middle estimate of 4.3, a high estimate of 6.2 million per year. That would be significant to our county to bring in much needed revenue. But all in all, I think we need to please pass this resolution. It puts our county on a level playing field. Many other counties have a short-term rental resolution and it provides for a fair um approach to asssuring short-term rentals are handled in a safe manner but also equitable to our county. Thank you.

Thank you. Next on the agenda, we have approval of notaries and bonds. Uh Frank, do you have anything to add? I'd like to add the names of James Hall, Mark Snowden, Joshua Johnston, and Jane Brodskco if it pleases the commission. Question or comment? Not hearing any. Proceed to vote. Pass 190. Next, we have County Mayor Mark Pototts. There's a letter in your packet. letter in the packet. Thank you, sir. The

finance director and I both got it from

Next, we have chairman's comments. And I'd like to take a moment from the chair and explain something that a lot of you have got concerns about that hasn't been uh properly explained yet. In the last meeting, the discussion did not open up is the use of the hotel motel tax. Most people do not understand how this money can be spent. And I want everybody to go home tonight understanding that the hotel motel tax can only be spent for two things. We collect this tax, but it can only be spent for entertainment and economic development. That's the only two things. You can't buy patrol cars. You can't buy ambulances. This money could not be spent and it is regulated by the state of Tennessee. We currently have Jesse what 2.2 million right now in the bank that we can only spend for two things. There's another million dollars in economic development for a business park or whatever. But this money cannot be put into a budget. Let me reiterate that. It cannot be spent for daytoday expense. I want everybody tonight to understand that before we go home. It's economic development or entertainment. This body can choose to spend it for them two things. And all the misconceptions on I've read it all on Facebook. And that's why tonight chairman's comment is let's get the facts straight. Facebook sometimes is right, most of the time wrong. So, let's get this right. And that's all I have right now from the chair.

Next, we Next we have Miss Nancy. You want to speak? I do. Go right ahead.

Okay. I wanted to address the short-term rental. Uh, apparently there's been some confusion. Several people have asked me about it. uh the short-term rentals that we can tax commercially are on the tax roll. Um there's a lot of I have to follow state law. Now, I haven't seen your latest regulations. Don't know what they are, but I just wanted to make uh some points clear. If you own a home and you have a garage with an apartment over it to the side of your house on your re uh on your residential property and you put it on a short-term rental program, it cannot be taxed commercially. Only residentially. If you have a guest house in your backyard, it cannot be taxed commercially. or an apartment on your barn or uh if as long as you have one rental unit on your primary residence property, I cannot tax it commercially um regardless of how often it's rented out. Now, I have checked this with our county uh attorney and also with Seas. And then the other thing is uh we have a lot of homes around the lake uh that are second homes um summer homes and they rent them out pretty much all year, but all they have to do to avoid a commercial tax is to file an affidavit in my office saying that they stay there two weeks out of the year and it cannot be taxed commercially. Um, a lot of people only own Now, if you own more than one house, the game changes, but if you only have one summer home and as far as the campers, campers have been put on the tax roll this year. Uh, we haven't got the all of them on. We have got anything that is three or more on any individual piece of property. Those are owned as residential properties. Now, if you have um some property on the lake and you have three or more campers

on that piece of property, it is considered commercial, the land and the campers. So, I just wanted to make that clear that there's a there's a lot of loopholes in being able to tax um over u short-term rentals commercially. Anybody have any questions? Question or comment for Miss Susan? Yes. I'd like to ask you, this is not short-term rental, okay? I want you to help explain to people have been asking me about retired people. Mhm. Helping them with their property taxes. Okay.

What what we have in place already for the county. I know the state has in place. I want you to explain what we do in account for that, please.

Okay. When the uh tax freeze initially came up, um the trustee and I at that time, Ginger Franklin, attended several meetings on this and it was going to be it is pretty complicated and I was going to have to have a new employee. She was going to have to have a new employee and there's a lot of regulations on it. It's only five acres and if you come off one year or up to five acres. If you come off one year because you don't meet the financial guidelines set by the state, then your property goes up to market value and you start all over again the following year. So, the county came up with a plan to um just match whatever the state gave an individual person. And I think that's worked out really well. I've got some figures here.

Um the shortterm or short term um the tax relief or the tax freeze only works in areas where the tax rate goes up significantly every year. If we had implemented the tax freeze between 2014 and 2019, the tax rate didn't increase at all. It stayed at 235. So, if you were on tax freeze, it would have done you no good at all. Whereas, if you got a $100 from the state and the county matched it, you would have gotten an additional $100 toward your taxes all four all five of those years. Then from 2019 to 2022, again, the tax rate did not increase. So, you wouldn't have received any benefit. Even if the tax rate does increase, I did some figures on a $300,000 home. If you implemented the tax freeze right now on a $300,000 home at the current 149, the taxes would be county taxes would be $1,118. If you went up next year a dime, the taxes would be $1,193 and $75 difference. So, with the county matching whatever the state provides in most cases roughly $100, then they would still be better off because that would only um save them $75 whereas if the county was giving them $100, they're still to the good. So, I think that the system that we have now works great as meeting those needs.

Mr. Sners, that was awesome. I learned a lot there. I had a question, a what if question. Okay. So, I live on one side of White Pine and let's say I purchase a house over in Lead Bell on the lake. Mhm. And I wanted to make it a short-term rental. This but I stay there two weeks out of the year. Does that make me exempt? That's my understanding. Okay. Now, if you have two houses over there, obviously you're not you can't do that. It's my understanding of the state law and Melissa, I think Doug's here. If you had more to add to it, she's correct.

Doug, come to the microphone, please. And answer. Thank you. She's correct. Um everything she said about the the taxes and uh the comproller, I think that took 2021. Yes. uh with respect to making I don't want to necessarily call it a loophole but there's clearly a very very specific one two three step to figure out whether or not you're you can be taxed as commercial residential thank you anyone else have a question for Susan first I want to thank you for coming tonight speaking

you're welcome several people ask me one of the things I was trying to appcate Oh, you're welcome. Now, the the trustes office is where you actually uh apply for tax relief and the um income limit is provided by the state. So, thank you ma'am. Next, we have Eric Large sanitation question. Can I mention something about program right now? Sure. That's what we're talking about.

Tax relief program that covers veterans, fully disabled veterans at 100%. Microphone, please. Oh, I got double.

I thought I was loud enough. Anyway, I'd just like to mention that the tax relief program presently in place is uh running out of money. It's running out of money for senior citizens on a fixed income. It's running out of money for veterans who are disabled. uh from what I have understood and by talking to uh our state senator's office and I got feedback from uh the controller. If we do not fully fund that, if the legislature does not fully fund that this coming year, the next year after it will be prrated and it will start all over again for disabled veteran or for senior citizens where they have to apply and they'll have to pay their taxes up front and this and the county does match uh with that program. Uh I have got a resolution in the process to go to the governor, go to the legislature and ask the legislature to fully fund this program for the senior citizens and for the veterans. So keep that in mind if you see it in the news, if you talk to your representative that we need to make sure that we still take care of the senior citizens and the disabled veterans in the state of Tennessee. We are the volunteer state. Sometimes we lose that fact. There is a difference between what a veteran gets and what a uh senior citizen gets. But there are some different views, points of views that go around. And always when we have a point of view, some people may take it the wrong way. But first of all, we should always discuss things professionally and respectfully. And

thank you for listening to me. Thank you, Mr. Eric.

Last week or last month, you all as a body and also with the budget committee asked uh when I had made mention of a shredder, grinder, however you want to approach it to come back with some prices. I've reached out reached out to three companies. Two companies got back to me. Um, one of them is for a tona uh through Humdinger Equipment is a 25 model. Uh, this is just the shredder grinder is 1.113 million. The uh that that's the 25. Now the 26 is 1.2 million. That price does not include a t 20% tariff that would be added. They do have some leftovers. The other company, Viable, which is a Compton shredder. U all these uh are compatible to the these two are compatible to each other with the quote that they give me for the shredder and one, two, three, four conveyor belts was 1,356, 1960. Now with that being said, I have taken and sectioned out uh the shredder, the magnet and one conveyor belt, which that total comes to $1,575 $57,320. U on that first figure, we had a total discount of $185,000 towards the purchase of this record. This company here deals with a source well contract that the the county deals with. Like I say, the other company has not they they didn't bother to get back to me. The third one I reached out to. I did go to Hamlin County. Looked at Hamlin County. Hamlin County has a ton of they've had it for about three years now. Uh they run everything through theirs. They run wood, uh, CND, which is, uh, sheetrock, couches, chairs, you

know, small things like that, mattresses, everything. They get their metal out of it. Whatever comes out of it gets kicked off. So, that's a byproduct. with a shredder if we were able to purchase one or or have one roughly um on a regular basis. And this is just a minimum price. Our tires, we pay a company to pick up our tires in Jersey County and haul them out of Jur County because we cannot put a complete tire a tire that is all together in in our landfield. It has to go outside. So on a regular basis, we pay a minimum of $3,000 um towards that for this company. Now, with that being said, we have a overage charge. If we're over a a certain tonnage, we get charged extra. If we're under a certain tonnage, we get charged extra for them to take our tires with a shredder. Those tires could be shredded and put into class three. That saves us. Uh we're still saving space because essentially we're cutting a we're cutting our our spot in half which is doubling our lifetime. Uh with the tires uh Miss Elder and I had kind of sat down. We we come up I think Jesse said earlier three six years would pay for this machine counting the expense of saving you know not getting rid of our tires, not paying somebody to get rid of our tires. uh they will be picking up another load of tires here within the week. That'll be number six since I have taken over that we've sent out. And we've got I can guesstimate about three more loads to go. So there's another, you know, another $9,000 that we could be saving on all that

question or comment for Mr. Large. Can we get the screen working for questions? Can we do we have that function available? That's one. That's a we could. Yes. Request to speak. Um if we can I'm sorry. Got to be a voting item. Okay. So, Eric, um if you grind I heard you say double life. Is that the entire landfill life?

No. This grinder would be if if we purchased this grinder first, it would go to class three. So it would be everything CND, construction and development and stuff like that. So if you if uh if anybody was to bring couches, chairs, sheetrock, any type of big plastic item, stuff like that, that's what would go through this grinder. Okay. And how long will that extend our current class three areas or what does it do? We could essentially extend it out with that and it being compacted. I could see it being extended 80 years. 80. Yeah, because you know we we purchased that land uh last year, right?

There's just certain sections of that land we can't use because there's that gas line there. But the rest of it and what we have now, you know, I I can see it going 80 years. I'll never I will never see it full. Class one or class three, I'll never see it full. And what does that um is that our largest consumer of the landfill? No, it's really about it's about 50/50 between C and D and and residential. Okay. Yeah, we're and this this machine can be purchased to do residential trash, too. And you're talking about you're talking about cutting that double in that space again. You'd be cutting in half. So, you'd be essentially you'd be doubling your space in residential. So, we move beyond the 80year mark roughly.

We could. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I could see I could see it reaching reaching well out for if it if you had two going in each spot, there's no reason there's no reason to not make a 100 years. We have class one, we have space. Class three, we've got that 66 acres. So, like I said, there's just there's a 50 or 75 ft rideway through there that we can't use that we have to build a land bridge over. That's the only thing. But other than that, it's it's ours to use. Good. Thank you. I think you saw the one in Marstown.

What was the price next? Quoted about three different

The one the one in Hamlin County if it's a 25 model is uh 1,113,000. And that's now that's just for the machine. They didn't offer these other conveyors that this other company did. uh and they just put that as a this other company just put those uh conveyors in as a complete bid. We necessarily wouldn't have to buy them. It would make us it would make uh things a little bit easier. That way you're not moving the machine. It's a track machine. It can be moved. The conveyor is a track conveyor. It's self-powered. You would move it versus moving your your machine. And it that price on this one uh Mr. Patterson was just the machines $876,920. Regular price is 9 uh 9996,550 and we get a 12% discount on that. That's and that's through our source agreement that we have.

Are you good, Jimmy Dale? Yeah, I'm good. All right. Next, we have Randy Bales and then we have Janet Norton. I believe you said earlier that uh if I remember correctly that in Morristown or Hamlin County they were actually digging up some of the stuff that they had buried because it was so efficient and it's taking up producing what they actually have already used in the thing. Yes, they're they're they're digging back out of their class 34 that they've not covered.

I'll give you a prime example. While we were there, they run mattresses, uh tree trunks, logs. We wouldn't be running logs through it. Uh the three mattresses I seen were either king size or queen size. They were all the same size. They wasn't full or anything like that. Uh if you remember the older wheelbarers that's got the two big wheels on it that's got the the back handle that's woodsided. After they got done and the metal come out one way, all the inards and stuff and come out the other way. You can put all three mattresses in that wheelbar and go wherever you wanted with it. So that's that's essentially how much space. And plus with that once it's shredded, we're going to be compacting that. So, it's not like it's going to be just shredded and just kind of pushed out there. It'll be leveled out and then it will be compacted.

And I also earlier asked Jimmy about it. I believe that would have to come out of your office funds or paid for out of the revenue that y'all bring in. Is that correct? That's that's the way that's be taxpayer dollars. It would be something that would benefit us that would come through your Yeah. department. Unless you just want to say, "Hey, we we'll buy it for you." [Laughter] What's the life of those of the machine? Both both companies said 10 to 12 years. It just depend on how much you run them. If they, you know, if they'll run every day and whatnot and I wouldn't for say right now, if we had one, I wouldn't see it running every day, maybe three days a week, all day long. So,

okay, Miss Jan, I I think they kind of answered my question because that's what I was thinking. Microphone, please. Well, it's actually on. Is that better? There we go. Um, I was just that question. How pay for it? Because that's what we keep coming up against in county commission. We've got this money over here, but you can't touch it. We've got this money over here and we can't use that. You know, how how do we pay for it? It kind of sounds like a no-brainer to me. We buy more land and pour more trash on it, or we buy this grander grinder for a million dollars and free up that land. I mean, it just seems like a no-brainer. what it's going to come down to. It's how you pay for it.

I thought I had a way to pay for it. Uh there's a Miss Elder sent a grant to me. I looked at it. Uh this grant would have paid out $27 million. Federal government has piled that grant because one set the first part of it was a loan grant. The second of it was a 100% here's your money. But the federal government has decided that they're pausing that grant. So I thought I had I thought I had a but we don't. So do you all have enough money and I don't know enough money in your fund to pay for any of it? I mean

we do. But one thing we have to remember is if the landfield ever closes or let's say this body come in and said we're selling the landfield. No matter what, if the landfield closes or if we sold the landfield and they close the landfield for the next 40 years, Jefferson County has to maintain that. That's right. So, they have to be money. There has to be money to take care of that uh closure. And that's not just for the where we're at our facility now. That's also for the old landfield, too. What you got, Jesse?

That's where our deficit comes in on the audit findings. what he's speaking on behalf of the postclosure amounts. It's where we have to adjust it. Um we're right in the middle of year end. We by law we have to be closed by August 29th. So hopefully next month I'll have financial updates for you all. Um, as of right now, I don't want to speak on behalf of their financial because four year end, we weren't looking. I don't think we could purchase this at that point. Um, because we did just bid out um additional work for class 3 closure and, uh, you all approved up to $500,000. So, uh, cash was was not there. So, we'll have to see what year you're in. Um, hopefully next month we'll know more. And um if we know more what he's speaking on the source well contract that means we don't have to bid it out because it's an approved contract that we can purchase off of. So we wouldn't have to spend time and money going through the bidding process at that point. So um hopefully we'll have more update for you next month.

Anyone else? Thank you. Eric

got one more thing before we leave. This body asked last month also about TEC. I am here to tell you Tde will be here to see you September your meeting. This is what TD deck requests from the from today to the 29th. You have to send me an email with two questions from each commissioner to me. Those two those questions I will go through on the 29th after dinner. If there are any that are repetitive, I will not send them to D-D wants questions upfront. And the simple reason TDC don't want to come up here and play games. They want to come and answer your questions that you have. They want to benefit this board to help you guys understand. My board had a sat down in-person meeting with Tekk at our last meeting. They explained so much stuff that the board had not been privy to before. We have a contact at TD Deck. I I told you that last last month. I can talk to him anytime on your behalf. He just requests that everything go through me to him. That's what he requests. That's the reason they're asking for to reply your questions to me. So everybody to the 29th at dinner and then after dinner I'll start going through those questions. So if you will send me from each one of you if you'll send me two questions per commissioner I will go through those if any are repetitive I will not send them to T pay but they do plan on being here in September and they will be uh Mr. Haynes uh should be here Mr. Rabinda should be here. Both of those are in the Knoxville office. They see our permit. They're part of our permitting process. And then there will be another gentleman that comes from Nashville. He will be here as well. So that's that's what they've asked of this body. And they asked the same of our

body at the uh for as far as sanitation board. They asked the same before we met with them because they it's essentially they just don't want to step in and be blindsided by questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the permitting process. Thank you, sir. Next, we have budget committee that Mr. Tam, hold up. Can I ask the director of schools if you'll give an update on

You can. We'll just go ahead and do it right now since we're in director reports. Hello, mayor. Can you just give us an update on elementary?

Sure. Last time I was here before school was out, we talked a little bit about um why you would not see anything this summer uh about abatement not happening and there's no way to go in there and tear stuff out whenever you don't have a drawing to put stuff back yet. So, um, you know, you can't tear out the floor tile and take down the ceilings and pull insulation on piping that's next to the roof. So, we talked about that and then I went over a schedule with you that we would be um in negotiations with the architect who was hired and then we would put out RFP for a construction manager and both of those have occurred. Uh we are under contract with Blankenship and uh we are now under contract with the construction manager Scanska. Um both of those processes went through the board attorney and then through the county attorney for those contract approvals. Um we held a kickoff meeting on August the 4th just to introduce the two parties and um that included the principal of the elementary school construction manager, the architect along with the uh Austin Bridgewater maintenance supervisor and that was just a general discussion for um to get the process going. We talked about that u including schematic design which will be at least a threemonth process for schematic design. That schematic design will be approved by the board and then we will enter into once we have approval of that we will

enter into um design development. That's where it turns from more of a just a piece on piece of paper into a kind of a model. You could see it. Uh then we'll enter into construction documents and then into bid. told you that's a total of on a easy uh seven months at least probably something like this maybe looking more like nine uh months before we actually get the contractor bid out and start construction but we are under contract um Mr. Drenan helped us. Um, it goes to our board attorney first. So, we try to eat some of that cost of attorney fees on the school side and then by rule it has to go to the county attorney for approval.

I have another question. how the PTO at the beginning of the school year goes out and tries to improve the grounds along with the school system because it was brought up in the citizens comment section.

Sure. Sure. Um we have several um well I was at Dan Elementary for 20 years and um PTO was a main source there that came in and did a lot of work. Um Jefferson Middle School um elementary school has had churches that have come out. Um they do sprucing up down at Rush Strong. They did some sprucing up, did some prayer walks uh in the evening. So, one thing about our schools is, sure, we could hire a company to come in and do the work, but it means more for the community to to um for the parents to put into the school. It is a community-based organization. Um, and we we have board members that join them. Um, I joined them for about an hour and a half. It was hot. I couldn't make it too long. That desk job's killed me. So, uh, I can't do it anymore. But, uh, yeah, they do wonderful things. And that's why it is important for the community to be involved in support, whether that's churches or PTOs or uh, Lowe's came in and did a uh, improvement day at Jefferson Elementary School on the wooden playground structure. Also, anyone else question comment

director? Yes, sir. I normally don't go to other district schools. I'm kind of hoping for redistric microphone. Sorry. I had to stop by their PTO meeting earlier on the way up here. It looks so nice in there. They've done a great job. I hope that Rush Strong can model their PTO after New Markets. It look great. So, thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you. They they're really working hard down there. PTO's are all about the the parents that you have and the work they put into it. Um do great things. Yes. One more. Let's do it.

Okay. I just want to thank you because um I've heard people say how nice Dandridge Elementary looks this year and I know they painted the steelwork and the grounds and I've heard different people comment that they think the school from the exterior looks better than it's looked in years. So I just want to say thank you. We try. Thank you sir. Thank you. Next we have budget committee. Uh, all three of these amendments pass.

Yeah. So, your general fund 101 amendment number three is utilizing $10,000 of fund balance. Uh, if you just want a quick reference, that's your item number eight. It's purchasing a new scanner for archives. That's Mr. Wayne volunteering. Um he's he's worked with a scanner. Last one was purchased 2012. Um this new one that we're purchasing, uh he's a bargain shopper and he's only paying $100 more from the one we bought in 2012. So, um this wasn't budgeted because this wasn't planned. We didn't know the scanner was going to go out. It died basically like July 3rd, I'm pretty sure, after budget was approved. So,

right, got a motion on the floor in a second. Question or comment? If not, proceed to vote. Nope, just that one. That that that that's actually a fund balance. If you're real sneaky, you might get the other two together. Tracy

can't be too sneaky. We're using uh reserves on uh the opioid 121 amendment number one. This is because I budgeted for $191,000 to come in. Um we do our budget back in April. The funds came in in May. So I'm adjusting it to we received $195,000. Question or comment. I see no request to speak. Proceed to vote. 190 passed.

Uh drug fund 122 amendment number one. Um they sold equipment on gov deals. It's confiscated vehicles and they're required to keep those funds within this fund. So it's bringing in the revenue. Question or comment? See no request to speak. Proceed to vote. 190. Does that conclude the business of the budget committee? Yeah. All righty. Thank y'all. We're going to take Hold on. The resolution we passed. No, it's um number H under new business. Yes.

Yeah, that'd be new business. We are going to take a very short restroom break and then we're going to get old business and get right on with this. 10 minutes.

back to order. Could everybody take a seat? Quiet down. We are down to old business. This is a tabled matter. So, there'll have to be a motion in a second to unt. What is the pleasure of the commission? Okay, he's got a motion. She need to make a motion. Okay, we have a motion on the floor and a second from the table to the remove from the table. Is there a question or comment to the removal from the table? Not hearing any. Whoa.

Couldn't hit the button quick enough. I have a quick question because this has to do with short-term rentals, right? Yes. and we've got the committee that we've been meeting about short-term rentals and we created a document and thought that we had a good document that was going to be brought before everybody and voted on and then it went before um the attorney and CATAS and the documents been completely rewritten. So, what we're about to vote on tonight, the committee has not approved or voted on. Well,

as soon as we remove it from the table, we can talk about that. Okay. All right. Anyone else? We will proceed to vote. You vote yes if you are from removing from the table. No if you want it left on the table. 16 yes, three no. It will be removed from the table. Now, resolution 2025-06, a resolution of Jefferson County, Tennessee to establish regulations for licing licensing short-term rental units within Jefferson County. The floor is now open for a discussion. Miss

question. Sorry. when it come my understanding is this document when it come back from legal was very different in the aspects of what it covers and how it pertains. That is my understanding. Miss Janet, now you can do your questions. Katie Huffaker will be second.

Okay. Um, we met as a committee and met with people from both sides of the community who were adamantly against short-term rentals and people who it's it's their business and their livelihood and tried to look at what was fair on both sides and trying to cover, you know, rules and regulations so that people's properties were not destroyed that lived around it or were not devalued, but also not putting the people who run them out of business um with additional regulations, etc. I felt like we had a really good document but legally um Mr. Drenin said it didn't didn't fly and it did not come back to the committee. We were not able to look at it again. I think CASS tore into it as well and as a committee we've not seen the document. This is not anything that we voted on or have discussed as a group since it's been changed again and it is entirely different from what we had that we originally voted on. So to in my opinion, I'm ask I don't understand how as a committee if we're supposed to be voting on it and how it got here and this is not what we voted on.

Okay. And uh we just went blank. We are up to Katie Huffaker.

Okay. So to answer your question, Carrie sent out in the original packet what was available at that time and then on Wednesday she sent out the finalized version to all the commissioners um when it came back from Doug. So I just want to back up a bit and say in 2014 there was a fatal fire with multiple victims occurred at this fire in a Tennessee transient rental home. So that's one reason why the state is letting regulations be rules be put in place for short-term rentals and also the fire marshall has um put out a letter regarding it. So the home more people in it than should have and this has happened a lot and so that's why occupancies maximum occupancies have been um brought up in these cities counties ordinances resolutions to prevent that and um to prevent bad bad safety things that could go wrong. So in this document, it has life safety compliance. It has permitting. I would say at least 50% stayed the same. The major changes when it went to Doug, and I'm going to ask him to come up and speak after I do, is we didn't have a codes enforcer on staff, and so he changed the document um where it has to be inspected by a certified state inspector. Um that was a big change in it to what we worked with in our public service committee meetings and I want to thank all the citizens because

we did spend a lot of time citizens have spent a lot of time on both sides. We tried to come up with something that was amaliplicable between all the parties and then we sent it to legal and we um got a great revision um just because there were things we had put in there that we couldn't because county can't regulate some stuff. And I want to thank Doug because he spent a lot of time working on it and did a really extensive job. So, um, a lot most of the permitting information stayed the same. Um, so, uh, the taxes, the parking, the minimum standards, he changed wording on, we had a designated agent. We couldn't use that terminology. So, the whole thing got um those words were removed and representative was put in place. um the video cameras, pets, good neighbor notification, that all stayed the same. The short-term rental representative, the designation and duty stayed the same towards the end of the document. It changed with um permit revocation and appeals. There is one amendment we need to make that was a question was asked from an owner today and so it brought up an issue that we when Doug was revising that that the short-term word definition got removed. So, there's an amendment that everybody received um with wording that he submitted to us today to help remedy that. Um maximum

occupancy changed. It went back to what we started with at the beginning um more so. So, it gives three different types of determining maximum occupancy. ones if you have are on a municipality sewer system, ones if you're on a traditional drain field, lawn, septic, and one's non-traditional. Um, so if it's okay, can I ask Doug to come up and talk about it?

I'll allow it. But next, we got Randy Bales and Tim Seals wants to make a comment. Mr. Drenham, would you please come to the podium

question? Katie, I just I just wanted you to summarize what we had documented that we couldn't have in there and address concerns about the changes.

I'll do my best. um in the initial document of course when it came from committee was as I said extensive and they've done a lot of work on it. I I believe before my time before I got to look at it the county technical advisory service had looked at it and had made a number of comments about things the county simply could not enforce. Um and then as they always do, they said let your county lawyer look at it too. And I went through it. I agreed with just about everything that they had suggested. Um, just to do a general summary. Um, for instance, the Tennessee State Fire Marshall has exclusive preempt jurisdiction to enforce something such as whether or not a structure needs a sprinkler system. The county doesn't. The county can enforce that. The county doesn't have a codes inspector or a fire marshal to be able to do that. And as a matter of fact, there's only a few counties in our state that have a county fire marshal. And they have to get what's called an exemption uh from the county fire marshal and the county fire I'm sorry, the state fire marshal. And if you're an exempt jurisdiction, then you basically can regulate those things on your on your own, but you have to fund a county fire marshall's office. So those type things uh simply could could not be enforced by the county. Um the a number of the some of the changes that were made in the document, just so everybody understands, when when I got it, my suggestions have to do with not policy per se. That's your all's job. you all determine whether or not we have a short-term rental um resolution and whether we t how we tax them and

those kind of things. Those are not necessarily legal. My function is to try to tell you things that you can and can't do within and try to make whatever you want to do work legally. Um, but since the county did not have a codes enforcer, we didn't have a codes enforcer, nor did we have a certified or or or nor did we have a fire marshal. The only thing uh that that at least I'm just focusing on that issue. The only thing that I could think of that we tried to do was to have the owner provide an affidavit from a certified codes inspector, which would have allowed Frank H. Ernon, who is going to be the primary contact person for this to to be able to have sworn proof in his hand that a a codes enforcer for instance had looked at that and had said one of several things either for instance it doesn't have a doesn't have to have a sprinkler system or it could have been the fire marshall says sure Doug you've got a 15bedroom blah blah blah you can have one whatever that is that was kind of that part was changed changed. All of the stuff about uh trying to have a county official inspect things for a fire marshal and whether or not they meet a fire code were removed from that because simply the county can't and doesn't enforce that. I just use that as an example. Um some of the enforcement u structure that was in there CASS commented simply the county couldn't do. Uh so what we did was tried to put an enforcement or I tried to help Commissioner Huffaker with a kind of an enforcement mechanism to where if there's a complaint or whether or not during the application process or there's a denial or there's some other issue um whether it's grandfathering status or not, there would be somebody

like if Frank takes the initial application and says, "Hey, look, this doesn't apply or you you don't apply. you're either not grandfathered because of the following or um your PO permits revoked because of one of these instances. Then there would be an appeals board uh that would be able to review if they were agrieved in any way. They would have that ability to go to a body of folks to be able to do that. Now, that's just one of a couple of things that we did. There were a number of definitions in there and my I think my initial comment and I'd looked at it several times were if you're going to use definitions you need to use the definitions that the state uses and or simply don't have that definition or something. And so a lot some of that a number of those definitions were either stricken or they were changed uh based on what the county would and wouldn't enforce. the agency language was removed um because the state regulates real estate agents and regulates the agency with in in that respect. The county doesn't do that and so some of that stuff was removed for that reason. So again, uh if there's specific questions, I do my I'll do my best to try to to feel those, but just so you guys know how that process goes. If one of you have a resolution and you want us to look at or you want me to look at it, usually and historically it goes to sometimes it'll go to CASS first and they'll give them their comments and then they'll give it to me and I'll I'll put mine together and then I try to revise that to meet everybody's goal and try to make it legal. Um, so that's primarily how that whole process occurred and how it got to you today and that's that's how you all got in your hands the way it is. But if there's specific questions, I do my best um to try to answer that.

So, does it come back to the committee after it goes to you typically before it comes for a vote?

I don't know how the structure normally goes. I understand I understand u your concern in that respect. um if if a committee and um Commissioner Snodgrass is your parliamentarian with how that procedure goes. I can't just tell you off the top of my head, but typically if I'm given a resolution, the only thing I really do is try to make sure it's legal and fix it and then give it back to whether it's Commissioner Norton or Commissioner Snodgrass and give them back. Now, how that process goes from there, um I couldn't just tell you off the top of my head how that was. I know it had initially been to committee um and then I think you all wanted me to there was a comment I think last meeting about me doing some work on it getting that revision back which is what I did but whether or not it was supposed to committee or or not I couldn't tell tell you off the top of my head but I understand I understand the question

hold up hold up okay we got uh Mr. Randy Bales, do you have a question for the attorney right now? So, just for clarification, you removed uninforceable stuff, cleaned up verbiage, and tried to tidy it up. You didn't take it you didn't add anything to it as per se, except for just cleaning it up, making it more legal. Well, I I think what you'd have to I think what you'd have to look at is what you ever what you mean by add. I tried to if there was if there was what a lawyer tries to do in these set of circumstances is try to figure out what the intent of a drafter was. I mean what what that initial intent was and there and sometimes there's just things you've got to say hey you can't do that

and then there's sometimes where it's like hey I think I understand what they're trying to do here for instance the the affidavit from the certified codes inspector for Frank uh that you try to do that until and if you all ever do get a codes inspector or a fire marshal in place they'll do that so it depends on what you mean by add it was significantly changed no question about it by CASS and by me. Um and that was and I communicated with CATAS as well and raised them a number of questions that um simply some of that couldn't but the short answer is I did my best with respect to what um we were provided what based on what CES commented on for sure.

Thank you. Okay, Greg Bird and then we're going to let Miss Haida speak. That would be the proper order. Okay, here's my thing. It's been since we started talking about this. Okay. You said a code is enforcer. People say we don't have one. All right. Fire marshall don't have one. So these guys I and I know they have inspection fees for these things that would probably more than pay to hire somebody to do this for the county. So we need to maybe look at get an office with a fire marshal and with a codes enforcer to go out there. And I have friends that have at another county, we'll just call it that. And even when they don't raise the the tax, they raise the fee and they make money off that, too. So these people would more than pay for themselves if we created an office to do the inspections.

The fees, to your point, the fees have to be used to fund the office. Yeah. And that's not the taxes per se through Susan's office, but the fees have to be used to fund the office. They would more than pay for this. You're talking about $2 million worth of taxes were thrown away. And you could hire some guy to, you know, do this and do the inspections and they'd pay for themselves with the fees. That don't understand why we're holding up over that. We just get it done. Hold up, Miss J. He's going to ask for another one and we have to have a code enforcement. There's going to be two two jobs out of that. Yeah. So, how are we going to break make any money off this? We're just going to be paying additional jobs.

He just said the fees pay for their salary. Yes. Not not the taxes. Greg, you have the floor. Yeah. Okay. You have the floor, sir. Yeah. He was just saying the uh fees pay for that those these two jobs. I mean, that is a no-brainer. If that's paying it, it's not going to affect the taxes we bring in. Maybe we just need to create these and first off figure out how much it's going to cost to create it. But, uh, even if it's a $100,000 for the two of them, I'm sure it be maybe a little bit more. You're talking $2 million we're waiting on and we keep dragging our feet on. That's all I was going to say about it.

Okay, Miss Heidi, you get to speak. Miss Norton will move to the end because she has already spoke and then it will be Ronnie Coleman and Jim Snogers. Miss Haida, you have the floor. My concern is section 13 which basically says that under state law you can have an HO. you you can have covenants and you can put restrictions and that says that that is correct under state law. Then in the next paragraph the county says it won't enforce it. We don't county never has. County can't.

But that somehow that that puts the people in that community their only option ever is to sue. So who you going to sue? You going to sue the owner? You going to sue the county? Can you sue the county? No. For not enforcing the law.

Sorry. The short answer, the county never has enforceed covenants and cannot enforce covenants because they are a if if you and I were living in a subdivision and we had covenants. That's a contract between us. And if you violate those covenants and you breach that contract that you have with me, I can file a lawsuit to make you comply with those covenants. the county does not uh get involved in that. I would say in probably 26 years that I've been doing this and as Tim can probably attest, it is a regular occurrence at planning commission meetings and zoning meetings that folks come up and they want the county to do something about the restrictions in their covenants. The county simply can't. in and that particular provision that you reference is to make it clear that those private agreements are not enforceable by the county and the county won't do it. County never has done it.

So, but how can a county not enforce state law? It's not th those those No, no, I understand what you're saying, but the the this the saying it's a private contract. It's not required by the state that you and I in my example have a have subdivision covenants, but if we do, if there were 21 lots and somebody violated, their neighbor can enforce that cover covenant, but the state can't, nor can the county.

Ronnie Coleman. [Music] My only question is why are we even talking about it when it's not been back to the STR board to uh see the final version of it? I kind of agree with Ronnie. Are you talking about the public service committee? Yeah, public service about it.

Yeah. So, I mean, if nobody knows what the final version is, why are we even discussing it? from the from the chair. The best answer I can give you is it came back from legal. Everybody was in a foot race to put it in this meeting and the original version still had commentary on it when I seen it. So the finalization is up to this committee. It's up to this commission. You can amend it or whatever you like. You you can amend it. You can It's up to the full county commission. You could still send it back to that committee, right? Sure you can.

Well, that's going to be my take to send it back to that commission. Hang on just a minute. Let's get these speakers over with. If you want to make a motion, send it back, we'll do that. Okay. Next, we have uh Greg, you've done spoke. Katie's done spoke. Janet Dorton. Okay. We got anybody new that wishes to speak? Jim, did you have a comment? I thought I seen your name up there. Oh, okay. Thank you. All right. for those of y'all that's already spoke. Janet Norton, you got the floor now. Let's find this.

Okay. And that was my question. If we're going to do these committees and we're going to take the time to go through this stuff and Doug, thank you for taking the time to go through that. Please don't think that I at all. Um, it has to be legal and and there was a whole lot of it in there before that we did question. Is this legally enforceable? Um, there's a noise ordinance in there. We don't even have a noise ordinance. How are we going to enforce things that do not even exist in our county? So, it it it already is still full of issues and we need something that we can put out there um for everybody to vote on that works that that can actually work. Um it is going to create numerous jobs. Frank's already said, "I can do this, but I'm going to have to have more help to get it done." the amount of time that it's going to take to permit and somebody's talking up to a thousand STRs. I I don't know if there's that many out there, but if there are, that's a that's a huge job somebody's going to have to do. So, you've got Frank's office that's going to have to do the permitting, accepting, rejecting. You're going to have to have a codes enforcer that actually goes in and visits these places. Um, and some of, like he said, the fire marshal stuff. And and we don't even have anybody that does these things. So, we've got to get something that's actually doable and instead of committees meeting and ignoring it, we need to to come out with something that everybody can agree on that it actually works and that we can move forward with. Um, I still have a concern about the amount of money it's going to take to cover this. Um, we've had some talk about $2 million, $4 million, $6 million. If this gets to where it's too expensive for these people who are paying commercial taxes on these STRs, they're going to turn them into long-term rentals and you're going to lose that tax money. So, you got to figure out where are we, you know, we don't want to cut our nose off to spite our face. We've got to to do it so that we don't put them out of business or they quit paying the tax dollars they already are. There's got to be a balance and you are going to have to cover those additional positions to do all this stuff that we're talking about doing.

Um, one final thing I'll say is that a big part of this is contingent upon sewage, septic. I'm a realtor. I know that a whole lot of the houses that we sell around here, the septic can't be found. The septic permit information is not there. So, how you base it on this guy's house and there is no septic information, but we're going to base it on this guy because he does have septic information. And then you've got people who are on public sewer. So, the amount of people that can be in there, it's it's not it doesn't make sense. It can't be fair. It can't be consistent across the board. And if we can't enforce it that way, that makes it very difficult to enforce. So, those are just my concerns. And I want to get those things ironed out before we put it out there for a vote.

Thank you, ma'am. Greg Bird, just finish up quick. Doug, I just need to ask you a question real quick. I've been fighting with the state on some stuff that I've been wanting to get past and I keep getting run. They said we're not uh tourist we're a residential agriculture which we zone and now when you say zone which what do you I mean this the county okay yeah the county is the residential so and when before John passed me and him have been working on trying to figure out how microphone Greg

before John Neil passed we were trying to figure out a way to where we could get classified and Frank nicely I work talked with him and now I've talked to our state representative we have now about what can we do and I've talked to Doug about getting a tourism because John Neil said there's all kinds of tourism money that we could get with taxes that we can't do it because we don't classified for that and I'm thinking if we got all these uh short-term rentals surely that'll help us make the argument that we are a tourism county

to be honest with you I I don't I'm I think I know what you're talking about with respect to that. But that's a classification that the state would would give, I assume, through that particular division with the state. I can I can tell you I can look at it. If if if you if you'd like me to, I'll do my best and get back with you. Okay. I know one of the things we don't have an airport. True. We don't have a golf course that's owned by the county

because I was arguing why is severe county not us because we got the lakes, we got cabin and they said that was two of the things they said well you don't have an airport and you don't have a golf course you know like they got and they got golf courses but we got that's my help with other okay I I'll look at it and get Exactly. Okay. All right. Uh Katie, let's finish this up. We'll entertain motions.

Okay. I just want to say this does not have a noise ordinance in it and I feel confident Doug would have caught it if it was. It does reference a leash law which he pulled where we where we did that. And I just want to say we need to as commissioners make sure we do our due diligence. So when Carrie emails us information for our meetings, it's our responsibility to make sure we read it all. And I know there was a draft that went out first, which typically doesn't happen, but she sent to everyone the finalized version, which that it did not have highlights. It didn't have blank spaces, and it's our responsibility to read that. Now, we were trying to push it through because the citizens wanted it pushed through. I have no if we're going to send it back to committee, that's fine. But here's my request. When it goes back to committee, I would like Tom Carter to be there and Doug Drenin because where we're going to get into a dispute is over the maximum occupancy. Our director, our environmental director told us multiple times about the occupancy and problems we are currently having in the county with occupancy. We have rental units out there that should just be one bedroom. They're housing three bedrooms and the sewer is not operational. It's broken. So that's fine to send it back to committee, but if we do that, we need to have other players in the room to help us successfully achieve our goal. And um the codes inspector Doug put in there that certified codes inspe certified state inspector inspects

at this time. I think that's our best option because that gets us to our end goal quicker and it does take some liability off the county. You can still have a codes inspector and they can look at other things. But I after talking to different fire departments, I think that was a good idea what he did. And that's all I've got to say. All in, all done. Is there a motion on the floor? What's the pleasure of the commission? We have a motion on the floor by Mr. Ronnie Coleman. Is there a second? Uh, will you want to tell us what the motion is, Ronnie?

Motion is going to be to send it back to the back to the public service committee. Yes. So, everybody's going to know what they're voting on. How many people got spoke tonight? We don't know. We don't know what it's about. microphone. Ronnie,

point of order. He got carried away, so I let it go. Okay. My motion is going to be to send it back to the to the committee. And reason being, as it stands now, numerous people got tonight and said they haven't seen it. They don't know what's in it. So, how can we vote on something when we don't know what we're voting on? Your motion is going to send it back to the public service committee. Yes. Solely Sammy, are you good with that motion? Thank you, sir. Question or comment to the motion? Uh I don't know what

are you wanting to amend or what are you wanting to do? I just want the motion to make sure that we invite our environmental person Tom Carter environmental and Doug Drenan when we meet. Well, we can we can do that. We don't that don't need to be in a motion. We have a motion on the floor. It's been seconded. Jim Snogers. I'm 100% for this, but this is the right thing to do to send it back to committee. It's black and white. Otherwise, we are voting on something we don't know about. Just want to support Ronnie on that.

Anyone else before we proceed to vote? Not hearing any. We will vote. If you want to send this back to the public service committee, vote yes. If not, vote no. You have 16 yes, three nos, zero abstensions. It will be sent back to the public service committee. If you wish to speak or partake in the public service committee meeting, see the chairman. I believe that's Miss Janet Norton, correct? That will be her meeting. We shall move right along. Next, the second tabled item is the more property. There has to be a motion on the floor to untr.

Mr. Mr. Chairman, I don't have anything in my packet on this. Don't have anything in my packet on this. Is it in there? The on the more property. Yeah. No, there wasn't cuz it's tabled. Okay. You got to untab it. Then that's how you get the information. Then ask for the information and we'll provide. There hasn't been any questions in my office about any question pertaining to the more property. I have not had no emails or anything. Is there a motion on the floor? My motion is to bring it off the table. Randy Bales just made a motion. And who second? So we can find out what we're talking about.

Sure. There's a motion on the floor to unt. It's been properly seconded. Proceed to vote. 13 yes, six no. This has been untabd. It is now open to discussion or a motion.

What's the pleasure, Mr. Snogers? Who is the champion of this? Who is the champion or who's the owner of this project or whatever it might be?

This this project was presented to myself and the mayor by the Moore family. They came to the mayor's office and presented this idea. Now, to clear up any kind of wild stories that's got told, we're not allowed to deliberate or make offers on land. Only this body can do that. So all we can do is listen and carry this on to the full county commission. So there's been no deal making. All they done was presented the land. The land was actually presented to Jefferson County Sanitation Department a year ago. May Mr. Moore is actually here tonight, both of them, and they can speak to that. But the point of it is certain county officials knew about this. I found out about it in around February is when I learned about what's going on. John Neil Scarlet, the late parliamentarian, was the first to know any specifics about this this land being offered. How he found out, I don't know. He may have talked to Rick. I can't speak for a man that passed away and not here. But I know what was spoke to me. It was presented to the sanitation department. There was no interest. It was the the mayor. Uh at what time did you learn about it from the sanitation department?

Learn about sanitation.

No, it would have been later. blessings, but I'll be glad to answer any question that you ever wanted to know about this. I just want one answer right now. Who is the leader of this in this body? Is that you? Are you the champion? I will take the leader if that's what needs to happen.

It was presented to me. I sat and listened to the gentleman offer it. So that would be me. This meeting had to happen. We had to untab it so we could open a discussion. If you want information, I will get you any information you need. We'll ask the moors and you can postpone and not table to another meeting if you want to deliberate on the information for this land. That's not a problem. We just got to work it out. Randy,

could we get any pertinent information that you deem is important or just something about it. I mean, we got 86 acres, the price, some more information, the information that you have that makes this even possible. Let me explain. And Mr. Moore or whoever we need to to explain it or I have to ask when this issue was first brought when I introduced it to everyone,

the motion was made to table it before any information gave out. Actually, I shouldn't have never let Katie Huffaker address it because it's a higher ranking motion and it was properly seconded. I shouldn't have let anybody, but I let Miss Huffaker speak and I and at times I let people speak when it's out of turn and I shouldn't out of being nice to people. But the point of it is if you want information, it's it's no problem to get the information in a write up. But see, I could not do a write up because it was tabled. Now that it's untabd, we can say at the next meeting, you want it all or I'll email it to you and you can get the rundown of what the money can actually be spent for. John De Scarlet put a lot of time into this because he felt like that the taxpayers in Jefferson County ought to be getting something if the money can't be spent for nothing else. That's what drives this. So I guess really I'm speaking for him in this instance. But the point is once you table, you can't bring him back information until it's unt now. So therefore, if you're asking for information and you want to postpone, we're good.

I would like to get the information out tonight if we can. Is there any way to do that? I know we could we could use a golf course and make it a tourist town like he was talking about a few minutes ago and that would be tourism and development. Here here's the point of the whole thing. If I'm going to do the thesis that says this is the whole thing about the property, it will take a little bit of time to type all this up. Be glad to email it to the whole commission when it's done. But the point is, if we're interested, we need to tell the Moore family, hey, we are interested. Okay. Who seconded your motion? Oh, I didn't

I thought I thought Randy made a motion.

Okay. Okay, I find this property of interest because it's 86 acres and I personally like the idea of like agracommerce park, agra tourism fair, something that helps our farmers. Um, so I would like additional information on it and I know based on what we decide to do with the property would determine infrastructure and development plans and all but those are some ideas I like about it. And also this is hotel motel tax money. It's not uh tax property tax money and it can be used for economic development or tourism. And I think there are some good things we could do with this property, but we probably need more information. And I would like to ask the mayor if he'd be willing to give an opinion on the property, too, since he's looked at it some.

Mr. Mayor,

the offer came to us and this property adjoins county property. So, our due diligence was to bring the property to you. As far as the uses of the property, without a geo survey on the property, knowing what can and cannot be placed there, I can't say. Uh I do know that uh when property becomes available to you, you need to take a little interest in it and u funding and what it can be used for. U possibly some of it could be used for landfill. You could do some economic development, but it'd have to be some type of warehousing that would be some type of enclosed structure because of proximity to the landfield, more property through the chairman and myself brought the property wanted to know if the county would be interested in purchasing it. No other steps have been taken other than to bring it to you and say that more property has this property for purchase. So,

okay, we got Mr. Brooks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I have several concerns about this property. When it was presented to us at the last meeting, it was uh presented to us for the cost of 1.75 million. Correct?

That seems high to me. That's over $20,000 an acre. I looked at a satellite map of it and I can't find where you access the property from Valley Home Road. It looks like it's heavily wooded along the road. It also appeared that um we would need permission from the state for ingress and egress in and out of that property and I don't see that there's anything there currently. I have another question that maybe you could answer right now. Has this been presented to the Jefferson Alliance, the Jefferson County Industrial Board, or the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce?

No, it has not. And I can speak to that if you'll just give me a second to speak to that. When this was presented to full county commission, it was for interest only. It wasn't saying, "Let's run out and buy something." That's not the intention. If you was interested, then we can indulge into this property. Yes, it does join interstate right away. So does our landfill. It joins it joins the the Malone property that we bought. You know it's strategically that there is a home on that point of order to it

as the presenter you can't debate positive or negative on this. So you're telling us I'm just merely throwing out the information. You can do that but you have to step off the chair and you have to stay off the chair until the matter set. You ask me the question I was just answering. I'll be glad to step aside or or I'll just do the write up and just email it out to everybody and I'll answer the questions. Well, we don't have a motion for that. So Right. I've got

I'll be glad to step aside in the chair if Mr. Solomon wants to take the chair. Sir Am I recognized, Mr. Chairman? Yes.

Thank you. Another question I wanted to pose to the body is what will we do with this land? It seems to me that we should have a plan in place before going after the acquisition and I would like input from the alliance, the industrial development board and the chamber of commerce. To me, this does not seem to be a good piece of property for us to purchase for industrial development. I really don't like the location for it uh for anything other than added space to the landfill. We're not in a position to purchase more land for the landfill right now. I do understand and I appreciate you making it clear at the beginning of the meeting that the hotel motel tax, the state dictates what we can and cannot spend that money on. And I appreciate you making that clear. Just because we have that money does not need does not mean we have to spend it uh on this property. We could let it accumulate. We could look at uh property near um main corridors and along the two interstates that run through our county. I am not in favor of purchasing this property. I yield, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Jim, it looks like you're up next.

All right. Thank you. Um, just a few points here. Um, if we were to move forward or have a consideration of purchasing this, there is a process. Um, some of you may or may not know I served on the industrial development board uh several years ago and we did present last piece of property presented to this body that I'm aware of was in September or October of 2016. piece of property in White Pine. There is a very thorough process to evaluate geo conditions as the mayor mentioned. There's evaluation for access to interstates, corridors. It's it's a numerical process. Then after we went through that a couple of times, we presented that to the body to this body. I'm not sure who was on here at that time. Also, there is an um EPA evaluation. Most of you probably don't know this. You have to go in and bat evaluate. There's two species of bats that are on the endangered species list that you have to go in and actually see if they're there or not. If they are there, you can't touch that land. That was new and I'm assuming that's still a law unless that species is off the list. So there is a very thorough process to present to us this is a good okay or not so good piece of land with all those things input. So there's a lot of preparation that has to go into it to get it in front of us. Also now we have the Jefferson Alliance. They have to evaluate marketability. And as far as your reports and reading different things, hottest thing for us right now is a green field site with a big building on it. Okay. And that's going to sell quick. Where do we get the money at to prepare that land if it meets all the other

requirements to develop it and put in some basic infrastructure relative to roads and so forth? Or can you market it to one company that would buy all 86 acres? Finally, not finally, but next is uh location. I spent 17 years working in the industrial park down in Mascot at the top of the hill. That company's gone. They're they're closed up and gone. During my time there, Knox County was very aggressive to expand that and get new businesses in. There's only three left there now because of the location. So, Knox County even wanted to make it a better place. They came in, scraped off another thousand acres right adjacent to us. Nobody came. It's location. and you got to cross that big concrete bridge. Relage Pike is not bad, but again, it was out in the middle of nowhere, which has its advantages, too, if you're a company. So, that location is not good. I've got to go all the way to exit 4 and White Pine to get there or down here at 407 uh 417, I'm sorry. So there's something that would be evaluated in this process to get actual access from the interstate as I heard from the mayor a few months ago just to get exit 408 down here is a 12 to 15year process which takes us back to something that the mega site project proposed way back when and just the basics I've heard also this could be a community ball field if we get into that business we're going to be hiring more employees buying more equipment and capital and so forth to maintain. And we got to, as also was mentioned, we got to put our priority on our employees right now and the infrastructure we have. And then finally, I'm I'm a manufacturing guy. I've been in manufacturing for 30 years now. I I love it. I'd like to see more forest, but on our survey, it ranked at the bottom of what folks want to see growing in this county.

Okay. And then I guess that's it for now. Thank you. I yield. Janet,

I just had one question about the property. I don't know if somebody here is capable of answering this tonight or not, but um if I understand correctly, this property backs up to landfill property, correct? And I was looking at it at an aerial satellite photo um that we can see through CRS tax records, etc. Um, it looks like there's a retention pond that is part of the landfill that's very close to the lot line of this property, which I know as a realtor creates issues. So, I was just that's just something I noticed as a realtor that was something that popped into my mind when I saw it. That retention pond is not something you would want to develop close to unless you were developing more landfill. So just question about that or

be glad to speak to it.

Okay. The encroachment of the water drainage that you're speaking of is part of the reason why your land don't have to try to make that go away. So that's your issue of that moment. You know, I'm not here to argue issues if you like it or not. That's not what I'm here. I'm here to just say if you're interested, move forward and look at the project. If you're not, don't. You know, all you got to do is say either yes, we're kind of interested or no, we're not. You know th this ain't a this ain't an Armageddon of oh, I can tell you a thousand reasons why we shouldn't do this. Well, I can probably tell you a thousand reasons why you shouldn't get out of bed in the morning, but here's your problem. The the the people out here right now that's sitting in these benches are tired of seeing their property taxes go up every year. Okay. If we're anti- business and we're anti-economic anything, okay, you are guaranteed that your properties that makes us either tourism, bedroom community, this is it. Okay, you're setting on money. You're talking about going after more hotel motel tax with what Mr. Brook said is no real plan of anything that you're going to do with that money, but you're still collecting it. Now, we can let it pile up, but where does that leave the county? Where does that leave the taxpayer? What did the taxpayer get back from what they're putting out into this? Okay, you can't spend that money on roads. You can't spend it on other stuff. It's economic development or entertainment. Me, a lot of people have approached me and said, "I'd like to see a venue. I'd

like to see us have something to where we could actually do something in Jefferson County. Jefferson County don't even have a large steakhouse. All I'm saying is is that when opportunity knocks, if you're not interested, respectfully say no, we're not interested or say yes, we'll look into this. I'm not saying just vote to buy it. That ain't what was said. What was said was, "Look at you and explore your options." And that's what we don't do in this county. We're not open-minded and we don't look around. Now, look, if you want the bedroom community, that's fine. Why are we even having this conversation? That's the key to this, the whole thing. I rest. U Marcus Raider,

I would like to uh ask Eric if he would come and speak to us. I'd like to know about this retention pond because I talked to him before the meeting and he enlighted me in some ways and I think all of us need to listen to him because this butts up to the landfill and I think he can clarify some things. I can tell you this, we do have a boundary issue. We are not infringing on Mr. Morris property at this time, but we are in in we're not in violation. We're just within that boundary. It's 100 to best of my knowledge. It's a 100 foot boundary. Prior to me, we have we had a reading written agreement with Mr. Moore that that is on file at the at the office. We have that signed between prior, like I say, prior to me and him. The state law has changed a little bit on that boundary and I when Tekt comes they can explain that to you. The only way now and this was my ignorance before if the county did purchase this. Yes, it benefits the landfill to an extent. We would have to purchase a section to extend that from the county. The landfill would we would have to purchase that. So, does it help? Yes, it helps us with that boundary. Does it help this with the issue of Yins wanting to buy this property? I can't speak to that. I can only speak to the landfields boundary problem. We don't want We want to be We have to be We don't want to be We have to be good neighbors and good stewards. So, I couldn't go and ask Mr. Moore if he'd sell us a 5 acre strip that's 100 foot wide and 500 foot long. I could I couldn't ask him that because you wouldn't sell a piece of property like that and I wouldn't sell a piece of property like that. But we can purchase

that from the county if the county owned that. That's where we are on our pond, our retention piece. Yes, it would benefit. It's all how you look at it. Thank you. Anybody else got any other questions for you? Jimmy, you want to take back over? I can. All right. Make a motion. Ky, what's your motion? What's your motion? Lord have mercy.

Okay. I'm going to make a motion. And if somebody wants to modify my motion a little bit, that's fine, too. But I'm going to make a motion to send this topic to the Economic Development Alliance. What? Oh, to evaluate the best appropriate use for this property or if to help us determine if it would be a benefit to the county. And once that best use is a determined um let us know the infrastructure that's needed and then to bring us back information at our next county commission meeting to work with chair on that. We have a motion and a second on the floor. Does everybody understand the motion?

Repeat it, please, Mr. Chair. Uh, can you repeat that, please? Yes. Okay. the to send this piece of property to the economic development alliance to evaluate the best appropriate use for the property if it's a benefit to the county and to once they figure out that like maybe they can look into infrastructure or some of the other I didn't say this the first time but you know if there's other steps they can take if they can get free information from TVA about the property I don't know but whatever the economic development alliance could determine by looking at the property, bring us back the information at our next county commission meeting. Mr. Snograss,

yeah, I got a question for you and then uh we'll let the chairman decide on that. Um, if that were to come to you, do you get your data from the industrial development board from several sources? Honestly, I'm already working Yeah, I'm sorry. Could you come to the podium, please?

I would go, Jim, to several sources. Uh, as Katie said, TVA, you know, I can make a call in the morning and be talking with uh Tim Tedwell with T TVA in probably a day or two and they'll uh at no cost to the county. uh study that piece of property and pretty quickly get me back uh what what they think about it uh as long as other as well as other sources. But there's a lot of steps on uh you know feasibility studies uh you know environmental you said it earlier uh endangered species wetlands flood planes uh what about you know the utilities what's it going to take to get water uh there's obviously no sewer out there as well uh there's a lot of different steps and a lot of things but I mean you know a lot of that will take some time but when's the Somebody say 20 days.

When's the next? Third Monday next month. Third Monday. So, uh, yeah. Yeah. I could could gather quite a bit of that, but by next meeting it by September. No, I could quite a bit of it, but a lot of it is long longer term things. So, but we we have a standard protocol process that the industrial development board has put together that that we still use that tool, right? Yes.

I'm sorry. [Music] amend Miss Katie's motion to include the industrial development board evaluation process along with Jefferson Alliance. We have an amendment push button. I'm sorry. and I'll restate that for you so you can [Music] I did

okay it's coming so is to include the industrial development board evaluation process along with Jefferson alliance does everybody understand the amendment Repeat. You got to repeat. Yes. I think he has a second. So, can I speak on it? Can I speak? Yes. I don't see why you could. Okay. So, so I'll do it by cons. What I would Who has the floor? I think I still have it.

The Katie. She was Okay. So, I'll do it by consent, but will you let the Economic Development Alliance director coordinate the stuff with them?

Yes. If if we could get what information Jimmy has available as well. So my motion would be that that amendment to include the industrial development board evaluation process along alliance with Jefferson in the lead for coordination and include in the Michael has can I just say for the motion to be the economic development alliance director work with industrial development board and the chairman of the county commission and mayor to bring give whatever information he can get over the next and bring back to us.

Yes. Pop, do you agree with that? Yes, sir. Miss Jenny,

all I would like to say is it don't have to be this hard. It it don't it don't even got to come close to being this hard. All has to be done is say we're interested, but all the proper authorities get involved in it and look at it. That's how simple this can be. It don't have to a whole bunch of words. I mean, the motion's simple. We want our economic development alliance look at it. We want everybody to look at it. All we got to do tonight is say we're interested in hearing what they have to say. That makes it simple to everybody. And I mean the one question that I haven't been asked yet is what did the appraisals say?

You will get you will get copies of the appraisals from my office. I was waiting when when the parliamentarian like at the last meeting said I need more information. I actually spoke up and said I have it but it was tabled so I had to hush. But you know you can have copies of all of it. All I was asking was, "Do you want to consider this property?" That's all. If you want to consider it, consider it. Like Mr. Brook said, if he's not interested in the property, the commission as a whole needs to vote. We're interested or we're not interested. Work out the specifics later. You don't got to do all that. You know, to me, that's simplified. If we're interested, all the proper people, there you are.

I rest completely. Yes. All right, let's vote on this. Does everybody understand the motion? Yes. All right, let's vote. You going to have to vote for me? I guess technically I can't do that. I can I can take care of your votes. You take care of that. You You just need to let me know your votes. Yes. Yes. I I hit yes. Yes. Okay. We are voting on the amendment. Correct. Yes. Okay. No. No. No. The first motion, what are we voting for? As we move forward, first motion, the first original motion. The first original motion. I knew that with the add in to

EDA to EDA. 16 yes, three nos. Passes. It passes. Jimmy, you want to take back over now? I thought you was doing a good job. No, I'm not that.

Well, congratulations. We muddled right through that. Let's move on along to new business order. Let's get this done. Hours late. New business resolution 2025-34, resolution authorizing Jefferson County to join the state of Tennessee and other local governments in amending the Tennessee state subdivision opioid abatement agreement and approving the related settlement agreements. Question or comment? Not hearing any. We'll proceed to vote. They're going to give you more money.

They're going to give us more money. Miss Haida, there you go. Maybe the computer ain't working. There we go. 19. Yes. Zero. No. It passes. Next, we have resolution 2025-35, resolution declaring a surplus and to authorize the Jefferson County Juvenile Court to surplus and dispose and donate said equipment. Question or comment?

Douglas here. Ransom. Can I make a motion that we handle 2025, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 43 all together? You sure can. These are all surplus resolutions. You sure can. Does everybody understand what's just been said? We have a motion on the floor. It's been seconded. You're going to go from C through G. B. Oh, okay. All right. I got you. And J. Correct. 35 37

40 and 43. Miss Katie, you second that. Are you good with it? Okay, proceed to vote. Oh, wait a minute. Whoa. What just happened? Can you get across all that that easy?

35 is where we started. Yeah, we started with 35. And we went all the way to G and then jumped to J. That leaves that leaves 41 42. Yep. Think we got it. Oh, you're good. Snogris and Ronnie, you go dead. back up. 190 passes.

Next, we have resolution 2025-41, a resolution amending the fiscal year 2026 budget. Question or comment? We got a motion on the floor. It's been properly seconded. I see no request to speak. We'll proceed to vote.

Uh Janet passes 190. Last we have resolution 2025-42, resolution authorizing electronic participation in meetings under certain circumstances and establishing a policy for conducting meetings by electronic means. speak. Okay. Mr. Randy Bales.

Sure did. What this pertains to is that at least up to twice a year, you can participate in the vote of a meeting without actually physically being there. It can't be an every month thing. Mr. Brooks.

Yeah. Not seeing any. Proceed to vote. 181 18 to1 it passes. Next we're down to K. Commissioner Rob Levens. Mr. Chairman, if it suits the commission and the people in the room, I'd like to just table my two items until next month. You sure can. But know this. Okay. Okay. But he's got three.

But know this. It was sent to facilities committee to put padding in the seats for sure. I hope it got to him for these kind of meetings. He said two items. Maybe we'll shop local. Question. Mr. Blevens. Sir, you have three items. You said two items. Do you want to postpone all three items to the next meeting? Whatever the proper way is with the parliamentarian to move it to the next meeting. Postpone works for me. We moved the uh first one earlier today. She wasn't here. Anybody oppose?

Not hearing any opposed. We'll move on. We have announcements. Mr. Ronnie Coleman has an announcement.

I have a letter from Commissioner Terry Doy that asked me to uh read to the body. it goes uh my schedule has become much busier than ever and I have some health issues to deal with. It's become clear to me that my schedule and health issues would not allow me the time needed to properly serve the citizens of District 8 and ultimately all of Jefferson County in the matter they deserve. I would not have have time to study and gather information and attend all meetings. EV evidence of that in my absence is a special called meeting in June to pass a budget for the 2526 fiscal year. I deeply regret that because like my district 8 companion and good friend, I would have voted no on any property tax increase. Therefore, resignation has been heavily on my mind. I appreciate and have enjoyed the opportunity to serve district 8 in Jefferson County for 15 years. God has blessed me in many ways. One of my acco accomplishments by commission over the past 15 years I'm very proud of is the tremendous reduction in debt. This occurred during a time when Mount Horbell Elementary was constructed. the Patriot Academy and roughly 26 million was spent on renovating uh JCHS White Pine and received school upgrades and Piedmont Elementary was upgraded. The debt reduction effort was led by my good friend, the late John Neil Scarlet. He coined the phrase pay as you go. Literally millions of dollars have been spent over the last 15 years in interest. Paying cash for projects that

are justified means taxpayer money would do much more. It also means not making interest payments could help lower tax rates. Imagine that. It is my hope and prayer that will continue to aggressively pay down debt until we are debtree and then build a nest egg so we can pay cash for all projects and county needs. With that said, I recommend WD Henry to serve the final year of my term as I now resign effective immediately. I kindly ask that commissioners appoint WD to finish my term. Thank you, Terry Dockery. And with that said, I will be nominating WD Henry to fill his uh final year at the September meeting. and he is here if anybody wants to he wants to stand for us.

Does anybody have a question or comment? Sammy, I like to say I've served with WD Henry back in the day. I don't know how long it's been, but he used to serve on county commission and I think he would be a good access to the county commission and I'll be supporting you buddy. Comes from a good family also. Any else? Motion to adjurnn maybe.