COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING
February 22nd, 2005

Personal Minutes Written by Dave Sobota

Jewell Loggins, Presiding

Call to Order – Jewell Loggins

Devotion –

Pledge to the Flag

Roll Call – Phil Simons

Minutes – Phil Simons

All notes marked with # and this color are added by David Sobota

# The meeting started with an update on the school situation after the storm damage. The school superintendent wanted to extend a thank you to all involved in the clean up and repair process. He said all of the help has been good, the response was fast, and progress has been rapid. Given this he stated that the staff should be back in the building by Wednesday 22nd. If the inspections go well the students should be able to return by Thursday the 23rd. As for the damage, it had been estimated at $1,000,000+. The insurance company has be cooperative and have already sent the first $99,000 to get the repair work started. The damaged roofs have been made functional with temporary coverings until the permanent repairs can be done.

I. Quarterly Reports: General Fund, Landfill, Drug Control, Highway, Bridge, Debt Service, Community Development/Industrial Fund, School

# Quarterly reports approved by all present

II. RESOLUTIONS

1. Authorizing the issuance of general obligation refunding bonds in the approximate aggregate principal amount of $9,150,000.00

#This is a re-financing of this dollar amount. The current re-finance plan would result in some significant savings for 05/06 but not much after that. These savings are possible given the current market interest rate available for this portion of the county debt. This resolution was passed by all present.

2. Authorizing the refinancing of Capital Outlay Notes in the principal amount of $365,181.50

#This loan amount is related to the industrial park debt. This re-finance is also an attempt to save some money on the balance currently owed. It was commented that this re-finance might not be necessary if the small plot of property, discussed in the last meeting, is sold. This resolution was passed by all present. Note, further on in this meeting the sale of the small plot of land was approved.

3. To allocate funds from the Jail, Workhouse or Courthouse Reserve $15,400.00

#This item was discussed in the last meeting. The only additional question brought to this meeting was where this reserve fund money was. Mayor Frazer sated that these funds have been set aside for this purpose.

Yes Votes: Sesler, Wetterau, Suggs, Smith, Larkins, Spencer, Gray, Corlew, Reed, and Loggins.

No votes: Tidwell

Absent: England

4. Sell property in the Industrial Park

#This item is per the discussion in the last meeting about a 13+ acre tract in the industrial park that 2 individuals had place bids on, same day, same price. The Two parties involved were Mr. Pruett and Mr. Ramsey. The commissioners had discussed asking the two parties to re-submit a sealed bid, to be opened at this meeting. Mr. Ramsey received this information but Mr. Pruett did not. Mr. Ramsey did submit a new bid and that bid was opened at this meeting. It was then discussed why they only had one bid. This is where it had come out that the chamber of commerce had not gone to Mr. Pruett as they were under the impression that no decision would be made prior to this meeting. Unfortunately it appeared as if no one specific person was put in charge of contacting both parties with the decision to ask for a second bid. Keep in mind that this type of deal is only being discussed due to the fact that this particular property is a left over piece that would probably not be utilized otherwise. At this point a motion was brought to the floor, by Mr. Wetterau, to provide public notice of a special meeting, to be held during the March 7 meeting, where they would receive new sealed bids, open those bids at said meeting, and decide who would get the property. With this proposal one concerned citizen stated the all of the public should have the opportunity to bid on this property. His comment was noted then the motion was called to a vote.

Yes votes: Sesler, Reed, Tidwell, Loggins

No votes: Wetterau, Suggs, Smith, Larkins, Spencer, Gray

Passed: Corlew

Motion failed. Note, Wetterau voted no to his motion because he realized, after the comment from the concerned citizen, that his motion had been misunderstood. It was his intention to accept bids from all of the public, not just the two initial parties involved. It appeared that everyone else assumed the motion only involved the two parties in question. At this point further discussion ensued. The next motion brought to the floor was to go ahead and sell the property to Mr. Ramsey since he had done what the commission asked for in the last meeting. At this point Mr. Pruett stood up and told the commission to go ahead and sell the property to Mr. Ramsey. He said that he had no idea it would cause so much trouble and he did not want to be a bother over this property. This motion was then brought to a vote. It passed by all present, the property will be sold to Mr. Ramsey of R&R wood products. He stated, in his bid, that he plans to put a wood pallet manufacturing and recycling plant on this property.

III. Appointments, Elections and Notaries

1. Re-appointment of Joyce Fowlkes, Ray Stacey and Wayne Sanders to the Sheriff’s Civil Service Board

#All appointments approved by all present

2. Report on methane sampling at Landfill

#A report was handed out to our concerned citizen from the last meeting. It was also given to the county commissioners but was not discussed during the meeting. This did not make our citizen happy as she had hoped to have a discussion about this issue when the report was handed out. At the end of the meeting she still wanted to know why the methane monitoring had not been done quarterly and why it had not been brought up before this. Commissioner Suggs addressed her concerns only with the comments that the lack quarterly monitoring appeared to be an oversight. He also stated that none of the readings taken, up to now, showed anything at a detectable level (BDL – Below Detectable Levels). She then asked about a possible link between methane emissions and some fires that occurred on Eno road. At this point the county lawyer stated that there had been no link between the two per the insurance investigators and that there has never been any evidence showing any methane emissions around or outside of the land fill.

3. Set public hearing on Zoning Ordinance Amendments for Monday, March 21, 2005

#Public hearing set for this date. It will be the first thing discussed at the March 21 meeting, 7pm. This was approved by all present.

4. Notaries

#All notary applicants were approved by all present.

IV. Announcements

1. Monday, March 7th, 2005 @ 7:00 p.m. will be the next Working Session

#Mayor Frazier announced that Mr. Lund (sp?) resigned from the Dickson water authority. She has made a new appointment.

The county lawyer gave an update on the nursing home. He stated that the buyers asked for an extension on the closing date. They are paying an additional $25,000 dollars in earnest money to move the closing. They are asking for this extension due to timing issues with getting all of the proper paperwork, from the inspections, needed to get favorable financing.

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