[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6123955,"mediaKeyId","2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6","parentId",2686857,"title","Committee recommends favorable action on small county morgue after officials cite storage needs and costs","audioSeconds",325,"startMs",2640000,"endMs",2965000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6&start=2640&end=2965","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6/thumbnail_2640000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6123955/Bedford-County/Tennessee/Committee-recommends-favorable-action-on-small-county-morgue-after-officials-cite-storage-needs-and-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123955-839bc958b3288c1e87d857baadc6798b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186237&Signature=V2~rDeLOrYdxDPRFtGnhO48E5Cw-26tBILM2DWuK-0aVAX-20fNFh2IaEzrqUx5KtLsQNBlePOO9Badr~seI9yytLZ7awgaU6HMYdhDAx6uUxUGxStHqgDdvfnff7F3hVxDz9Nl3prw0gjFvdM2~4EFi39oXFbRrAoP4kUcLV4dChyh18ztY8LOtQLQEsTZkV5FSjQsR2Ec3sbVqtEGJrV-1~JCN11OLw35Fb~2fokcGqflEvavscPNqbWEzhYil7zyfvNKeCVZ86Yxrie9kByEmuHPZNcRD7eOCebXZgu01B3cMzsVF2PHWI7Bt~hIS4HJU7UiS8iJ-qKW-4Nmexw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bedford County, TN","date","2025-03-19T12:08:44Z","article","The Courthouse & Property committee voted to recommend that the full commission approve construction of a small county morgue after hearing from Captain Bridal Bruce and staff that current facilities are inadequate for temporary body storage and handling.

Captain Bridal Bruce told the committee that since assuming responsibility for morgue transports on Oct. 1 the county had moved 26 bodies to the current morgue holding area and that about 15.38% of those cases were suspected overdoses. He said county rules require bodies in pre-hospital settings to be housed at an after-death facility or similar location until families decide on disposition or autopsies are complete. Bruce presented a compact design that he described as \"no frills,\" with a body storage area, a bathroom for decontamination, and a small clerical/identification room for families and staff.

Finance staff reported the project cost estimate moved in committee to approximately $260,000 (including a contingency added by the finance committee). Committee members acknowledged the need for a safe, sanitary space for bodies awaiting transport and voted to forward a favorable recommendation to the full commission.

Committee members asked for final, firm cost estimates and noted the price could change with tariffs or supply fluctuations; finance indicated the current figure includes a contingency and is expected to be close to actual construction costs. The committee recommended the project for commission consideration; the commission will consider final approval and funding in a subsequent meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Standing Committee Meetings Mar. 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Courthouse & Property committee voted to recommend the commission approve a modest county morgue facility after officials said current arrangements are inadequate; staff estimated the project at roughly $260,000 with contingency and emphasized the plan is \"no frills.\"","taxTitle","Bedford County, Tennessee","taxId",28224,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6123960,"Commissioners will study proposed resolution to prohibit residential decentralized wastewater (\"step\") systems",196,2313000,2509000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6&start=2313&end=2509","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6/thumbnail_2313000.jpg","/articles/6123960/Bedford-County/Tennessee/Commissioners-will-study-proposed-resolution-to-prohibit-residential-decentralized-wastewater-step-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123960-ce4ffa3b5b2e1b3e36482e7c521153b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186237&Signature=IcGP19KVMieUdqC7hofGSKf9-Ag46YMHZ5NeosVvHVIquBsGqosg7zXneNkqPe2BmWBUcJt4zNKVG~4eL859k6nbNBe~4vrp1tDq9HN8fSf91iFWoWVMOK5eK~SKdbcYS~IlXqzIS~2du5u-83tmFLVmXadJmqkhAQ66CT1rmEErx7bm8IAhNdXURBC0PfYOmUHmeshHDi7KoWxI1h23DG1VlV3BhP1V9b7p-o4L8JfOcykR-dFFsjhQL7KDaSNR03UzzL57afV0eqxuTFLeyW8CJ9KEKlUZgWueeI9OESG0SCFxRq3wDTnaTXqLqQzLCPHsJEIgs22PrlZaUlByEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioners received a draft resolution that would prohibit the use of residential decentralized wastewater systems, sometimes referred to as step systems, and agreed to study the proposal for 30 days before further action.

Proponents framed the resolution as a public-safety and land‑use measure. A speaker said the draft would preserve the county’s one‑acre standard and its percolation (perk) requirements, questioning whether step systems allow building on lots that otherwise would not pass a perk test. “If you use these things, it no longer has to perk,” a commissioner said during discussion, urging careful review.

Other commissioners asked whether schools or commercial projects would be affected. The chair and presenters clarified the draft addresses residential systems and would not apply to commercial or existing installations; parcels or approved permits already granted before any rule change would likely be grandfathered, but that detail will be confirmed in the review.

No vote on the resolution was taken. Commissioners directed staff to circulate the draft to plumbing contractors, realtors, builders and other stakeholders and to return the item for discussion next month.","A proposed resolution would ban residential decentralized wastewater systems (often called \"step\" systems) until standards for safe installation and operation are clarified; commissioners agreed to review the draft for 30 days and discuss at the next meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6123965,"Commissioners press mayor for firm timeline on $5.2M ARP-funded radio project after field complaints",545,2245000,2790000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6&start=2245&end=2790","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6/thumbnail_2245000.jpg","/articles/6123965/Bedford-County/Tennessee/Commissioners-press-mayor-for-firm-timeline-on-52M-ARP-funded-radio-project-after-field-complaints","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123965-9ebb989cb7b48df1a32f1a417b03f277/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186237&Signature=hbeDfEQkZe9WiXlqO8vvOHcXZ4g4ddj2yCoPRdxOrSLcXAbGbATisgCdNF5PvX8FvCA8AdB~L0a081k2Xv8WBFL3aTHz2O62xc3kO0cijn6rpz3nq8OF6XkNnUaJCN6T~oWBiVDUkK165EOob06VMJwVwBDPeFlZ-5YxL2frm11b2NinllSzRV9naWCDzLCXAJirqnENt7--LELFp2FdjuHZ0P2QwOfz9fpMIzkD902sGXHaMHYHKvkzCC67o1q3LEOUa7UUyOVc7NxQLIWAZbvd9B3oLLAykKi-Q6Ld~HMPHqzJC~Vqkzx1WSV~AgBnBwDKFZEndZeZlWM9B0KLGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioners pressed County Mayor Robert Daniel and Emergency Management Director (EMA) Director Kitchens for a firmer timeline on a long-delayed county radio replacement project after constituents and first responders reported coverage and reliability problems.

The project — funded in part with an American Rescue Plan grant the transcript cites at roughly $5,200,000 and previously approved by resolution 22-22 on May 10, 2022 — centers on installing a TACN communications system and new radios for public-safety agencies. Commissioners said they had received reports that firefighters and other first responders had resorted to cell phones or landlines during some incidents because portable radios were unreliable.

“Some of our responders had to pick up their cell phone or even use a landline to contact dispatch,” Commissioner Max said, urging the mayor’s office to get Motorola moving on the outstanding work. The commissioner said he expected a more “firm update” and warned of political consequences if communications failures led to harm.

Mayor Robert Daniel and Director Kitchens said the county has been engaged with Motorola and that technical obstacles contributed to the delay. Kitchens said some tower infrastructure work remains — notably upgrades at the Hawthorne Hill site — and that the county acquired and is refitting a better tower building and upgrading generators and electrical work at multiple sites. He also cited pandemic-era supply-chain problems and vendor staffing changes as reasons for slow delivery of equipment and programming.

Kitchens described a phased plan: distribution of portable radios for testing, followed by mobile installations, and completion of remaining site civil and electrical work. The mayor said state communications staff and vendor representatives have visited the county for troubleshooting and that county staff would continue to push for completion.

No formal vote was taken. Commissioners asked county leadership to provide a clearer, written status update on milestones, equipment delivery, and a schedule for agency testing and mobile installations.","Commissioners sought a firmer update on the county’s Motorola TACN radio system — funded by an ARP grant — after reports of coverage gaps and operational problems; county leadership said site upgrades and supply-chain delays have slowed rollout.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6123970,"Commissioners defer decision on creating Bedford County budget committee pending legal review",1749,540000,2289000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6&start=540&end=2289","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686857-e434c6024d94d3f5d0eccbaceae392a6/thumbnail_540000.jpg","/articles/6123970/Bedford-County/Tennessee/Commissioners-defer-decision-on-creating-Bedford-County-budget-committee-pending-legal-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123970-89a6e1157ea35a0c537d66fec4073638/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186238&Signature=Toa~X6Nn5JKJOtFL5Z6oH-VLmoQu1jdJDU6yDLFjpEhHV0PTTXhjv3u8tjra6LbQepHGO-BzvBfxSliHGvw-EW4w0VWenaOHrMFJiUE04m-PsJ6sT-LJMx9ISXufeHbL5dE6W17-JDVzx~1ktR-lUbpgs~wMZn5MUrOMjMqnjza97RuXu-NHDwL4pIV1VYdcxsixv~w9vdwi5icu8JbtkMw-uO5OsR23gQInHGNIw0kFROknbogG0iD9NFj2lpLuKHKobRokx6zqtekU1nsCxz901v-bG9Vv-~tUtK1qcXazxWSHvlvtoum~daadShgUYCsVfcsud-vcd4ydFwGSLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bedford County commissioners voted to delay action on a proposal to create a separate five-member budget committee under the Tennessee Financial Management Act after a wide-ranging discussion about state law and the county’s bylaws.

The proposal — discussed at the March committee meeting after a County Attorney opinion was read into the record — would establish a budget committee that could assume certain budget-preparation functions described in Tennessee Code Annotated §5-21-104 and §5-21-105. The committee discussion produced competing views about whether a new special committee would supplant or simply supplement existing standing committees and whether county bylaws would have to be amended to authorize the change.

Supporters said adding commissioners to a focused budget panel would increase oversight and transparency. “If you’ve got extra eyes looking at anything to do with finances or the budget, that’s always good,” Commissioner Max said during the discussion, urging more involvement from elected members who said they wanted to participate in the budget process.

Opponents and several speakers cautioned that the county’s recently revised bylaws appear to prohibit appointing a special committee on the same subject as an existing standing committee without a two-thirds change to the bylaws. Commissioner Farrow summarized the procedural constraint: the bylaws contain a clause stating no special committee shall be appointed for any purpose when there is a standing committee on the same subject, and bylaw changes require a two-thirds vote.

Commissioners also noted the county had already asked outside reviewers for legal guidance: the County Attorney prepared an opinion read at the meeting, staff said they had contacted Melissa Kelton at CTAS for legal review, and commissioners planned to invite State Representative Charlie Curtis to discuss the statute and local practice. Several speakers referenced county experience under the “81 Act” and cited examples of other counties that operate a separate budget panel under the statute.

After discussion the committee voted to defer the matter 30 days to gather additional legal opinions and to allow commissioners time to review the bylaw language and state statute. The committee’s recommendation will return to a future meeting with the requested legal analysis.

What happens next: staff and commissioners said they would seek further legal analysis from the County Attorney, CTAS legal staff (Melissa Kelton), and State Representative Charlie Curtis, then present findings back to the committee before any change to bylaws or official designation is made.","A proposal to create a five-member budget committee under the Tennessee Financial Management Act prompted heated debate about bylaws and county authority; commissioners voted to defer action for 30 days while seeking additional legal opinions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee recommends favorable action on small county morgue after officials cite storage needs and costs

Commissioners will study proposed resolution to prohibit residential decentralized wastewater ("step") systems

Commissioners press mayor for firm timeline on $5.2M ARP-funded radio project after field complaints

Commissioners defer decision on creating Bedford County budget committee pending legal review