[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6107287,"mediaKeyId","2777064-c8b59eaa817848caf6edf3c28d007481","parentId",2777064,"title","City council revises MOU to add annexed roads, offer one-year reimbursement for lost fire tax; commission to review updated agreement","audioSeconds",118,"startMs",45455,"endMs",164000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2777064-c8b59eaa817848caf6edf3c28d007481&start=45&end=164","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2777064-c8b59eaa817848caf6edf3c28d007481/thumbnail_45455.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6107287/Bradley-County/Tennessee/City-council-revises-MOU-to-add-annexed-roads-offer-one-year-reimbursement-for-lost-fire-tax-commission-to-review-updated-agreement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107287-3ec2c753a374ae99f7ef6f2492b3b942/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176613&Signature=J4YV-L8sSi9ib-Tcevie-tLBnpFRrNaUrYlm7E5ehotmTreEb4d7fXtGq9EIgQ8va2bJkv-EVwcRBBFvm1iIbdVrK~WGJHCOAZWGjG~bEn509XJQglUY1Pc0yJgyyZct14wsXW7pf-SSPEABQ4GXQXXWgTRKgcJDgyNgsrgo5N5U0XbN8ZQovymvrez7y0qbkz-52~3bMNiw38dwTKneANc1ZssTSgZOzWRE4zHbSfuSIS2axrjci7JWa5x~p~1wwjtepsnq3NEDIUa~eo7fGRISXZFEucgXZJNCdAZdFP~qx7BkkO7JetlM~ubWhNI-pSRptj2zHbCmj4gzUuVjQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bradley County, TN","date","2025-03-25T12:11:37Z","article","Adam, the county EMS director, reported that the Cleveland City Council recently amended a memorandum of understanding related to annexations that the Bradley County Commission will vote on at an upcoming session scheduled “on the fourth,” two Mondays from the work session.

The changes Adam described include three specific items: the city will put in writing that it will take responsibility for Menace Road and the portion of Tasso Road affected by the annexations; it will include a hold-harmless clause covering the county’s loss of fire tax revenue from annexed property; and the city will reimburse the county for one year’s worth of lost fire tax on annexed parcels if the county agrees to the MOU.

Adam said the city separately proposed forming a joint committee—he described it as a six-person panel, “3 and 3”—charged with studying long-term, permanent solutions to the effect of annexations on emergency services and response. He said the updated MOU would be provided to county staff (Laurie) and distributed to commissioners for review before the scheduled vote.

Why it matters: annexations can shift tax bases and alter which agency responds to emergencies. The commission will have a formal opportunity to review the amended MOU before taking a vote; the proposed one-year reimbursement and the joint study committee are the principal changes Adam identified.

No formal motion or vote on the county side was recorded at the work session. Commissioners and staff were told the revised MOU copy will be provided in advance of the commission’s voting session so members can examine the text before the scheduled vote.

Sources and attributions: statements above are attributed to Adam (identified in the meeting transcript as the county EMS director) and to the chairman’s direction to circulate the document to staff and commissioners for review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/24/25 - County Commission Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Adam, the county EMS director, told the commission that the Cleveland City Council amended an MOU on annexations to add two named roads, include a hold‑harmless clause for fire‑tax losses and to reimburse the county for one year of lost fire tax; commissioners were told they will receive the updated MOU before a vote scheduled “on the fourth.”","taxTitle","Bradley County, Tennessee","taxId",54286,"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},6107277,"Residents and commissioners press for accountability at county shelter contract; SPCA board governance and facility needs under scrutiny",1994,1350140,3344395,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2777064-c8b59eaa817848caf6edf3c28d007481&start=1350&end=3344","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2777064-c8b59eaa817848caf6edf3c28d007481/thumbnail_1350140.jpg","/articles/6107277/Bradley-County/Tennessee/Residents-and-commissioners-press-for-accountability-at-county-shelter-contract-SPCA-board-governance-and-facility-needs-under-scrutiny","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107277-e45c412393496c32bbe0daf26e0709ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176614&Signature=CTL91yQOGBNYkg9~qVfPLDMNU7F38jIS~EF~rqSp5gIZ1ikwVsGTeSLHPvFgMxRJtSkotXI9QNMXbOfSWy7YFOLlrjOXqP~NvmRFtFODzy2uLB3tQupvlJTYhTQ1SbjO3eIA~pHTmIMBjBxHOzLh3IyZT0XdGO0f8A7v-Xkci9j2floVDUW8q8P~1cVwofDtxBIHXCxTUg6akt5BjvOidSSIUDTaoGfzONs50DFrc6dFEWjoeWltlMzUW6ZfUwLkCdCsC41hJyU5V2VLdZnUiSRiokWnbnl~DeI9R447VU2AsMpGDx1kS~KGrft-50guusQC4scGMXomazl8r-1Ntg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public comment at the work session focused on long‑standing concerns about the SPCA of Bradley County’s operation under the county contract. Several speakers, including volunteers and rescue operators, described facilities they said need major improvement, staff working under difficult conditions, and a lack of responsiveness from the SPCA board to questions about finances and plans for a new facility.

Dave Greer, a volunteer at the shelter, said he had presented questions to the board about tax returns and plans for a new building and received no answers; he said the board “has gone radio silent” and that he believes the board’s lack of public meetings may conflict with the Tennessee Open Meetings Act as he read it. Greer told commissioners the county currently pays about $260,000 a year under the contract and warned that without a plan to access funds or build a new facility the county’s options are limited when the contract comes up for renewal.

Several commissioners echoed the public speakers’ concerns. Commissioner Gilbert and others described a pattern of calls from residents who could not find a place to confine loose dogs and questioned whether county taxpayers are receiving the contracted services. Commissioners and members of the public discussed the community foundation and private fundraising: speakers said the community foundation is holding substantial donations for the shelter (one speaker said nearly $1 million is being held), which complicates the county’s leverage because those funds are tied to the existing organization.

Rescue operators at the meeting, including Michelle Schimpaugh of Journey’s Legacy, said they regularly move animals out of the county when possible and raised a specific case of a special‑needs dog (referred to as “Toby”) that they said needed advanced care not available at the county shelter. Schimpaugh and others asked why animals are being retained locally when external rescues were prepared to take them.

Legal and procedural points were raised: multiple speakers noted that the county’s contract with the SPCA contains a 90‑day termination clause in the lease or contract language, but county counsel and commissioners cautioned that invoking it without documented grounds for breach would risk legal conflict; commissioners said they need an operational replacement plan before ending the contract so that animal control services would not lapse. Commissioners also said the formal contract term extends two more years unless breached or renegotiated; speakers urged the commission to request that the SPCA board appear at a public meeting to answer questions.

Action and next steps recorded at the work session were limited to accepting public comment and discussing how to obtain more information: commissioners agreed staff can accept written questions from the public to forward to the board, and several commissioners said they would be open to seeing an alternate proposal if a qualified organization presented a concrete plan to operate the shelter and a timeline to replace the current contract.

Attributions: the summary above cites statements by Dave Greer (citizen volunteer), Michelle Schimpaugh (Journey’s Legacy), Commissioner Gilbert and other commissioners; quotations and factual claims about the contract and the 90‑day clause were discussed in the meeting by public commenters and commissioners and were not recorded as a formal county determination at the work session.","Multiple public commenters and several commissioners raised concerns about the SPCA of Bradley County's management, transparency, facility condition and use of county funds; speakers urged greater accountability, discussed a 90‑day termination clause in the county contract and asked the board to meet publicly to answer questions.",{"_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},6107282,"Commission hears concerns about inmate transfers to out‑of‑county hospitals; law‑enforcement committee to meet",348,780575,1129000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2777064-c8b59eaa817848caf6edf3c28d007481&start=780&end=1129","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2777064-c8b59eaa817848caf6edf3c28d007481/thumbnail_780575.jpg","/articles/6107282/Bradley-County/Tennessee/Commission-hears-concerns-about-inmate-transfers-to-outofcounty-hospitals-lawenforcement-committee-to-meet","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107282-f5163e983303d344d2590c112670734f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176614&Signature=NcG994Fcc2e2Be47rY2KOKSb46IDCRtArpVB1H2N1Q45oeDKn5-1RIscu5pJ-kRs~ZY9MN--vmeiHRU1bTfnKzfh7QLLxm1P1kMfZJ-eMFzzdBKfxaHFAudSskWX73v1d-HYKshIG4SuvlhHvkm5Bs8PANYZUqh02WIE9h37kZYVNDbjS5ZB3gvIFSv1Z0GFnG-tuPGGq9ZX4GRF~yb~gL7C9ekl9dx1eWsytznI3f~xyj~leF6aqj8EznVFhcF5OnFVj-rAXnjgJFq5HQnJnuxoyxQXpi8CNGQyPrEShaz9a0hatdOcZDIlWM8k0PYQZIv1T3AOP-~qqfsS1WSt4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioners discussed inmate medical transfers to hospitals outside Bradley County after jurors reported deputies traveling to Nashville to accompany inmates for care. Commissioner Alford asked county EMS director Adam to explain the transfers and potential budget effects.

Adam said the recent cases involved patients for whom the local hospital did not have the required specialty available at the time. He described one inmate transferred to Knoxville to see an ear‑nose‑throat specialist and another whose eye condition required urgent specialist evaluation; in both examples the local facility lacked the specialty on call or available at that hour. He emphasized he could not speak for hospital decision‑making and that hospital capabilities vary; he also said hospitals must treat emergency patients but may transfer when they lack a specialty.

On budgetary impact, Adam said the county’s expenses increase when deputies must travel with inmates—overtime and overnight lodging are real costs for the sheriff’s office—but he said he could not provide the medical bills without seeing invoices. Commissioners and staff also noted that litigation and class‑action suits involving jail medical care statewide have made providers and detainment officials more cautious about transfers.

After discussion the chairman and commissioners agreed it would be appropriate for the law‑enforcement committee to meet with the sheriff to examine the issue further; the chairman asked that the committee coordinate a date with staff (Laurie). No formal vote was recorded; the committee meeting will be scheduled as a follow‑up so commissioners can get more detail about frequency, costs and whether in‑house medical decisions align with contract expectations.

Attributions: direct explanations of transfer reasons are attributed to Adam; the committee referral was made by the chairman and accepted by commissioners.","Commissioners raised budget concerns after jurors reported deputies traveling to Nashville with inmates; Adam, the county EMS director, explained transfers occurred when local hospitals lacked the specialty needed and the sheriff's office will meet with the law‑enforcement committee to review practices and costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City council revises MOU to add annexed roads, offer one-year reimbursement for lost fire tax; commission to review updated agreement

Residents and commissioners press for accountability at county shelter contract; SPCA board governance and facility needs under scrutiny

Commission hears concerns about inmate transfers to out‑of‑county hospitals; law‑enforcement committee to meet