MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Murfreesboro City Council voted July 17 to adopt a plan of services and annex roughly 827 acres that include the Middle Point landfill and adjacent rights of way, following a public hearing in which residents urged the city to gain regulatory oversight of the site.

The move brings the landfill property and a 6,000-linear-foot stretch of Lebanon Pike right of way into the city’s planning jurisdiction. The Council’s vote followed a staff presentation that said Tennessee Department of Transportation had sent a formal letter stating it “does not object” to the annexation and that the Planning Commission had recommended approval after removing certain rights-of-way from the study area.

City administration framed annexation as a means to secure local oversight, not to stop landfill operations. Sam Huddleston, city administration, told the council the city seeks “some input and oversight on the operation and maintenance and management of the site through our property maintenance, storm water and or fire inspection and other similar codes to the extent practical and allowed by law.” He emphasized the city cannot prohibit lawful landfill operations that are authorized by state air, water or waste permits.

Residents at the podium supported annexation and detailed concerns they say warrant city oversight. Sean McGowan, a Murfreesboro resident, said, “Republic is not the same company that they were 7 years ago. They’re much, much worse.” Dr. Jeremy Eber, who identified himself as a local resident, said he “fully support[s] the annexation of the land so we have better oversight and more regulation in place to protect our community.”

Speakers cited regulatory violations and contamination risks. Susan Allen, president of the Rutherford Neighborhood Alliance, summarized recent compliance findings, listing “unsatisfactory litter control, inadequate erosion control, failure to confine waste to a manageable area and inadequate maintenance of leachate systems,” and said soil shortages for daily cover had led to environmental damage where soil was scraped from surrounding lands. James Farley, a local resident who referenced the city’s amended complaint, cited sampling numbers discussed in the case, saying Bubba Springs showed “730 parts per trillion of PFOAs” and another runoff location “280 parts per trillion of PFOAs.” He noted the EPA’s UCMR 5 program had found 6.6 parts per trillion of PFOAs in Murfreesboro finished water at one sampling point, above the EPA benchmark he cited of 4 parts per trillion.

Other commenters urged complementary policy steps: Candida Lane, chairwoman of a statewide community organizing group, urged support for the Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act to expand recycling and materials-recovery infrastructure. Melissa Farley, a Murfreesboro resident with an MBA who testified on local real-estate impacts, cited academic and real-estate studies she said show large landfills can reduce adjacent property values by roughly 12.9 percent.

Planning staff noted the Plan of Services was amended after Planning Commission review to exclude certain skewed intersection rights-of-way and to better reflect fire and rescue service capabilities. The Planning Commission had conducted a public hearing May 7 and recommended approval subject to those exclusions.

Council members spoke about the city’s long-running litigation and oversight role. Mayor Shane McFarland told the audience the city’s lawsuit has been in mediation for 18 months and that any settlement document must be filed with the court by July 31; he said the settlement material will be public and encouraged residents to return for the July 31 meeting to comment.

Action: The council adopted the plan of services/annexation ordinance (submitted as ordinance 25 R PSA 23 on the agenda) by roll call. Votes recorded: Miss Aberwater — Aye; Miss Gills Harris — Aye; Mister Maxwell — Aye; Vice Mayor Schackler — Aye; Mister Wright — Aye; Mayor Shane McFarland — Aye. The motion passed unanimously.

What the annexation does and does not do: City staff said annexation places the property under city zoning, stormwater, floodplain and building standards for any future improvements, and would give the city enforcement tools for local code matters to the extent state law allows. Staff reiterated annexation is not being undertaken to facilitate or promote an expansion, nor to prevent operations lawfully authorized by state environmental permits.

Next steps and outstanding issues include coordination over utilities and service provision as laid out in the Plan of Services and continued litigation and mediation activity. Staff and council members recommended returning to the council if additional public input is needed once any settlement documents are filed.