Coffee County committee forwards Abatement Fund disbursement plan to county commission

The Coffee County Abatement Fund Disbursement Committee voted unanimously March 12 to forward a funding plan developed by Vice Chair Lee Nettles to the county budget office and, pending budget review, to the Coffee County Commission for final approval.

Nettles told the committee he calculated a funding package that covers the four agencies that applied for Abatement Fund money for an initial 2.5‑month startup period followed by a full county fiscal year of support. "I wanted to completely fund these things because I wanted a good start up monies for you to get your feet on the ground and running," Nettles said during the meeting.

Why it matters: the decision would commit the committee to recommend using Abatement Fund proceeds to support local recovery and public‑safety related programs while directing recipients to provide quarterly performance reports before receiving subsequent quarterly payments. The recommendation, if accepted by the county commission, would distribute most of the money requested by the applicants while leaving a small balance for contingencies.

What the committee approved and what remains to be verified - The motion the committee approved sends Nettles' plan to the budget office for verification and then to the county commission (action recorded below). Committee members asked the budget director, Mariana (budget director, name in record: Mariana), to confirm the arithmetic and account line items before the commission meeting. - Nettles reported two related totals during discussion: he said one calculation produced $480,789.81 when he first applied the 2.5‑month adjustment and then later stated the consolidated proposal would come to $475,517, leaving roughly $5,000 unallocated. Committee members repeatedly said Mariana should validate and, if necessary, refine those numbers before the commission acts.

Which applicants are affected and prior funding - Nettles listed four applicants who submitted proposals to the committee: Coffee County Collaborative Coalition; the Public Defender's Office (listed as the "fourteenth Public Defender's Office" in the record); Chase Away Fentanyl; and Recovery Is A New High. The committee also noted that the Coffee County Commission previously voted to allocate $100,000 to a Recovery Court separate from the four applications under review; that prior allocation did not come through this committee but was mentioned as background during the discussion.

Reporting, disbursement schedule and exceptions - Committee members directed that disbursements be made quarterly and that recipients provide quarterly reports with statistics and a brief synopsis of activities before receiving the next quarter's payment. The budgeting office will issue quarterly draws, and the committee agreed to require documentation of activities and contacts as part of oversight. - Applicants may request deviations from the quarterly schedule (for example, to cover large up‑front startup costs). The committee established a procedure: applicants must submit a written request explaining the deviation, which will be routed through the mayor's office (Mayor Dennis Hunt) to the committee; the chairman may call a special meeting to consider such requests. - Alan Vickers, representing Chase Away Fentanyl, told the committee that initial development costs can be front‑loaded: "that program alone is $30,000," he said, urging flexibility for start‑up expenditures.

Next steps and meeting schedule - The committee will forward Nettles' plan to the county budget office for verification (Mariana) and to the CTAS representative (Trevor) for review of any procedural issues. If budget staff validate the numbers, the recommendation will go to the Coffee County Commission for action at its next appropriate meeting (committee members referenced an April 8 commission meeting as the likely earliest venue). The committee scheduled its next meeting for June 25, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. to align review cycles with the county fiscal year and upcoming disbursement timing.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the agenda (March 12 meeting): motion introduced and seconded; committee approved (no individual tally recorded in the transcript). - Motion to forward Nettles' disbursement plan to budget and then to the county commission: moved by Leslie Brassfield (Manchester City Schools representative), seconded (record indicates a second), vote recorded as unanimous. Committee members present who voted in favor and are recorded in the transcript: Judge Robert Carter (chairman) — yes; Lee Nettles (vice chair) — yes; Roseanne Smith (county commissioner) — yes; Leslie Brassfield (Manchester City Schools) — yes; Mayor Dennis Hunt (Mayor) — yes; Jeff Kiel (All Creatures Vet Clinic) — yes. Total recorded: 6 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain. - Motion to adjourn and set next meeting for June 25, 2025: moved and accepted; no separate roll call recorded.

What the record does not specify - The transcript does not include finalized, budget‑office‑verified line‑by‑line numbers for each applicant (Mariana was asked to confirm those figures). The transcript also does not record any county commission vote on the recommendation; the committee only forwarded the plan for that body’s consideration.

The committee's action now moves to Coffee County's budget office for numeric verification and then to the county commission for approval. If applicants seek a departure from the announced quarterly schedule, the committee agreed they must submit a written request for the chairman to circulate and, if appropriate, call a special meeting to consider it.