Dickson County commissioners approve several reimbursements, send budget and policy amendments to regular session

At a March 3 work session, the Dickson County Commission approved two state reimbursement grants and voted to send a county budget amendment and a purchasing-policy update to the next regular meeting.

Commissioners voted by voice to accept a $31,500 State Fire Marshal grant for breathing-air packs and a $19,481.46 Homeland Security reimbursement grant, both described at the meeting as 100 percent reimbursement awards. Mister Fisher, who presented both grants, said the grants are reimbursement-style awards: "This is a 100% match style grant" for the fire marshal funds and the Homeland Security funding is likewise a "100% reimbursement style grant." Both motions passed by voice vote with no recorded roll-call totals announced.

The commission also moved two items to the March regular meeting for final action: a budget amendment to create a dedicated fund for required local matches on recently awarded state grants, and a revision to the county purchasing policy adding conflict-of-interest language requested by auditors. A county official described the budget request as seeking authority to set aside up to $100,000 from fund balance to cover local matches across multiple grants; the official said the immediate match on the first invoice was $8,000 and that staff does not expect more than $100,000 in total payouts before the end of the fiscal year. Commissioners voted to send both items to the regular session by voice vote.

The work session did not include recorded roll-call tallies; each motion was moved and seconded as noted in the meeting record and approved by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: - Budget amendment (all funds except schools): motion to move to regular session; mover: Commissioner McElwain; seconder: Commissioner Beatty; outcome: moved to regular session for final action. - Purchasing policy amendment (add auditor-requested conflict-of-interest language for federal awards): motion to move to regular session; mover: Commissioner Leger; seconder: Commissioner Buckner; outcome: moved to regular session for final action. - State Fire Marshal grant — $31,500 (reimbursement for air packs): presented by Mister Fisher; motion by Commissioner Spicer; second by Commissioner Petty; outcome: approved by voice vote. - Homeland Security grant — $19,481.46 (reimbursement): presented by Mister Fisher; motion by Commissioner McElwain; second by Commissioner Beatty; outcome: approved by voice vote.

The meeting record shows voice approval for each item; no individual vote tallies were recorded in the work-session minutes provided.

Ending: The items sent to the regular session will be considered at the commission's next regular meeting; staff indicated invoices and implementation details will follow if reimbursements are received.