Hawkins County commission approves airport grant, radio purchases, appointments and multiple budget amendments

The Hawkins County Board of Commissioners at its Feb. 24 meeting approved use of federal and local funds for airport terminal renovations, authorized purchase of radios using opioid-abatement revenue, appointed a planning commission member for District 2, adopted the county's annual road list and approved several budget amendments affecting general and school funds.

The actions bundle together grant allocations, personnel appointments and budget changes the county said are needed to move projects forward. Commissioners also discussed marketing for the airport after approving the federal allocation and heard questions about timing and scope for emergency radio purchases tied to first-responder programs.

Most significant among the measures, the commission approved resolution 20250202 to accept and allocate $110,000 awarded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for airport improvements. The resolution allocates $62,100 for design of terminal renovations and $42,300 for professional construction services; both allocations carry small state and local matches specified in the resolution. The county mayor, Martin Whitley, was authorized to sign documents related to the expenditures.

The board also approved resolution 20250205 to spend $47,069.96 remaining in the county's opioid-abatement account on mobile and portable radios to support volunteer first-responder cardiac-response programs and interoperable communications with Hawkins County EMS. Commissioners discussed whether the state's planned transition to the TETRA/TAKEN-style statewide radio system would affect purchases; staff said a local antenna site and further planning will be needed before full statewide migration.

Other votes included a planning commission appointment for District 2, adoption of the county road list for 2025, a general-fund budget amendment, and two school-fund amendments presented by the Hawkins County Board of Education. The commission also approved a batch of notary commissions.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 20250202 (Airport BIL funds): Motion to accept and allocate $110,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for terminal design and construction services; mover: Commissioner Barker; second: Commissioner Palmer; outcome: approved (recorded as "Resolution passes" in the minutes). Specific roll-call tally not specified in the transcript text.

- Resolution 20250203 (Planning Commission appointment): Motion to appoint Timothy Lingafeld (District 2) to the Hawkins County Planning Commission to complete a term through Nov. 30, 2028; mover: Commissioner Gillum; second: Commissioner Gibson; recorded vote: 8 yes, 4 no, 2 absent; outcome: approved.

- Resolution 20250204 (County road list): Motion to approve the county road list for the calendar year (list includes surface types, widths and newly accepted roads); mover: Commissioner Thacker; second: not specified in the transcript; recorded vote: 12 yes, 2 absent; outcome: approved.

- Resolution 20250205 (Opioid-abatement funds for radios): Motion to authorize Hawkins County EMA to purchase mobile and portable radios with remaining 2023 state opioid-abatement funds ($47,069.96) and assign radios to Hawkins County EMS for first-responder cardiac-response programs; mover: Commissioner Gillum; second: not specified in the transcript; recorded vote: 12 yes, 2 absent; outcome: approved.

- Resolution 20250206 (General fund budget amendment): Motion to approve a general-fund budget amendment tied to public-safety expenditures (text in minutes); mover: Commissioner Gillum; second: Commissioner Wagner; recorded vote: 11 yes, 1 abstain, 2 absent; outcome: approved. Commissioners noted the amendment does not increase maintenance-of-effort requirements.

- Resolution 20250207 (General purpose school fund amendment): Motion to approve a school fund budget amendment as requested by the Hawkins County Board of Education; mover: Commissioner Barker; second: Commissioner Gibson; recorded vote: 12 yes, 2 absent; outcome: approved.

- Resolution 20250208 (School transportation fund amendment): Motion to approve a school transportation-fund amendment as requested by the Hawkins County Board of Education; mover: Commissioner Barker; second: Commissioner Palmer; outcome: approved (recorded as passed in the minutes; detailed tally not specified).

- Resolution 20250209 (Notaries): Motion to approve notary commissions; mover: Commissioner Gibson; second: Commissioner Gillum; recorded vote: 12 yes, 2 absent; outcome: approved.

What commissioners said and asked

Commissioners asked for follow-up on airport marketing tied to the terminal renovation and on how radio purchases would fit with the state's long-term radio plan. The minutes record a question from the commission about a marketing plan for the airport after the terminal renovation was described; staff said the terminal improvements and future hangar development are intended to make the airport more attractive to pilots and to generate rent revenue when hangars come online.

On emergency communications, commissioners and staff discussed prior purchases of DMR-capable radios and whether installation costs would fall to local volunteer departments. Hawkins County officials said installation responsibility will be coordinated with Jamie Miller, the county EMA director, and that additional funding/work will be scheduled as needs are identified.

Why it matters

The actions authorize use of federal and state-derived funds for airport and public-safety upgrades, appoint a planner to the county's advisory body for development matters, and adopt budget amendments that affect county and school operations. The radio purchases were explicitly tied to volunteer first-responder cardiac-response programs; the road-list approval sets the official inventory that governs county road maintenance planning.

What's next

The county mayor was authorized to sign documents tied to the airport grant. Staff committed to follow up on road-list discrepancies and to coordinate radio purchases and installations with EMA and volunteer departments; commissioners requested further information on airport marketing and the timeline for any statewide radio migration.