Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Disposition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County schedules joint meeting on "Children’s Building" after nonprofit and city dispute lease status
Summary
Sumner County General Operations Committee set a joint meeting with the opioid committee March 13 to hear a nonprofit and judges on a proposal to use the county-owned "Children’s Building"; committee members discussed an executed but unratified lease with Gallatin and potential use of opioid settlement funds.
County schedules joint meeting on "Children’s Building" after nonprofit and city dispute lease status
Sumner County committee members on March 3 set a joint meeting with the opioid committee for March 13 to hear a nonprofit and members of the court system present a proposal to use the county-owned property (referred to in the packet as the "Children’s Building"). Committee members said the presentation will explain how the nonprofit would operate from the site and whether opioid-settlement funds could be used for acquisition or operations.
Staff told the committee the county’s packet included a 2014 resolution allowing the City of Gallatin to use a lot behind the former health department building and a lease document (pages 84–86 of the packet) that committee members said had not been ratified by the county commission. Committee members and legal counsel noted that the lack of a recorded commission vote means the lease’s legal status is in question and could affect future disposition or transfer of the property.
Committee members said the site currently contains abandoned vehicles and county equipment; staff described roughly 30 abandoned cars outside and several motorcycles, a Humvee and a volunteer fire-truck inside the fenced area. Committee members discussed options including a sale, a lease to the nonprofit, or a subdivision of the property to transfer part of it to the nonprofit while preserving other uses.
County legal counsel (Mr. Sidler) said he will research whether the county may enter a land lease that allows a tenant to make improvements while leaving those improvements with the property owner at lease end. Commissioners discussed ordering a fair-market appraisal if the county determines a sale would be considered. Several commissioners emphasized not rushing a decision and agreed the March 13 joint meeting should allow both the nonprofit and the City of Gallatin to explain their needs.
The committee directed staff to invite a representative of the Gallatin Police Department to the meeting to explain what items the city expects to retain or remove and whether the city needs storage at the site. Committee members also discussed the possibility that the nonprofit would purchase the whole property and negotiate any existing usage with Gallatin as part of any sale or transfer.
No formal disposition decision was made at the March 3 meeting; staff will host the joint meeting March 13 and report outcomes back to the General Operations Committee.
