Committee keeps Gallatin Square ("Children Are People" building) discussions open; joint March 13 meeting set to review nonprofit proposal

Sumner County commissioners on Monday discussed a complex, exploratory proposal for the vacated Gallatin Square property — the building sometimes referenced in materials as the Children Are People building — and scheduled a joint meeting for March 13 so a nonprofit and court stakeholders can present plans for acquiring or using the site.

The committee's review covered an executed lease found in the meeting packet that the law director said "was not voted on by the county commission," raising questions about the lease's legal standing. Committee members and the county law director described the discussion as exploratory. "I chose to lie silent till there's decisions to be made," the law director said, explaining he had consulted the city attorney and intended to await committee direction.

Nonprofit present: Megan (director of the Sumner Prevention Coalition) identified her organization as the nonprofit interested in acquiring or leasing the property and said the group had already discussed possible arrangements with Gallatin Police and the volunteer fire department. "We want to work with everybody," she said during the meeting. Representatives from Recovery Court and community partners also explained plans to use parts of the property for recovery housing and other services; the committee said it expects presentations at the March 13 joint meeting.

Inventory and surplus process: The committee voted to have the county mayor and staff inventory the vacated Gallatin Square/old courthouse property and to run surplus items through the county surplus system (and GovDeals) if appropriate. Commissioners directed staff to return with findings and said the March 13 joint meeting is intended to gather details from the nonprofit and judge-led court representatives before the commission decides whether to sell, lease, subdivide or otherwise dispose of the property.

Why it matters: The property currently contains vehicles and equipment the committee described as a mix of Gallatin Police impounded vehicles, a volunteer fire truck, motorcycles and other county-owned items in and around the building. The committee noted that if a sale or transfer is considered, affected parties will need clear agreements on items stored there and on whether existing informal uses continue under a new owner or tenant.

Next steps: The committee kept the matter under "old business" pending the March 13 joint meeting; staff was asked to obtain any necessary property appraisals and to be prepared to discuss fair market value and disposition options after presentations from the nonprofit and court representatives.