Bedford County committee votes unanimously to send unfavorable recommendation on proposed Wastewater Authority bill after expert testimony and public concerns

The Bedford County Courthouse and Property Committee voted unanimously to send an unfavorable recommendation to the full county commission on Resolution 25-14, a proposed private act to establish a Bedford County Wastewater Authority.

The committee action followed a study-session format that included a remote presentation by Steven White, a utility operations consultant with the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS); a technical briefing from Brad Harris and Britton Dodson of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC); questions from commissioners; and public comments from county residents.

The proposal before the committee would authorize creation of a separate authority with regulatory powers over certain wastewater systems in Bedford County. Steven White told the committee that under the draft language, "once the county appoints that first board and it's approved, then y'all are out of it," meaning the authority would operate as a quasi-governmental body with independent powers over bylaws and appointments. White added that…