Hendersonville board approves budget amendment for Eagle View, traffic signal and cybersecurity grant

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved Ordinance 2024-23 (amending budget Ordinance 2024-08) at its Jan. 14 meeting to appropriate funds for the Eagle View project and several related items.

Why it matters: The amendment authorizes the city to use a cashier’s check and related developer fees that the city holds to complete work that the Eagle View developer did not finish, funds a traffic signal installation underway on Rockland Road, and budgets a $45,000 cybersecurity grant the police department already received.

City staff and aldermen described the amendment as a cleanup and catch-up measure to honor existing contracts and allocate received grant revenue. Tamara, the city’s finance director, told the board the amendment is “the same as it was” from the packet and confirmed that funds from a developer cashier’s check will be applied to the Eagle View work. Sarah (city staff) explained that some items in the amendment were outside the Eagle View subdivision but were urgent to complete now.

On the specific items, Sarah said the Rockland Road signal had been contracted and the contractor was installing equipment on the days of the meeting; staff wanted to appropriate the previously budgeted funds into the current fiscal account to honor that contract. Tamara noted the police department had been awarded a $45,000 cybersecurity grant in July and the city already received the revenue, so the appropriation will allow payment to the vendor who will perform the work.

Finance impact: Staff said the net impact to the general fund would be a use of $98,808 drawn from developer-fee sources restricted to that area. Tamara clarified that if developer fees are treated as a separate restricted source the impact to the unrestricted general fund would be zero.

Board process and vote: Alderman Eddie Robertson moved the ordinance; Alderman Garza seconded. The finance committee reviewed the amendment in a special-called meeting and reported unanimous support. The board voted to amend the main ordinance with the table of additional line items and then voted on second reading of Ordinance 2024-23 as amended; both the amendment and the ordinance passed unanimously.

Quotations on the record included Sarah’s explanation that the Rockland Road signal “was budgeted in fiscal year 24” and that a contract had been signed, and Tamara’s confirmation that the cybersecurity grant revenue had already been received. Alderman Sasse said the finance committee had its questions answered in the special-called meeting and noted the committee’s support for the amendment.

Next steps: Staff will issue a request for proposals for design work related to Eagle View entrance permitting (including TDOT permitting where applicable) and will return to the board if additional funding is needed after design and opinion-of-probable-costs are available.

Ending note: The ordinance amendment moves a set of targeted, previously discussed items into the current fiscal-year accounts so the city can honor contracts and spend grant revenue already received.