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Hamilton County considers contract with Poplar Group to advocate in Nashville; compensation and deliverables outlined
Summary
A resolution would authorize a professional services contract with the Poplar Group to represent Hamilton County before state leadership; the proposed compensation schedule and deliverables were discussed at length.
Hamilton County commissioners discussed a proposed professional services contract with the Poplar Group to represent county interests in the Tennessee state capital. The resolution authorizes the county mayor to sign the contract.
County leadership said the selection prioritized a firm familiar with Hamilton County and the Lee administration, limited conflicts of interest and clear deliverables describing communications between the firm's Nashville-based team and the commission. The mayor said the proposed compensation in the resolution is $7,500 per month for the first six months of (session) and $6,000 per month for the second six months; staff identified the arrangement as less costly than the county's previous engagement and noted it comes in under the current fiscal year budget.
The county requested specific deliverables including biweekly reports during legislative session and at least monthly reports out of session, plus periodic in-person touchpoints when feasible. Commissioners asked to meet the full Poplar Group team before a final vote; the mayor said commissioner one-on-one or Zoom meetings would be arranged and that the firm's founder and CEO, Chris Devaney, was present in the meeting. The mayor also outlined policy priorities he expects the firm to pursue, including a share of real estate transfer taxes, state compensation for certain school security officers, and a large state investment in the Chattanooga riverfront project.
Commissioners raised questions about the vetting process, the number of firms interviewed (the mayor said three were interviewed and several others vetted), and whether the contract's deliverables would reflect a countywide legislative agenda. One commissioner asked that the deliverables be revised to explicitly list priorities such as the real estate transfer tax and riverfront funding; the mayor said staff would consider that and that the commission could formalize priorities later in the year. The transcript records the resolution reading and extended discussion; no roll-call vote or final contract execution is recorded in the provided excerpt.
