Wilson County committee approves $300,000 refund to Rollins family from sewer access reserve fund

The Wilson County Sewer Access Committee voted to return $300,000 to the Rollins family, resolving a dispute over a $600,000 reservation fee paid for two parcels of land.

Committee members said the refund — approved by voice vote after an amendment — is conditional on documentation showing unusual circumstances and will be paid from the county’s sewer access reserve fund. The committee chair recorded the motion, and members answered “aye” when the amendment and final motion were called.

Why it matters: Committee members said they wanted to avoid setting an open-ended precedent for future refunds while recognizing that the Rollins family paid the fee in good faith and faced a denial letter that prevented the project from moving forward.

Details of the action and debate - The committee discussed two proposals: one side asked for a $200,000 refund and the Rollins representatives asked for $300,000. The Rollins representative described the $300,000 request as their preferred settlement. - A committee member moved to refund $300,000; another member amended the motion to specify the refund be paid from the sewer access reserve fund so other county accounts would not be affected. The amendment was accepted and the motion, as amended, carried on a voice vote (tally not specified in the transcript). - Members emphasized that the approval was tied to the Rollins family providing a denial letter from the City of Lebanon and that the refund should “resolve this completely,” meaning the committee would consider the matter concluded if the refund were paid.

What committee members said - A committee member who identified Samuel Jackson as one of the attorneys on the matter noted the two proposals “never crossed” and said either refund amount could be fair depending on circumstances. The Rollins representative said the family would accept $300,000 and asked the committee to approve that amount. - Committee members also said they would reflect in the meeting minutes that the approval occurred without a particular member (Hatcher) present.

Procedural and follow-up notes - Staff said the county could process the refund under its policies and indicated the refund could be completed within 30 days under the committee’s typical procedures. - Committee members asked that the terms be documented and that the refund be treated as a full resolution of the matter, so future requests related to the same facts would not be granted on a similar basis.

Ending: The committee concluded the item, noting they hoped not to encounter the same set of circumstances again but that the Rollins family would be notified in writing once details were finalized.