McMinn County Commission approves procurement awards, budget amendments, fire-hydrant grants and property sale

McMinn County Board of Commissioners on June 15, 2015, approved a set of procurement contracts, budget amendments, rural fire-hydrant grants and other routine business affecting county operations and school funding. The meeting, held in the Blue Room of the McMinn County Courthouse, concluded at 7:54 p.m.

The commission voted to award a kitchen dishwasher bid for the McMinn County Justice Center to Katom of Kodak, Tenn., at $29,281.02; to contract Southern Construction Group, LLC of Athens for pumping and hauling landfill leachate at $0.0489 per gallon for July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016; and to renew or award several annual and semi-annual supply bids including waste tire processing to Liberty Tire Recyclers and pipe and janitorial supply contracts to Contech and other lowest bidders meeting specifications. The commission also approved a change order of $7,680.70 with Wilson Construction for 2014 school security upgrades and a contract-threshold increase in county purchasing from $10,000 to $25,000, consistent with Public Chapter 457 and as recommended by the finance director.

Why it matters: the package of approvals implements vendor contracts and budget adjustments that affect county operations (public safety, schools, landfill operations and highway materials), adjusts purchasing authority consistent with new state law, and directs limited one-time grants for rural fire protection.

Key approvals and details

- Resolution No. 15-071: Award kitchen dishwasher bid for the McMinn County Justice Center to Katom of Kodak, Tenn., $29,281.02. Motion by Commissioner Dale Holbrook; second by Commissioner Charles Slack. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-072: Award pumping and hauling of landfill leachate to Southern Construction Group, LLC (Athens, Tenn.) at $0.0489 per gallon for July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016. Motion by Commissioner Dale Holbrook; second by Commissioner J.W. McPhail. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-073: Extend annual waste tire processing contract with Liberty Tire Recyclers for July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016 at the prior rate. Motion by Commissioner Charles Slack; second by Commissioner Jerry Millsaps. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-074: Award annual pipe bid (steel pipe and corrugated poly pipe) to Contech of Englewood, Tenn., as lowest bidders meeting specifications. Motion by Commissioner Scott Curtis; second by Commissioner Brent Carter. Commissioner Charles Slack abstained; motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-075: Award annual janitorial products bid to lowest bidders meeting specifications per recommendations from the courthouse maintenance supervisor and sheriff. Motion by Commissioner Charles Slack; second by Commissioner J.W. McPhail. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-076: Approve semi-annual paper-and-plastics products bid awards to lowest bidders meeting specifications (with an exception noted in the packet for All American Poly due to past service/delivery issues). Motion by Commissioner Jerry Millsaps; second by Commissioner Charles Slack. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-077: Approve Change Order Two with Wilson Construction for 2014 security upgrades for McMinn County Schools in the amount of $7,680.70. Motion by Commissioner J.W. McPhail; second by Commissioner Charles Slack. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-078: Increase threshold for formal bidding requirements from $10,000 to $25,000 in accordance with Public Chapter 457 and Tennessee Code Annotated, as recommended by Finance Director Jason Luallen. Motion by Commissioner J.W. McPhail; second by Commissioner Charles Slack. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-079: Declare specified highway department items surplus property. Motion by Commissioner Dale Holbrook; second by Commissioner Roger Masingale. Commissioner Charles Slack abstained; motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-080: Approve annual amendment to the McMinn County Sanitary Landfill “Contract in Lieu of Performance Bond” to reflect updated financial-assurance amounts for permits (SNL 54-0003 adjusted from $369,407.00 to $337,619.04; SNL 54-0003-ext adjusted from $2,344,373.00 to $2,380,710.74). Motion by Commissioner J.W. McPhail; second by Commissioner Jerry Millsaps. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-081 and Resolution No. 15-082: Approve two rural fire-hydrant grant applications (one for County Road 502/Hickory Acres, submitted by Jonathan Parrott of the Englewood Fire District; one for County Road 619 at County Road 609, submitted by Brandon Frost of the Etowah Rural Fire District). Each grant provides up to $3,000 per hydrant pending available funds and Budget Committee approval. Motions: 15-081 moved by Commissioner Dale Holbrook, seconded by Commissioner Charles Slack; 15-082 moved by Commissioner Dale Holbrook, seconded by Commissioner Tim King. Both motions carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-083: Declare a donated 1.01-acre parcel on County Road 316 surplus and authorize sale at public auction; proceeds to be donated to North McMinn Fire Department for construction of a new fire station after North McMinn secures a deed to a replacement parcel. Motion by Commissioner J.W. McPhail; second by Commissioner Jerry Millsaps. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Resolution No. 15-084: Confirm appointment of Cheryl Ingram to the McMinn County Regional Planning Commission to fill an unexpired term through July 1, 2016. Motion by Commissioner Charles Slack; second by Commissioner J.W. McPhail. Motion carried by voice vote.

Budget and other formal votes

- School budget amendments (General Purpose School Fund #141 Safe Schools Act transfers and 21st Century CLC grant amendment for Englewood Elementary): Motion to approve by Commissioner Charles Slack; second by Commissioner Jerry Millsaps. Roll-call vote recorded: Scott Curtis Aye; Dale Holbrook Aye; Tim King Absent; Roger Masingale Aye; Brent Carter Aye; J.W. McPhail Aye; Jerry Millsaps Aye; Tad Simpson Absent; Charles Slack Aye; Chairman David Crews Aye. Motion carried.

- Federal projects budget amendments (IDEA Preschool and Title I adjustments): Motion to approve by Commissioner Scott Curtis; second by Commissioner J.W. McPhail. Roll-call vote recorded with the same ayes/absent pattern as above; motion carried.

- Approval of minutes of the May 18, 2015 regular session: Motion by Commissioner Dale Holbrook; second by Commissioner Charles Slack. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Notary applications (multiple names submitted to the County Clerk’s Office) were approved by motion of Commissioner J.W. McPhail; second by Commissioner Charles Slack. Motion carried by voice vote.

What the meeting did not do

The commission took no executive session and no contested or recorded roll-call defeats were reported beyond abstentions and absences noted above. No public-comments were recorded at the meeting.

Meeting context and next steps

Most items were routine procurement or administrative actions recommended by county staff or department heads (finance director, highway commissioner, landfill supervisor, courthouse maintenance supervisor, sheriff, and the school board). Several actions depend on external partners: the rural-hydrant grants require installation and billing by local utility providers (Etowah Utility Board signed provider agreements in the packet), and the surplus-parcel sale requires North McMinn Fire Department to secure replacement property before proceeds are donated. The commission adjourned at 7:54 p.m.