The Sumner County Brown House ad hoc committee met to organize a restoration effort for the William and Martha Brown House and to shepherd use of funds left to the county for a park and historic house.

Committee members agreed the ad hoc's immediate purpose is to prepare the property for renovation and to report recommendations to the county's General Operations (GenOps) committee. The group discussed a finance-led RFQ to select an architect; once the architect is on board, the project manager will work with finance to issue an RFP for construction bids.

The committee noted the original bequest left funds to the county for the house and park; the ad hoc reported an available balance of about $587,000 (the chairman's summary of available funds referenced the original $500,000 bequest plus accruals). Members said budget constraints mean the initial work must prioritize making the house structurally safe and historically accurate, with residual funds used for park improvements only if money remains.

On procurement, members said state law requires an architect to stamp construction documents because of the project's scope and cost. The finance department is handling the RFQ process and expected to award the architect contract the week following the meeting. The architect will then produce the RFP and specifications that contractors will bid on.

Access and site-preparation were a major focus. Committee members said the Corps of Engineers and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) have defined riparian-buffer boundaries for the property; the next steps are to have Don Long or road-superintendent staff stake the boundary, mow and bush-hog the immediate area around the house, and provide temporary gravel and a culvert for construction access. Members agreed staking and mowing could be done quickly once an on-site footprint is confirmed, but that gravel and fencing require budget approval through GenOps or the county.

The committee set a recurring meeting time (third Thursday at 5:30 p.m., cancelable if no business) and agreed to provide monthly updates to GenOps. The chair said he will report back to GenOps in December and the ad hoc will call special meetings as needed to accelerate the RFQ/RFP timeline.

"We want to get shovels in the ground," a committee member said, summarizing the urgency expressed by several members. The committee emphasized prioritizing house stabilization first in order to preserve the historic fabric of the structure.

Next steps: finance to complete the RFQ award for an architect, the ad hoc to coordinate staking and mowing with county road staff, and GenOps to consider any budget approvals for gravel, fencing or contractor work.