Public Safety Committee forwards $50 increase in offender notification fee to County Commission

The Bedford County Public Safety Committee on Monday voted to send a resolution to the County Commission that would raise the registered-offender community-notification fee by $50, from $150 to $200, to pay for a notification system and related costs.

Commissioner Adam Thomas opened the new-business discussion on a resolution introduced by a committee presenter, who said the proposal grew from statewide reports of reoffending by registered offenders and discussions with local law enforcement. The presenter told the committee the increase was meant to support tools and outreach that could improve situational awareness for residents.

A sheriff's office representative told the committee the county currently has about 162 registered offenders across Tennessee Department of Correction, the sheriff's office, and the city of Shippen jurisdictions; 62 of those individuals are seen in the sheriff's office, and six are in continuous-care facilities such as nursing homes. The representative said the notification-system fee must be enacted by county resolution and would be deposited into a restricted county account used only for registry-related purposes.

"This money does not come from the general fund," the sheriff's office representative said. "It is completely funded by the offenders, and it will go into a restricted account." The representative added that existing registry funds are used for files, technology such as iPads, and to defray personnel costs for home visits.

Committee members pressed staff on how notifications would be delivered and who would receive them. One member asked about posting notices in parks and whether signage would be permitted; the sheriff's office representative suggested bulletin boards at recreation centers and said staff had discussed distributing information through the local school system to reach children and families.

County legal counsel, after reviewing the Tennessee Code Annotated, said they had not identified a statutory barrier to the county enacting the notification fee but urged staff to confirm technical and procedural limits with 9-1-1 and GIS staff before selecting delivery methods. Counsel warned that emergency broadcast procedures differ from non-emergency public-notification messages and that the county should avoid running afoul of rigid requirements for emergency cell-phone alerts.

The committee also discussed how current payments are handled. Staff said most registered offenders comply with the $150 payment; three are listed as indigent and exempt. The existing $150 is remitted in part to the county registry fund and in part to the state: the sheriff's office representative said $100 of the current fee goes to the county registry fund and $50 is retained by the state for administrative fees.

After the presentation and questions, a committee member moved to forward the resolution to the County Commission for debate and a vote; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The resolution would only take effect if the full County Commission votes to adopt it. The committee asked staff to provide sample language and an example resolution (spring Hill's resolution was identified as an available template), to clarify restrictions on the restricted account, and to coordinate with 9-1-1 and GIS staff about delivery options before the County Commission considers the measure.