Benton County commissioners approve broadband policy, recycling plan and multiple budget allocations

Benton County commissioners approved a series of resolutions and budget amendments at their Sept. 16, 2019, meeting, including a broadband communities policy, a county recycling plan and multiple school- and county-related budget allocations.

Resolution 20190916-03 (Benton County Broadband Ready Communities Policy) was approved after an amendment revising a cost item in section 2, paragraph 2, item B to read $0 rather than $100. Resolution 20190916-04 (the county recycling plan) was amended twice: commissioners directed aluminum cans from the recycling program to the Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation Center and removed a phrase (reported in the minutes as 'and 3'); the amended recycling plan passed on roll call with 14 Ayes and 3 Nays.

The board approved a series of budget resolutions on voice votes: Resolution 20190916-05 budgeted $887.02 within the Animal Shelter’s budget; 20190916-06 (budgeting $19,869.29 to the Sheriff’s budget) was pulled by Sheriff Kenny Christopher and not approved at that time; 20190916-07 budgeted $2,800 for county buildings maintenance. School-related appropriations approved included a $36,000 state education grant (20190916-08), $26,450 from insurance recovery (20190916-09), a $140,000 School Resource Officer grant (20190916-10) and a $52,317.20 Transition School to Work grant (20190916-11). The board also approved Resolution 20190916-12 to amend the 2018–2022 Benton County Rules of Order and approved notaries for September 2019.

The board suspended the rules to consider three additional resolutions (20190916-13, -14 and -15) under 'Any Other Business' and approved them on voice or roll-call votes per the minutes. Most actions were approved on unanimous voice votes where noted; the recycling plan was the most contested vote recorded in the minutes. The meeting adjourned after routine closing remarks.