Cheatham County commissioners approve zoning change, budget amendments and multiple capital projects

CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. Aug. 19, 2019

The Cheatham County Legislative Body on Monday approved a slate of land-use, budget and personnel actions, including a zoning change for a New Hope Road property, multiple budget amendments across county departments and funding for infrastructure projects.

In a roll-call vote, commissioners approved a request by New Hope Partnership LLC to rezone Map 23, Parcel 65 (1219 New Hope Road) from C5 to C1. Building Commissioner Franklin Wilkinson presented the application; the Planning Commissions recommendation had been mixed (4 Yes, 2 No, 1 Abstain). The legislative body approved the change 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent.

County Mayor Kerry McCarver presented a long package of routine appointments, contract signings and administrative actions (appointments to utility and emergency boards; a GNRC planning contract; an IT contract update; lease and service agreements; donation of county property to TDOT; ambulance billing contract; juvenile court services agreement; and related items). The body approved the mayors list by roll call, 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent.

Budget changes were a central item. Director of Accounts Sandrine Batts detailed County General Fund adjustments that shifted money to highway and street capital projects, public safety, the jail, library funds and other line items (selected amounts cited included $21,480 for highway/streets; $37,585 for public safety; $60,000 and $21,500 to two jail line items; and a $30,000 increase to the mayors line). The County General Fund amendments passed on a roll-call tally recorded in the minutes as 9 Yes, 2 No, 1 Absent after committee recommendation.

Separately, commissioners approved: a General Capital Projects Fund amendment of $79,467.47; a Solid Waste/Sanitation Fund amendment of $1,564 for convenience centers; a three-year capital outlay note for school paving and HVAC projects not to exceed $510,500; and a three-year capital outlay note for a Highway Department office/garage not to exceed $400,000. Those capital items were approved by roll call vote, 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent.

The Capital Improvements Committee also moved, and the body approved, funding for a jail HVAC system totaling $70,589, with $60,000 to come from Jail Litigation funds and $10,589 from the Capital Improvements Fund. The commission separately approved $45,890 from the Capital Improvements Fund to resurface the library parking lot.

On tax policy, the body voted to rescind an earlier resolution and adopt a new amendment to the countys development tax under Chapter No. 28, Private Acts 1997 of the 100th General Assembly of Tennessee. The motion to rescind and adopt was moved by Gary Binkley, seconded by David Anderson, and carried 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. Commissioners also amended a prior resolution to change applicable dates from Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 1, 2019.

The Veterans Service Office pay structure was changed with a motion by Walter Weakley, seconded by Eugene O. Evans Sr., authorizing the Veterans Service Office Committee to use the pay change to hire a new director. That action was approved 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent.

Other formal actions recorded in the minutes included approval to request unclaimed balances under the Unclaimed Property Act and authorization to surplus and dispose of county assets (a Mosler safe and six Hewlett Packard printers).

The meeting adjourned at 7:43 p.m.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 4 (Zoning change: New Hope Partnership LLC, Map 23 Parcel 65): Motion by Tim Williamson; second by Ed Greer; Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 5 (Mayors package: appointments/contracts/donations A—): Motion by Ed Greer; second by Randy Liles; Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 6 (Rescind Res. 10 and adopt amended Development Tax): Motion by Gary Binkley; second by David Anderson; Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 7 (Amend Res. 8 dates to Sept. 1, 2019): Motion by Tim Williamson; second by Diana Pike Lovell; Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 8 (County General Fund budget amendments): Motion presented by Sandrine Batts; Recorded final roll call 9 Yes, 2 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 9 (General Capital Projects Fund amendment $79,467.47): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 10 (Solid Waste/Sanitation convenience centers $1,564): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 11 (Three-year capital outlay note, school projects, not to exceed $510,500): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 12 (Three-year capital outlay note, highway office/garage, not to exceed $400,000): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 13 (Surplus county assets): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 14 (Request unclaimed property balances): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 15 (Veterans Service Office pay structure/hiring authorization): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 16 (Jail HVAC funding $70,589): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. - Resolution 17 (Library parking lot resurfacing $45,890): Roll call 11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent.

(All tallies and motion text are taken from the meeting minutes as recorded in the transcript.)