Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board postpones Friends of Nolensville Park MOU after hours of amendments and legal questions
Summary
The board debated a proposed memorandum of understanding with Friends of Nolensville Park for more than an hour, amending project-approval and fundraising language before voting 3–2 to postpone the item 30 days for additional legal review and clarification.
After substantial public discussion and several amendments, the Town of Nolensville Board of Commissioners voted 3–2 to postpone action on Resolution 26-06, a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Friends of Nolensville Park (FONP).
The MOU would establish a formal relationship between the town and the nonprofit for proposed park projects and fundraising. Commissioners and staff debated multiple clauses, including whether the town should require prior approval of specific fundraising activities and what would happen to donated funds if the agreement terminated.
Commissioners amended paragraph 2 (projects) to require the town designee’s approval “prior to the commencement of any fundraising activities particular to that project.” The board also suspended rules to hear a representative from the nonprofit, Mary Kate, who asked for clarity and expressed concern about clauses in the draft that would dictate how the nonprofit could spend its donations upon termination of the agreement.
Town Attorney Charles confirmed legal language could be clarified to distinguish donations the nonprofit retains from funds raised specifically for town-approved projects. After further edits — including striking provisions that would have redirected donated funds to the county parks department and adding a signatory line for the nonprofit — commissioners raised concerns that more legal review was needed to ensure the final MOU preserved both parties’ independence and clarified the town’s acceptance and inspection obligations for installed work.
A motion to postpone for 30 days so legal could review the amended language passed 3–2. The board’s majority said the delay would allow counsel to tidy formatting, review the revised termination language, and ensure the MOU did not unintentionally obligate the town to ongoing maintenance of donated assets without clear acceptance steps. No final MOU was approved at the meeting.
