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Commission approves grants, contract renewals and multiple budget amendments including $8,000 America250 grant
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Summary
The Hamblen County Commission approved the regular calendar and several finance committee items: a reimbursable Tennessee America250 grant of $8,000, Canon copier contract renewals, multiple budget amendments including a $3.29 million highway capital allocation, awards for campground paving and a school-related opioid grant application; sheriff proposals also passed.
The Hamblen County Commission approved a slate of finance items, grant acceptances, contract renewals and budget amendments at its meeting.
Chairman Rodney Long, presenting the finance committee report, moved approval of a construction change directive of $11,989 for the county health department and a bid award for the Cherokee Park Campground paving project funded from a tourism grant to Allen Pavin Construction. "7B is a bid tabulation of the ITB 22026-05 Cherokee Park Campground paving project...comes out of the tourism grant to Allen Pavin Construction," Long said before members approved the motion.
The commission also approved a resolution authorizing acceptance of a Tennessee America250 semi-quincentennial reimbursement grant for $8,000 that will fund production of a local history video. "This grant came to us... non matching grant, $8,000 grant, and it will produce a video," Mayor Cutshall said.
The Board of Education’s opioid-settlement grant application was discussed at length after a public commenter noted the county’s memorandum of understanding references an "opioid abatement committee" that the mayor said he had dissolved; Mayor Cutshall told the commission the county has received opioid abatement funds and is temporarily assigning duties to the finance committee. Superintendent Bunch described the intended use of funds for the Miller Boyd project and the transition academy, saying the money will support counseling and secure outdoor space for vulnerable students. The commission ultimately voted to approve the application.
On sheriff requests, the commission approved merging an offender-registry administrative position with a new detective position and authorized the county to utilize a certified bomb dog to serve schools and county facilities; the canine handler on hand explained the dogs are trained either for narcotics or explosives detection, not both, and will be deployed on request.
Members approved multiple budget amendments across funds, including allocations to the circuit court ($18,000), sheriff operations, parks and fire boards and a highway capital projects fund totaling $3,286,570.75 (to cover a transport vehicle and overtime). The commission also approved the renewal of Canon copier contracts and other regular calendar items.
