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Cheatham County hears jail update, codes enforcement backlog and 911 radio transition; budget committee reports several transfers
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Summary
At a county workshop officials briefed commissioners on jail construction delays tied to door deliveries, described a large backlog of nuisance-property cases and limited demolition funding, and outlined plans to migrate emergency radios to the state TACN network with agency radio purchases likely needed; the budget committee recommended multiple transfers including school and highway allocations and a Narcan refill proposal.
Commissioners received operational briefings on multiple county functions at the April 13 workshop, including a jail construction update, a codes-enforcement report on nuisance properties, a 911 radio-system briefing and the budget committee's recommended transfers.
Jail update: Mr. Brewer said work continues on the new jail but several interior doors remain on backorder and are the critical path for opening sections of the facility. "We're having to replace five doors... it's an eight-week lead time on getting the doors in," he said, describing a schedule that will sequence demo and door installation across offices and phases in April and May. He cautioned that ship dates are vendor-dependent and that dates may slip.
Codes enforcement and demolitions: Dale (code enforcement) outlined outreach steps (door hangers, certified letters) and described the practical limits of county authority when owners are out-of-state or properties are tied up in trusts. Dale said the codes account has about $10,000 annually for demolitions and that the county covered a recent teardown at about $5,800; he said the department has hundreds of active cases and estimated there are "probably about 600" properties that need review or further action. Commissioners and residents discussed volunteer cleanups and the legal/liability constraints of using volunteers or reallocating automobiles found on private property.
911 system migration: Brian Biggs, introduced as chair of the county 911 board, briefed the commission on the county's 21-year-old radio system and a planned migration to the state-run Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN). Biggs said the vendor for the old system is scaling back emergency services support and that TACN equipment already operates on county towers; he said the 911 board's target go-live date is January 4, 2027, and emphasized that while airtime may have lower recurring cost, individual agencies will be responsible for purchasing portable and mobile radios and for console upgrades, so large budget requests are anticipated during the next budget cycle.
Budget committee recommendations: The budget committee reported its recommendations (passed 4–0, 1 absent) and presented a list of transfers to the full commission: $8,163.75 to buy five laptops for circuit and general sessions court offices; $8,500 transferring maintenance-of-effort funds for South Cheatham Lottery into current operations; two sheriff's grants ($8,645 and $16,360) to reimburse payroll and equipment; EMS training supplement funding of $21,600; architect fees for the new South Cheatham library (about $18,523.75) paid from general fund balance; highway fund transfers totaling $419,280.86 (two line items of $287,061.75 and $132,219.11); vehicle/ambulance purchase funding of $245,043.99; school fund items including $270,000 for walk-in coolers and a contingent $1,000,000 for Cheatham County Central High School track work (contingent on school board information); and a recommendation to use approximately $6,600 from opioid-settlement funds to replenish Narcan boxes countywide (the committee said the initial supply was quickly used).
Why it matters: The items together affect near-term county operations — facility readiness at the new jail, public-safety communications modernization and the pace of code enforcement — and will inform the budget process because the 911 radio migration and vehicle/ambulance purchases may require significant capital outlays.
What’s next: Commissioners will consider the budget transfers on the full agenda; the 911 board and county departments will return budget requests for FY2027 to fund radio purchases and other equipment, and staff will continue to prioritize demolition and enforcement cases within current funding constraints.
