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Blount County approves parks projects, appointments and multiple budget amendments
Summary
The commission unanimously approved park projects including disc golf at Palisades Park and a native plant sale at King's Bend, several board appointments, contracting with Summertown Metals for a building purchase, and multiple budget amendments including a $28,000 donation to the Animal Adoption Center.
Blount County commissioners approved a package of routine items Jan. 13, including park enhancements, board appointments, contract actions, and several budget amendments spanning multiple departments.
Parks and recreation: Commissioners approved adding a disc-golf course at Palisades Park and authorized the Friends of Locust Fork River to host a native-plant sale at King's Bend on April 4, 2026. The board also approved rollover of FY25 special donation funds for Palisades Park.
Appointments and contracts: The commission reappointed members to multiple boards, including M4H (Bradley Harvey, Amy Burgess, Cathy Irvin) and the Economic Development Council (Mitchell Hasting, Dwan Farmer, Danny Kelly). Reappointment of Glen Graves to the multipurpose advisory board was postponed to allow the board of education time to identify a replacement. The board approved District 1 contracting with Summertown Metals to purchase a stand-alone building.
Budget amendments and departmental adjustments: The board approved multiple line-item revisions across departments. Notable figures recorded in the minutes include a District 1 asphalt revision (revised budget shown as $391,564.00), Park & Rec special donations rollovers culminating in $13,336.61 (and FY25 rollovers), an Animal Adoption Center increase of $28,000 in special donations, Transportation and Sheriff's Office insurance recoveries and vehicle line-item adjustments (Sheriff motor-vehicle revised totals show $74,398.76), and other departmental revisions across districts. The minutes include a detailed list of line-item changes and show unanimous approval of the amendments.
Insurance inspections and facilities: Human Resources Director Hanah Denney told commissioners that departments failing to complete required repairs within specified inspection timeframes will be charged repair costs and any resulting insurance premium increases; Denney was directed to draft a policy and forward it to county attorneys for review. The Commission also approved a new design for the Swan Bridge Trail parking lot.
Next steps: County staff will implement the approved budget revisions, process the contract with Summertown Metals, and complete the policy draft on insurance inspections for legal review.
