Commissioners agree to advertise vacancies for Cliffside Sanitary District as state prepares handback

County officials on July 8 discussed the future of the Cliffside Sanitary District and voted to advertise vacancies for the authority’s three-member board after the state Local Government Commission concluded its oversight and is prepared to return operations to the district.

Steve Garrison, Rutherford County’s county manager, told the board the district was created to serve sewer and potable-water customers in the Cliffside area and was originally set up as a standalone authority. After major local industry scaled back operations, the state stepped in to run the system and review finances and management. "They're ready to hand it back to the district," Garrison said.

Garrison said all three board seats are currently vacant and that state statute gives county commissioners responsibility to fill vacancies when they occur. He recommended advertising the vacancies now and considering applications and appointments at the county’s August meeting. The board approved a motion to advertise the openings.

Commissioners pressed staff on residency requirements and possible financial exposure. Garrison said prospective board members must be customers who live in the sanitary district and that legal opinion had concluded the residency requirement is a constitutional constraint on expanding eligibility. He cautioned the county’s potential liability is uncertain: "My crystal ball is pretty fuzzy on what state may or may not do," he said, noting the system serves roughly 50–60 homes plus a school, library and several businesses.

Garrison discussed infrastructure needs identified in prior engineering assessments, saying work done several years ago estimated repairs and upgrades in the multimillion-dollar range (he referenced an earlier estimate on the order of $10 million and said, accounting for inflation, that could be materially higher now). He told commissioners the county currently lacks the staffing, equipment and revenue base to absorb major capital work without outside support and that the Local Government Commission and nearby utilities are exploring possible takeover, private management, or other arrangements.

The board’s action authorizes county staff to advertise the vacancies; any applications will be presented for consideration at a future meeting and, if appointed, candidates would need to file to run in the November election consistent with the district’s status as a standalone authority.

Looking ahead, Garrison said the LGC is consulting with Broad River Water and others to identify potential operators or partners and that the county will need to examine whether state statute or future legislation would change its obligations. Commissioners asked staff to ensure eligible Cliffside customers are informed about openings and the application process.