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Blount County workshop advances plan to buy Alcoa South plant after procedural dispute
Summary
After an hours-long debate over procedure and control, the workshop voted to forward Resolution 267001—an agreement to purchase the Alcoa South plant (total sale price cited at $20,000,000; county share $8,000,000)—to the full commission for final action. Opponents cited zoning, contamination and lack of budget committee support.
The Blount County commission workshop voted to send a proposed agreement to the full commission that would have the county participate in purchasing the Alcoa South plant, a measure supporters say would preserve local control over future development.
The clerk read Resolution 267001, described as a $20,000,000 sale of the property to the Industrial Development Board with the county’s share estimated at $8,000,000. Commissioners spent substantial time debating both whether the item should have been on the agenda and whether the county should commit funds before zoning, contamination testing and oversight structures were clarified.
Commissioner Michaels, who challenged the way the item reached the agenda, told colleagues the process felt improper. "This resolution... has been shoved down this commission's throat," he said, urging caution about how the agenda and budget committee handled the item.
Commissioner Davis also criticized the timing and substance, saying the situation looked "fraudulent" and warning against spending taxpayer dollars on a project without a clear business plan or oversight.
Mayor, speaking in defense of the practice of acquiring land for industrial development, noted the county and cities have long invested in land for industrial parks and called the purchase a long-standing strategy to attract industry. "We've been buying vacant land... This is not something new," he said.
County staff clarified the planned ownership and governance structure: the technical owner would be the Industrial Development Board and an operating committee of four representatives (the three jurisdictions involved and an IDB representative) would control approvals, with revenue and costs to be split by an understood formula. A staff presentation said the split on a $20,000,000 sale would yield a county share of $8,000,000 (40%).
Several commissioners urged referral back to the budget committee for more review. A motion to refer the item to the budget committee failed (5 yes, 11 no). The main motion to forward Resolution 267001 to the full commission then passed by a recorded vote of 12 yes, 3 no and 1 abstention. No final purchase was executed at the workshop; the action sends the agreement to the full commission for a final decision.
Next steps: the full Blount County commission will consider Resolution 267001 at a later meeting with an opportunity for further review of zoning, contamination testing, IDB governance and any requested amendments.
