Message from the Commish

Upcoming Resolutions

• Resolution No. 9-24-1, Resolution Reaffirming the Rules, Regulations and Procedures of the Williamson County Board of Commissioners Concerning the Introduction of Resolutions to Committee by Williamson County Commissioners — Commissioner Richards
  
  • This resolution aims to establish and clarify the necessity for proper sponsorship by a member of the County Legislative Body before a resolution can be presented to the Committee for consideration.
  • UPDATE: (DEFERRED until 10-14)
• Resolution No. 9-24-54 - Resolution Authorizing the Williamson County Mayor to Grant an Easement to Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation
  
  • This is a request to provide an easement for the 5G Cell Tower to be located next to Bethesda Elementary. While the Commission did pass the new school setback of 1500 ft in February 2024, there were already a few permits that had been approved including for Bethesda. While the need for cell phone service to our rural neighbors is real, placing these towers next to schools is not the best choice for our families.
  • UPDATE: (DEFERRED until 10-14) - The contract and lease (3/2021) have already been executed. The possibility of relocating this tower at this point in time is difficult given the terms of the contracts. I was not on the Commission at the time the lease was approved so I will not be supporting the easement.
• Resolution No. 9-24-34, Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of Williamson County Appropriating Funds Not to Exceed $3,000,000.00 To Be Used Towards the Construction of a Special Operations Facility — Revenue to Come from American Rescue Plan Act Funds
  
  • The county has received an estimated $46 million from the federal government in ARPA funds. These have gradually been utilized over the past several years for items such as emergency vehicles, upgrades to facilities and other capital needs of the county. The $3 million is what remains and will help to lower the debt we are incurring for our Special Operations Facilities. In hindsight, it may have been more economical to use more of these funds on any items which required bond debt to pay for.
  • UPDATE: Due to the fact that we did not want to lose the money and that it reduced our debt obligation, this resolution PASSED (24-Y, 0-N).
• Resolution No. 9-24-38, Resolution Authorizing the Williamson County Mayor to Enter into An Amendment to the Contract with Gresham Smith and to Appropriate Up To $75,000.00 - Revenue to Come from General Fund — Commissioners Lawrence & Stresser
  • The resolution proposes allocating funds to an architectural firm to evaluate potential cost savings from acquiring existing commercial properties, like the Verizon Building at 455 Duke Drive. This assessment will aid in determining the financial advantages of relocating the Juvenile Center and Alternative Learning Center to this site. The objective is to ascertain the potential savings should this option be considered.
  • UPDATE: Although numerous residents opposed the Detention Center in their neighborhood, the study aimed to explore cost savings through potential commercial renovations. Given the high percentage of commercial vacancies, this presents a logical and economical opportunity. Regrettably, the proposal FAILED with a vote of 10-14 (Yes Votes - Jones, Lawrence, M. Smith, Sturgeon, Hayes, Stresser, O’Neil, Torres, Richards, Beathard).
• Resolution No. 9-24-39, Initial Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of Not to Exceed $25,600,000 Of General Obligation Bonds of Williamson County, Tennessee — Commissioner Herbert
  • In accordance with state law, if a county incurs any bond debt (excluding school-related debt), a public notice of at least 20 days must be provided to county residents. If 10% of registered voters sign a petition against the bond, the bond debt must then be put to a referendum for a vote. This resolution fills that legal obligation to inform citizens of the debt that will be incurred to complete the Bethesda Rec Center & Library (totaling $13 million) and purchase of other emergency and public safety vehicles.
  • UPDATE: While I did vote YES on this resolution, I now believe that if there is debt that I am not in agreement with, that without public notice, there is no ability to incur the debt. This resolution PASSED 18 - Y, 4 - No (Aiello, Clifford, Richards & Sturgeon), 2 - Abstain (Hayes & Graves)
• Resolution No. 9-24-40, Resolution Authorizing the Issuance, Sale and Payment of Not to Exceed $40,400,000 Of General Obligation Public Improvement and School Bonds of Williamson County, Tennessee, And Providing for the Levy of Taxes for the Payment of Debt Service on the Bonds — Commissioner Herbert
  • This resolution is to incur debt for the following items:
    • Administrative Office Center Renovation - $800,000
    • Bethesda Rec Center - $10,000,000 - There is still an additional $9 million of required funding to complete this project. Upon completion, the estimated total cost of this new complex will be approximately $45 million.
    • Bethesda Library - $3,000,000 - 10,000 sq ft complex
    • 40 Heart Monitors ($2,631,967), 23 Sheriff Vehicles ($1,679,460), 5 Ambulances ($2,500,000), 3 Fire Tankers ($2,100,000), Fire Ladder Truck ($2,500,000)
    • School Expenses (High School) - General Security ($519,000), Physical Security ($3,572,200), Network Security ($1,083,646), Asphalt/Paving ($850,000), Roofs ($2,108,000), HVAC Replacement ($1,395,000), Maintenance ($1,292,400), and Technology ($3,753,646)
    • UPDATE: (DEFERRED until November 12) - 13 - Y, 11 - N (Tunnicliffe, Williams, Brown, Beathard, Hester, Herbert, Mason, Webb, Guffee, Clifford, S. Smith)
• Resolution No. 9-24-41, Resolution Authorizing the Issuance, Sale and Payment of Not to Exceed $23,220,000 Of County District School Bonds of Williamson County, Tennessee, And Providing for the Levy of Taxes for the Payment of Debt Service on the Bonds — Commissioner Herbert
  • This resolution is to incur debt for the following K-8 School Expenses:
    • General Security ($1,512,000), Physical Security ($5,918,000), Network Security ($275,803), Asphalt/Paving ($1,088,000), Roofs ($4,185,000), HVAC Replacement ($1,779,000), Maintenance ($2,728,300), Technology ($4,291,250), and General Purpose Capital ($1,090,000)
    • UPDATE: (DEFERRED until November 12) - 13 - Y, 11 - N (

      Tunnicliffe, Williams, Brown, Beathard, Hester, Herbert, Mason, Webb, Guffee, Clifford, S. Smith)

• Resolution No. 9-24-42, Resolution Authorizing the Issuance, Sale and Payment of Not to Exceed $280,000,000 Of General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds, In One Or More Series, Of Williamson County, Tennessee; Providing for The Levy of Taxes for the Payment of Debt Service on the Bonds; And Allocating Educational Impact Fee Collections to Defray Educational Capital Expenses — Commissioners Herbert, Guffee & Sanford
  • The current breakdown for each project is as follows:
    • Juvenile Services & ALC - $91,457,212 for a 652% increase in sq footage which includes an additional 24 beds and 77 employees
    • Jail - $188,893,200 for a 149% increase in sq footage which includes an additional 148 beds and 61 employees
    • Sheriff's Office - $31,848,466 for an 86% increase in sq footage for an additional 37 employees
      • UPDATE: After an extensive conversation regarding the size and scope of the project, there were several motions made. The first was to defer the vote until November 12. This motion FAILED (7 - Yes (Lawrence, M. Smith, Sturgeon, Hayes, Stresser, Torres, Richards), 17 - No). The second was an amendment to reduce the cost to $245 million. This also FAILED with a vote of (9 - Yes (Lawrence, M. Smith, Clifford, Hayes, Stresser, Sanford, O’Neil, Tunnicliffe, Torres), 15 - No). The final vote to approve, PASSED 16 - Yes, 7 - No (M. Smith, Sturgeon, Clifford, Hayes, Stresser, Torres, Richards), 1 - Abstain (Graves)

• Resolution No. 9-24-43, Resolution Requesting the Williamson County Purchasing Agent to Procure Professional Engineering Services for a Vibration Monitoring Study Concerning Property Located Off of Beasley Drive — Commissioner Stresser
  
  • The resolution proposes that an independent engineering firm carry out a seismic study to ascertain the need for structural reinforcements. This is to guarantee that new developments remain unaffected by the adverse effects of prolonged, active blasting.
  • UPDATE: PASSED 23 - Yes, 0 - No, 1 - Absent (Aiello)
• Resolution No. 9-24-53, Resolution of the Williamson County Board of Commissioners to Encourage Each Commissioner to Complete Required Annual Training and to Provide a Supplement for Completing the Training — Commissioner Webb
  • This resolution proposes an additional $600 per year for commissioners who complete 8 hours of continuing education courses offered for free by CTAS (County Technical Assistance Service). With a potential property tax increase on the horizon, it is crucial to prioritize the financial well-being of our taxpayers. At this time, requesting additional funds for the commission may not align with the community’s current economic challenges and concerns.
  • UPDATE: PASSED with 18 - Yes, 6 - No (Lawrence, M. Smith, Aiello, Hayes, Graves, Torres)

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