Health and Safety Standards resolution is not popular

Only nine of 14 commissioners present at recent county meeting

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 During the December meeting of White County Board of Commissioners, which was held a week early because of the Christmas holidays, several resolutions were passed without much opposition.

The meeting, which was opened with Findlay Elementary School student Sadie Benningfield leading the court in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, only had nine commissioners in attendance. According to chairman Stanley Neal, a quorum requires there to be eight members of the board in attendance, so the meeting was able to proceed without commissioners Dillard Quick, Andy Haston, Bobby McCulley, Terry Alley, and Lee Broyles.

Steering Committee A brought Resolution No. 67-12-2020, a resolution for removal of Bob Davis Road from the White County road list, to the court for approval. White County resident Rickey Jenkins requested closure of the road as he owns three tracts of land the road leads through. With concerns about the future of the land and the road should the properties ever be sold, Jenkins had amended his request to ask the road be closed only to the smallest parcel that he owned. Therefore, county executive Denny Wayne Robinson clarified for the board that it would only be a portion of the road that would be removed from the county’s road list should they approve the resolution. The full court passed the resolution with all nine commissioners present voting in favor.

Steering Committee B brought Resolution N. 68-12-2020 - Resolution Requesting Amendment to Tennessee Code Annotated 5-1-115(e), before the court. The resolution states the code, as currently written, limits White County’s ability to enforce health and safety standards, while granting other counties the authority to do so. White County Board of Commissioners recently voted to approve procedures to protect the health and safety of the county’s residents and included the funds in the budget to hire an officer to enforce the procedures. Steering Committee B’s resolution was one that would send notice to the state legislature that they are encouraging an amendment that would include the following:

“Notwithstanding subdivision (e)(1), in any county having a population of not less than twenty-five thousand eight hundred (25,800) nor more than twenty-five thousand nine hundred (25,900), according to the 2010 federal census or any subsequent federal census, subsection (c) permitting a county to remedy such dangerous conditions shall apply to any parcel of property, including any parcel upon which an owner-occupied residence is located.”

The board voted eight to one, with the five absentee members not casting a vote, to approve the resolution and send the request for amendment to Tennessee’s General Assembly by way of Senator Paul Bailey and Representative Paul Sherrell. The “no” vote came from Dakota White who represents White County’s fourth district.

“The constituents I’ve spoken with are at odds with this decision,” White said. “They believe the county is possibly overstepping, that their hand is reaching over the line.”

 White explained his reason for voting against the resolution and stated that regardless of being the only no voice, he was doing what the residents who elected him wanted from him.

“We have a pretty big district between Bon Air and Hickory Valley, and, if one person out of 26 wants it, I can’t vote yes when the huge majority is against it,” he said.

The Financial Management Committee also sent a resolution to the full court. Resolution No. 69-12-2020 - Credit Card Processing Fee, which was passed unanimously by those present, which will waive credit and debit card processing fees for payments received directly through the county’s finance department. The Financial Management Committee made it clear this has been the practice historically, but they would like the county commission to formally approve the practice and that the waiving of fees would not apply to any other office or department within the county. At this time, the fees being processed through the finance department include White County Emergency Medical Service, solid waste, and the animal shelter.

The court also approved resolutions from the budget committee that would amend the General Fund, Highway Fund, and Solid Waste Fund. They also passed resolutions reappointing Industrial Development Board members Roger McCann and Kay Prater; appointing IDB members Megan Choate and Brent Young; and reappointing Emergency Communications District (E-911) board member Geeta McMillan. Commissioners also approved all notaries that were presented to them before being dismissed from their final meeting of 2020.   

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