After years of planning, the county commission Monday night finally settled on a course of action on new jail construction.
Not only did the commission vote 10-2 to uphold the jail committee’s recommendation last week to eliminate the existing site downtown as an option for a new jail but voted 9-3 to purchase 71. 5 acres on Smith Road belonging to Tim Staley not to exceed $1.8 million with closing costs as the future home of the new jail subject to favorable core drill testing. The commission also voted 9-3 to issue a 12-year capital outlay note for the purchase of the property to be repaid with funds generated from debt service. But the commission went even further, voting 8-4 to issue a 12 year note not to exceed $35 million to build the jail. Treanor will be the architect of the project although specifics are yet to be determined, as to the number of beds, etc.
“Once the architect, Tennessee Corrections Institute, the sheriff, and county commission agree on the final drawings, they will be drawn up and sent out for bids. We will not turn a shovel until we open the bids. Everything in this whole project will be bid out,” said Commissioner and Jail Committee Chairman Larry Green.
Last year’s 51 cent tax increase for debt service to fund construction of a proposed judicial center project remains in place, even though that plan was defeated in a public referendum last November. With the new fiscal year soon to begin, the budget committee will apparently have to determine how much of that 51-cent tax increase will be needed to fund a new jail project not to exceed $35 million and make a recommendation to the full county commission accordingly. And this time, because the commission voted to issue a 12 year note instead of general obligation bonds, the public will apparently not be able to contest it through another referendum.
One commissioner, Greg Matthews, accused the commission of taking action on matters not even on the agenda.
“This was not on tonight’s agenda and two other commissioners are not here tonight (Tony “Cully” Culwell and Brandon Donnell)”, said Matthews.
Before the meeting ended, Commissioner Matthews again expressed his frustration with the commission.
“The 51 cents that was raised last year was for a $65 million bond. That bond failed and that 51 cents should have gone back (taxpayers). Instead, we are keeping part of that money. Everybody who just said (voted) yes just lied to everybody (public) you had spoken to prior,” said Matthews
At the beginning of the meeting before the agenda was adopted, Commissioner Beth Pafford made a motion to amend it to omit action on the “capital outlay note” intended for land purchase. Commissioner Myron Rhody offered a second to the motion, but it was defeated 8 to 4. While Commissioners Pafford, Rhody, Matthews and Sabrina Farler voted for it, Commissioners Jeff Barnes, Tom Chandler, Mathias Anderson, Andy Pack, Daniel Cripps, Tony Luna, Larry Green, and Glynn Merriman voted against.
Some complained that County Mayor Matt Adcock had added the “capital outlay note” discussion to the agenda Monday afternoon which was not on the original agenda sent out Friday. Adcock explained that this issue and others including a “paramedic school compensation agreement” were discussed during last Thursday night’s county commission workshop and that he had been asked by commissioners to add them to the agenda. The agenda also provided for “any other business properly presented”.
Later in the meeting the vote was 10-2 to eliminate the current site as an option for new jail construction. Commissioners voting to move the jail were Chandler, Luna, Green, Matthews, Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, and Farler. Only Pafford and Rhody voted to keep the jail downtown.
Commissioner Pafford then made a motion to post an RFP (request for proposals) seeking more options from other property owners interested in selling at least 15 acres to the county for jail construction. Her motion was defeated 8 to 4 with Pafford, Anderson, Rhody, and Matthews voting for it and Green, Luna, Chandler, Pack, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, and Farler voting against.
Commissioner Chandler later made a motion to purchase the Smith Road property for jail construction not to exceed $1.8 million plus closing costs and subject to favorable core drilling. The motion passed 9 to 3 with Commissioners Chandler, Luna, Green, Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, and Farler voting for it and Commissioners Pafford, Rhody, and Matthews opposed.
A subsequent motion by Chandler to issue a 12-year capital outlay note to fund the purchase of the Smith Road property was also adopted 9 to 3 with Commissioners Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, Farler, Green, Luna, and Chandler voting for it. Commissioners Matthews, Rhody, and Pafford voted against it.
Finally, Commissioner Chandler made a motion to issue a 12 year note on a jail project not to exceed $35 million.
“We received multiple quotes on sizes of a jail, 152 beds, 200 beds and the (cost) variations were like $28 million to $35 million depending upon the location. Since we have a location (Smith Road), I’ll make a motion that we issue a note not to exceed $35 million for whatever that will build whether its 152 beds, 157, 143, 190, 200 beds etc. Whatever that $35 million will pay for” he said.
Chandler’s motion was adopted 8 to 4 with Commissioners Pack, Anderson, Merriman, Cripps, Barnes, Luna, Green and Chandler voting in favor and Commissioners Rhody, Pafford, Matthews, and Farler voting against. Farler said the budget committee should have considered it first.