Joe Foutch Resigns from DUD Board of Commissioners

January 22, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Joe Foutch has resigned as member of the DeKalb Utility District Board of Commissioners.

Foutch, who was appointed to a new four year term in 2019, tendered his resignation at the December DUD board meeting. At the January board meeting, after providing public notice as required, the DUD board authorized its attorney Keith Blair to submit to County Mayor Tim Stribling a certified list of nominees in the order of preference for filling the unexpired term which ends on August 31, 2023.

The list of nominees, in the order of preference, as submitted by the DUD Board of Commissioners is Kerry Davis, C.D. Webb, and Betty Lattimore.

County Mayor Tim Stribling informed the county commission Thursday night that he intends to appoint Davis to the board.

The DUD Board is made up of five members, three from DeKalb County (Jimmy Womack, Joe Foutch, and Hugh Washer), one from Cannon (Roger Turney), and one from Smith County (Danny Bass). The terms are staggered. All terms are for four years.

January 22, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Someone may be appointed Monday night to fill a vacancy on the county commission in the 1st district.

The regular monthly meeting of the county commission will be Monday night, January 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the county complex auditorium.

Three people, Tom Chandler, Waylon Kyle, and Shaee Flatt, want the position formerly held by Dennis Slager.

In November, Slager gave notice that he was resigning. A position he had held since being elected in 2018. He gave no reason for his decision.

Last month the county commission voted to accept Slager’s resignation although it wasn’t legally required and to move forward with filling the position after a notice of the vacancy had been published in the newspaper.

Although Chandler, Kyle, and Flatt have been the only ones so far to respond to the notice, others can place their name in consideration up until the next regular monthly county commission meeting Monday night.

Anyone on the commission may place a name in nomination but the nominee must receive seven votes to get the appointment. The person selected to fill the seat will serve until Slager’s term expires on August 31, 2022.

In his letter to the county mayor and commission, Kyle, who currently serves as 1st district constable, wrote “I, James Waylon Kyle, am interested in the vacant position of county commissioner. I am a DeKalb County native and have lived in the first district all my life and would like to serve the people of the first district.”

Chandler wrote “Please consider this my official expression of interest in being the replacement candidate for the District 1 County Commission seat vacated by Dennis Slager. As you are aware, I ran for election in the District 1 County Commission race in 2018 and lost a seat by just 5 votes”.

“My wife and I have owned a farm in DeKalb County for almost 30 years and have resided here for 20 years. I am a Mason (Center Hill Lodge #77) and a member of the Scottish Rite and the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association. My wife and I are members of the Order of the Eastern Star (Smithville Chapter #374) and my wife is treasurer of the FCE of Alexandria”.

“I want to apply my 30+ years of professional experience in budgeting, business development, creating jobs and implementing large projects, while controlling costs, for the direct benefit of District 1 and DeKalb County.”

In his letter, Flatt wrote “ I am writing to ask that you give serious consideration to my request to fill the office of Commissioner for the First District left vacant when Mr. Dennis Slager resigned.”

“This month marks three years since my wife and I decided to move from Mt. Juliet to Alexandria. We have two small children who have made friends here and have known no other home. My wife and I agree that we want to make Alexandria and DeKalb County our permanent home. After talking with family, friends, and other members of the community, I decided to seek the office of Commissioner”.

“As someone who went to school for journalism and ended up working three years as the Managing Editor of the Chronicle of Mt. Juliet, I spent many nights at county commission and city council meetings as well as numerous other similar meetings. I developed an appreciation and fondness for local government as the institution most committed to solving the problems and issues that emerge in the community whether that is education, emergency services, safety and security, or whatever the people themselves think will be important in enhancing the quality of life for them and the County”.

“After leaving the Chronicle, I worked a few years at Wilson Bank and Trust before finally settling into a career as a Special Education teacher and football coach at my alma mater, Mt. Juliet High School. I have always placed a great emphasis on investing in the youth in any community and being able to mentor, lead, and shepherd teenagers through such a critical time in their lives, This is something I deeply value. I feel extremely blessed to be in the position I am in and would love to be able to pursue those interests in DeKalb County”.

“I look forward to meeting and talking with each of you and hope to be granted the opportunity to work alongside you on behalf of the citizens of the First District and DeKalb County,” said Flatt.

January 22, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County has a chance to get a grant to purchase another new or used fire truck.

During Thursday night’s committee of the whole meeting of the county commission, County Mayor Tim Stribling said he was informed this past week by a USDA Rural Development representative that DeKalb County is eligible to apply for a $250,000 USDA Community Facility Grant. Under this grant match program, USDA funds 55% or $137,500 while the county would be responsible for a 45% local match or $112,500 . This is a reimbursable grant meaning the county would have to pay up front and then be reimbursed 55% of the cost. Although USDA prefers the county buy a new fire truck with the grant money it could purchase a used one. Stribling said due to the census, USDA requires that the truck be placed in the western portion of the county which has two stations at Liberty and Temperance Hall.

Stribling said if the county commission wants to apply for the grant it must act Monday night during the next regular monthly meeting because the application must be filed by mid February.

Under the same grant program, the county was approved for two grants in 2017 totaling $88,800 with a local match to fund three used fire trucks which are now in the fleet including a 1996 Ferrara International Model truck for the Temperance Hall Community Fire Hall, a 1992 Pierce model fire truck for the Cookeville Highway Fire Station which was purchased from the City of Smithville, and a 1993 E-One International model fire truck for the Four Seasons Fire Hall.

Two months ago the county commission voted 11-3 to spend up to $250,000 from the capital projects account of the county budget to buy two other used fire trucks to replace homemade trucks which had been in the fleet for several years and could no longer pass inspection. Those trucks have now been purchased.

The county has also replaced a fire truck which was totaled in a recent crash on Allen Ferry Road from insurance coverage.