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Welcome to the Block County Workshop meeting for Tuesday, February 11th, 2025.

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Commissioners, please rest your presence while we play the emergency evacuation procedures.

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to see the way you're out of the book.

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It was a line of all other society moving

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and having a vote for a specific person.

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Madam Quart, can you please take the role?

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Mr. Chairman, you have 18 members present through your accent.

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Commissioner's been it, Kailer and King

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at a conflict and not be with us tonight.

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That I'll stand for a motion to set the agenda.

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Have a motion from Commissioner Anderson,

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Stake it from Commissioner Carver. Is there any discussion?

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Mister's please rest your boats.

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By the

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way, this here, we're having some technical difficulties.

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It's not this.

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The chair person.

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Do you see the chair person?

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Can you go get that?

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Just write my skin.

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Thank you.

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Okay.

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Now we can vote.

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Chairman, 18 yes votes.

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Thank you.

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With that, the agenda is set.

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Moving on to public input for items on the agenda.

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I have a card here from Miss Pat Jenkins.

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We're Mr Pat Jenkins.

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Sorry.

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Yeah.

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You're not the first person.

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If you could state the district that you live in, okay. My name is Pat Jenkins. I'm the commissioner at City of Townsend. I'm here representing the citizens of Townsend and the community are there about.

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I want to address the last item on the agenda.

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The current swinging bridge in towns and it's located on Highway 73 in towns and it's

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a historic structure serving blunt county residents for over 75 years.

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I will have four houses upstream.

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The dark island swinging bridge in towns and complements the swinging bridge that

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that is located in the sunshine community about three miles downstream, both are on the

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blunt county historic trail. The swinging bridge enhances towns and blunt counties, well known

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walkability and bikeability status. The U.S. Department of Transportation walkability policies

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include promising promoting bicycle and pedestrian policies in transportation plans and encouraging

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transportation agencies to go beyond minimum requirements.

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The Dark Islands Swinging Bridge provides a pathway for the Dark Island community, children

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and adults to safely attend activities and take advantage of towns and services.

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The Dark Islands Swinging Bridge provides a vital emergency pathway for Dark Islands residents

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in case of emergency evacuation.

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The Dark Eye One Swinging Bridge is a strategic part of Townsend's plan to establish a

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resiliency hub in the community.

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The Dark Eye One Swinging Bridge is a popular destination for individuals visiting Townsend

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and exploring its 125 history, 125 year history.

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The City of Townsend has been providing minor maintenance of the Dark Island Bridge by removing what they call love locks, cleaning up later under the bridge and replacing an occasional board.

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The scope of the repair needed is beyond our capability.

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Please help Townsend and want County preserve this hidden gem of East Tennessee.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Does anyone else wish to speak tonight? I'm on the agenda.

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Now, we're going to move on and I'll stand for a motion to approve the minutes.

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I motion from Commissioner Martin,

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sake it from Commissioner Mack, my hand.

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Is there any discussion?

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Not Commissioner's please register your votes.

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Sir, Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you. The minutes will be moved forward before Commission.

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That next one, the consent calendar.

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I have a motion from Commissioner Mack, my hand.

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Thank you from Commissioner Martin. Sir any discussion on the consent calendar?

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Not Commissioner's please register votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you. The consent calendar will be moved forward to the full commission.

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We have no unfinished business. I'm moving on to new business.

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Madam Court, will you please read the call?

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Resolution number 25, 2, 0, 0, 1 budget increase civil defense,

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$2,758.95, except and appropriate additional funds for emergency management performance grant received from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

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Refer to full commission with the favourable recommendation by the Budget Committee for zero.

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Have a motion from Commissioner Jiles, second from Commissioner Reagan, sir any discussion?

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Not, Commissioner's please register votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you.

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Resolution 25, 2, 0, 0, 1 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 25, 2, 0, 0, 0, 2.

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budget increase civil defense, $2,562.50, except and appropriate additional funds for Homeland Security

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program grant received from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, referred to full

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commission with a favorable recommendation by the Budget Committee for zero.

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Now, a motion from Commissioner Carver, second from Commissioner Jiles, sir any discussion?

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Thank you, resolution 25202 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 25203, budget increased general services, $127,072 in 40 cents.

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appropriate funds to upgrade the county security cameras and access control systems,

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referred to full commission with the favorable recommendation by the budget committee for

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Steve Row. Motion from Commissioner Carver, second from Commissioner A.Card. I've got

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Commissioner Carver at first.

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The cameras is going to be all county building schools and all

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or could you give an explanation over the cameras

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are going to be upgraded?

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Mayor, would you like to answer that or Brown?

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Just.

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That too.

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Or just a.

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Yeah, so this will be for the NVR servers

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that actually take the video and record it.

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It will be for all county buildings,

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basically we're taking the old servers

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that are in various buildings,

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It's consolidating them down to two servers, which we'll have redundancy in a backup capabilities

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at that point, which we don't have now.

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So, is that going to be the schools also, or-

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No, no, no.

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No, no.

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No, no.

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No, no.

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No, no.

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No.

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No.

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No.

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No.

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No.

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No.

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Thank you very much.

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Is there any other discussion?

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No commission.

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Please register your votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you.

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Resolution 252 003 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 252 004 budget increased general services.

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$70,600, except inappropriate funds from the efficiency and conservation block grant for the purchase

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and installation of 3-8 HVC units, referred to full commission with a favorable recommendation

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by the Budget Committee for Zero.

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Have a motion from Commissioner Carver, second from Commissioner French, sir any discussion?

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Not, Commissioner's please register votes.

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Chair, I'm there, 18 yes folks.

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Thank you.

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Resolution 252-004 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 252-005 budget increased general services.

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36,762 dollars appropriate funds for painting the stairwells and the county courthouse.

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Referred to full commission with the favourable recommendation by the budget committee for zero.

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have a motion from Commissioner Wav,

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second from Commissioner Carver,

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sir any discussion?

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Not Commissioner's please register your votes.

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Hold on, got Commissioner Michaels.

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Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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What is the same as it's like an awful lot of money for

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stairwells? And I know stairwells are high.

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Obviously four stories have.

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So, can we get some explanation on the bed that was put out for this, and maybe square footage, and what the bed includes, I'm sure, paint, material, but

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good explanation on that.

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Brian, would you like to answer that?

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Yeah.

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Mr. Chairman, I would just say that this process was put out, quotes were obtained.

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It did not meet the need for a bid threshold, but three quotes were provided.

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They are in your packet, but it is all in one solution.

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It start to finish prep paint, get everything done, and then be done with the paint and the

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stairwells.

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Is it just

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the open stairwells, I mean, the closed stairwells, or is it also the open

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luck out here in this hallway. You know, it's it's the close stairwells and there's about four of them around the courthouse. Okay.

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All right. Thank you.

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Anyone else?

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Not commissioner, please register votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you. Resolution 25, 2, 0, 0, 5 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 25, 2, 0, 0, 0, 6.

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budget increased general services, not 10,324 dollars, appropriate funds for modernizing building

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automation system that controls the HFAC units in county buildings, referred to full

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commission with the favorable recommendation by the Budget Committee for Zero.

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Now, stay on for a motion.

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Motion from Commissioner Carver,

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Thank you from Commissioner Aikert, sir any discussion?

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Not Commissioner's please register votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you. Resolution 25206 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 25207, budget increase county clerk.

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62,000 in one dollars appropriate funds by use the fund balance for an additional counter

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clerk to support the increase of customer transactions.

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We referred to full commission with a favorable recommendation by the Budget Committee for zero.

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Have a motion from Commissioner French.

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Second from Commissioner Web.

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I got Commissioner Wales at first.

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Yes, thank you, Mr Chairman.

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On one, I want to ask a quick question of having listened to the presentation. I just want to get some clarification on the position from Ms. Haley on not just the why, but the fact that I think this is a new position and there's some mention of retiring person. That sort of thing in the previous conversation. There's one clarification and then number two.

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If there's a new position, this budget amount seems to be the amount for a four-year

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where we should probably should pro-rate that for just the five-month period that we are looking

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at between now and June to be appropriate. That is correct.

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We took the salary for the four-year,

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which will be at the new budget year, what that cost will be. So this current year would be

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provided Brian said six months. So it would be half of that amount. But it will increase our

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staff from 21 to 22.

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Yeah. So what should we consider modifying this resolution request to

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the correct amount would that be the right thing to do?

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Brian, would you like to give a closer

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dollar amount and then we can make the amendment to that? Happy to. Five months amount would cover

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that amount is 25,834 dollars. I'd like to make a motion that we modify their requests

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for appropriation to be pro-rated to that amount.

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I have a motion from Commissioner Wales,

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second from Commissioner Carver. Is there any discussion on this amendment?

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Not Commissioner

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As there are any other discussion.

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Now, commissioners, please register your votes.

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Mr. Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you.

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Resolution 252 0 0 7 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 252 0 0 0 0 8 budget increase county clerk $20,840.

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Appropriate funds from the other state revenue vehicles reserved to update and replace credit card machines.

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barcode scanners and signature pads allowing more payment options for customers

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referred to full commission with the favourable recommendation by the budget committee

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for zero.

208
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Have a motion from Commissioner Davis.

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Second from Commissioner Jiles.

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I'm sorry any discussion.

211
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Not Commissioner's please register votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you.

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Resolution 25208 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 25, 2, 009, budget increase county clerk, $4,830, appropriate funds from

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the Electronic Insurance Verification Revenue Reserve to create two new work stations

217
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and purchase the new Lawson's Flight Cabinets, referred to full commission with the favorable

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recommendation by the Budget Committee for Zero.

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have a motion from Commissioner Aekord, second from Commissioner Carver, sir. Any discussion?

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Not, Commissioner's please register your votes.

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Chairman, there are 18-US votes.

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Thank you. Resolution 25-2-0-9 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 25, 2, 0, 1, 0, budget, and increased juvenile court, $220,000.

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Reappropriate opioid abatement grant funds to continue services with Helen Ross McNab in support

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of journey court for at risk children.

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Referred to full commission with the favourable recommendation by the Budget Committee for

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have a motion from Commissioner Davis, second from Commissioner Reagan, sir and a discussion.

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Not, Commissioner's please register votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes. Thank you. Resolution 252, 010 will be moved forward

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to the full commission. Resolution number 252, 012, budget increased juvenile court,

231
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$100,000, except inappropriate funds from safe baby court,

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The early grant awarded to support coordinator position and the salary supplement to the

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juvenile court services director for oversight of the program.

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Referred to full commission with the favourable recommendation by the Budget Committee

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for Zebra.

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Have a motion from Commissioner Carver, second from Commissioner Davis, is there any discussion?

237
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Not, Commissioner's please register votes.

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Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

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Thank you.

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Resolution 252, 012 will be moved forward to the full commission.

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Resolution number 252, 013, budget increase highway.

242
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$1,500,000 appropriate funds for asphalt hot mix to allow the highway department to pay additional roads for the county.

243
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Refer to full commission with the favourable recommendation by the budget committee for zero.

244
00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:20,200
have a motion from Commissioner Davis, second from Commissioner Bowers, is there any discussion?

245
00:21:21,380 --> 00:21:23,580
Not, Commissioner's please register your votes.

246
00:21:30,420 --> 00:21:32,160
Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

247
00:21:32,660 --> 00:21:37,700
Thank you. Resolution 252, 013 will be moved forward to the full commission.

248
00:21:39,380 --> 00:21:48,760
Resolution 252, 014 budget appropriation, BCSO, 687,141 dollars.

249
00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:56,480
appropriate federal opioid funds for 25-27 fiscal year for eligible expenses in the Blunt County

250
00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:01,440
Sheriff's Office, referred to full commission with the favorable recommendation by the Budget

251
00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:02,360
Committee 40.

252
00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:08,200
Motion from Commissioner Aker, second from Commissioner Carver, sir any discussion?

253
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:11,660
Not, Commissioner's please red-share votes.

254
00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:24,620
Mr. Blitz,

255
00:22:27,910 --> 00:22:29,090
so that's okay.

256
00:22:31,890 --> 00:22:33,910
Mr. Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

257
00:22:34,530 --> 00:22:39,830
Thank you. Resolution 25, 2, 014 will be moved forward to the full commission.

258
00:22:40,510 --> 00:22:45,610
Resolution number 25, 2, 015, budget decrease, Blent County Sheriff's Office,

259
00:22:47,290 --> 00:22:54,810
$229,047. Decrease funds originally budgeted during fiscal year 25 with local revenue sources

260
00:22:54,810 --> 00:22:58,490
that are eligible for the use of federal opioid funds,

261
00:22:58,910 --> 00:23:03,530
referred full commission with the favorable recommendation by the budget committee for zero.

262
00:23:04,090 --> 00:23:05,950
I have a motion from Commissioner Aker,

263
00:23:06,050 --> 00:23:10,850
sake it from Commissioner Davis, and I've got Commissioner Aker at first time.

264
00:23:11,210 --> 00:23:12,350
Thank you, Mr Chairman.

265
00:23:14,890 --> 00:23:16,990
We don't see these very often.

266
00:23:19,390 --> 00:23:23,650
So I just wanted to try to figure out what happened.

267
00:23:23,650 --> 00:23:30,410
why, why we're seeing it now, uh, somebody can tell me what's going on. I'm sorry. I'm in the

268
00:23:30,410 --> 00:23:37,090
dark, but I, but I like, I like that word that, that decrease word there. It's, it's a good word.

269
00:23:38,650 --> 00:23:40,410
So, Ron, can you answer that question?

270
00:23:43,190 --> 00:23:46,730
For Meyer. You mind if I answer that. That's perfectly fine.

271
00:23:46,810 --> 00:23:53,010
And the reason I'm going to answer is because, uh, I think a lot of the credit goes obviously to our

272
00:23:53,010 --> 00:23:57,950
officials, but also a lot of the credit goes to Brian and what he's been able to do to work with

273
00:23:57,950 --> 00:24:05,430
our elected officials. When you start seeing these grants and some of this money come in,

274
00:24:07,010 --> 00:24:11,830
then he's been able to set down with elected officials and determine in their budget where they

275
00:24:11,830 --> 00:24:19,330
can reduce and they have absolutely done a great job of accepting that and putting that money

276
00:24:19,330 --> 00:24:24,250
back into the general fund and I didn't want him and I wasn't trying to steal his thunder

277
00:24:24,250 --> 00:24:29,490
but I wanted to make sure because he would not have taken credit for it but a lot of it has to

278
00:24:29,490 --> 00:24:35,210
do with the work of relationship he has with the elected officials what they're what they're

279
00:24:35,210 --> 00:24:43,630
willing to do and what they're doing but a lot of it has to do with moron and the relationship he has

280
00:24:43,630 --> 00:24:47,440
with the elected officials and the fact that they're able to work out and make that work.

281
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:47,480
Good

282
00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,360
afternoon, if you question Commissioner.

283
00:24:53,260 --> 00:24:53,800
Not really.

284
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:55,620
No. Okay. Well, I got that.

285
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,500
I said what I wanted to.

286
00:24:57,780 --> 00:24:59,680
I'm going to turn it over to Brian with Adam.

287
00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:04,280
Thank you, Mayor.

288
00:25:05,340 --> 00:25:05,660
Commissioner.

289
00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:10,340
What I would tell you is that the amount of money you approved you move forward

290
00:25:10,340 --> 00:25:12,380
to next week on your last.

291
00:25:12,900 --> 00:25:16,800
Was a collaboration with the sheriff's office on items that are opioid.

292
00:25:17,780 --> 00:25:24,100
funding eligible from the federal opioid lawsuits, and so we were able to partner and find savings

293
00:25:24,100 --> 00:25:29,840
in their budget that will be able to offset. So this is basically this is three years of funding

294
00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:37,060
that will be able to this year take this money out of the general fund and use the funds to offset.

295
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:43,260
But then we'll also program this into the next two years as well as that 687,000 will also roll over

296
00:25:43,260 --> 00:25:45,700
of the next two years for three years of funding.

297
00:25:46,380 --> 00:25:50,540
Also, feel free to bring that word to me anytime you want to.

298
00:25:50,540 --> 00:25:51,680
It's greatly appreciated.

299
00:25:55,870 --> 00:25:56,870
Anyone else?

300
00:25:57,410 --> 00:25:59,410
Mr. Patres, please register your votes.

301
00:26:21,390 --> 00:26:23,830
I was trying to figure out who did not vote.

302
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,500
I'm still in 18. I'm sorry.

303
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:42,660
I don't know.

304
00:26:51,270 --> 00:26:52,250
There we go.

305
00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:56,980
Oh.

306
00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:57,940
Can we send her back and hand?

307
00:26:58,180 --> 00:26:59,500
Give us to vote.

308
00:27:05,330 --> 00:27:08,670
Okay, so you vote yes on that?

309
00:27:16,310 --> 00:27:19,210
Okay, is your yes vote?

310
00:27:20,870 --> 00:27:21,950
Yes, 18.

311
00:27:22,450 --> 00:27:24,670
Mr. Chairman, thank you.

312
00:27:24,830 --> 00:27:29,310
Resolution 25 to 015 will be moved forward to the full commission.

313
00:27:30,350 --> 00:27:36,570
Resolution 25 to 016 budget increase animal center $14,000.

314
00:27:36,570 --> 00:27:44,230
appropriate smack if reserve fund balance to help cover expected operational cost

315
00:27:44,230 --> 00:27:48,550
referred to full commission with the favorable recommendation by the budget committee

316
00:27:48,550 --> 00:27:54,770
for zero motion from commissioner anchored second from commissioner carver sir any discussion

317
00:27:55,610 --> 00:27:58,050
not commissioner's please register votes

318
00:28:05,950 --> 00:28:07,430
chairman 18 years

319
00:28:07,430 --> 00:28:13,550
votes thank you resolution 25 to 016 will be moved forward the full commission

320
00:28:13,550 --> 00:28:26,670
Resolution 25, 2, 017, budget and crease elections, $110,000 appropriate funds for convenience voting centers due to the increased number of registered voters.

321
00:28:27,010 --> 00:28:31,710
Referred full commission with the favourable recommendation by the budget committee for zero.

322
00:28:32,290 --> 00:28:37,070
Have a motion from Commissioner Davis, second from Commissioner Carver, is there any discussion?

323
00:28:41,710 --> 00:28:42,250
Thank

324
00:28:45,710 --> 00:28:46,830
you, Mr. Chairman.

325
00:28:48,930 --> 00:28:52,730
We've been down this road about every year for the past,

326
00:28:52,810 --> 00:28:54,530
I don't know, four years.

327
00:28:56,450 --> 00:28:57,930
And here we are again.

328
00:29:00,310 --> 00:29:05,890
Does anybody else not feel like we're putting the cart before the horse?

329
00:29:07,750 --> 00:29:15,910
It's finding convenience, voting centers, we don't have convenience voting centers.

330
00:29:19,770 --> 00:29:26,810
So we probably need to have a discussion on, is that what we're going to do, I'm sure

331
00:29:26,810 --> 00:29:35,990
that everybody up here as well as myself has been contacted by our election commission

332
00:29:35,990 --> 00:29:38,810
or um

333
00:29:41,170 --> 00:29:48,070
so we're going to have this discussion or we're just going to pass it to next week and

334
00:29:48,070 --> 00:29:59,550
everybody kind of figured out going down then. I do not necessarily um am I correct on what I'm

335
00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:25,140
Thank you very much. Thanks for your question, too. Yeah, we've been down the path before. And it's time to

336
00:30:25,140 --> 00:30:30,200
on the path with the elections, do we continue to go to the path of voting centers, do we continue

337
00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:39,840
the path we're on? As far as we need to, this has got to be done at the state level, state legislation,

338
00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:46,000
and it has to be a plan, has to be approved by the state election commission. It's the timing

339
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:53,160
of this is quick. I understand that, but we need an answer to move forward. I need to path to move

340
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:58,120
forward. We need to pass the move forward. And the answer, yes, it's worth the discussion,

341
00:30:58,620 --> 00:31:03,380
and it's worth the debate. And let's pick the path and let's roll.

342
00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:11,380
Okay. Thank you for that. But I'm still concerned why the commission

343
00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:17,760
doesn't have anything to say about it or doesn't want to have any discussion about it because

344
00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:24,980
in times past and this is nothing, I'm not taking this out on you or, you know, but it keeps

345
00:31:24,980 --> 00:31:31,120
getting brought to our attention and thrown on our plate and talking to you, my old to be

346
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:31,620
fair,

347
00:31:33,660 --> 00:31:37,680
from what I understood from you, the reason you're bringing it now and it's kind of

348
00:31:38,340 --> 00:31:45,100
a, you know, something that needs to be addressed fairly quickly is because it has to be

349
00:31:45,100 --> 00:32:00,260
It's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it can't wait until the next year. We try it again. The other factors that are involved are voting machines, voting machines that you deal with if your pole pads that are being, they're obsolete.

350
00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:07,100
We've kind of discovered that that's a good thing. We didn't find that out come August going into next year.

351
00:32:07,100 --> 00:32:13,660
Right. We've got to deal with those faux pants. We've got populations and we've got to deal with

352
00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:21,220
maybe added precincts. So it's it's again, it's it's a short term, short term cost savings,

353
00:32:21,660 --> 00:32:29,340
long term significant cost savings, but again, hey, I'm all for you. That's I've seen it in turn.

354
00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:34,780
I've been an officer and I've been an officer in a precinct. I've worked within the election office

355
00:32:34,780 --> 00:32:39,320
and now I've supervised an election over the course of an election cycle.

356
00:32:40,060 --> 00:32:42,880
In my mind, maybe not everybody's, it's time.

357
00:32:43,140 --> 00:32:45,660
We need to, we need to go that direction if we can.

358
00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:49,440
But that again, the debate and the discussion is worth having now,

359
00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:52,860
to again, to find our path for where we go.

360
00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:54,240
And we got it.

361
00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:55,800
When we're, I got it.

362
00:32:55,820 --> 00:32:59,940
Neither way, we're, that's so, this $110,000,

363
00:33:00,380 --> 00:33:04,640
that would do with that by the equipment.

364
00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:10,300
to go that direction. That's the voting center direction. Right. If we go the voting centers,

365
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:17,340
that's what we come up with as a realistic figure. You know, it's not. That's a realistic

366
00:33:17,340 --> 00:33:21,940
figure moving forward to the voting centers. Yeah. So, so what would the figure look like if we

367
00:33:21,940 --> 00:33:27,100
stayed the course of where we're at? That's been working for a long time. We say the workforce of

368
00:33:27,100 --> 00:33:30,840
where we're at. And it's within your pack of things and stuff we presented. You're looking at

369
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:38,880
I would say a worst case scenario over $300,000 and again, it's within your path that there's numbers of being laid out within them.

370
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:49,300
But it just seems like we just appropriated funds in the last couple years that and we were told that no, we won't have to buy this.

371
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:54,200
This will get us up to power up to speed where we need to be.

372
00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:59,640
And then now we're being told that well, no, you know,

373
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:08,400
I personally will do some more digging on this and look into what we've passed in the last

374
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:09,280
couple years.

375
00:34:09,420 --> 00:34:10,280
Please do.

376
00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:11,460
It's doing good with me.

377
00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:11,680
Yeah.

378
00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:12,640
Let me do that.

379
00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:23,040
But I want to point out just in a quick research Republicans in Arizona, just on January 22nd

380
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:32,300
of 2025, the news says, and I quote, more convenient to have, okay, so they have voting

381
00:34:32,300 --> 00:34:34,320
centers as of 2019.

382
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,520
They've been trying to get voting centers since 2011.

383
00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,720
They've been pushed on them.

384
00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:50,680
In 2019, the legislature passed the law to have voting centers.

385
00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:57,540
And they're already trying to get rid of them because of, now let me go back to what I was quoting,

386
00:34:58,620 --> 00:35:05,660
more convenience to not having voting centers, they were less convenient.

387
00:35:06,780 --> 00:35:11,740
And going back to polling precincts will restore confidence in the system.

388
00:35:11,740 --> 00:35:14,320
quote, Googling,

389
00:35:18,060 --> 00:35:27,760
and then one led to slight, led to slighter says voting centers, disenfranchised voters in his district.

390
00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:40,600
Some of the problems they see with these voting centers is, quote, long lines, and fewer printer errors if they got rid of.

391
00:35:42,020 --> 00:35:50,180
So, I'm, and then I also look, you know, what states have these Washington state?

392
00:35:52,300 --> 00:35:53,660
Illinois's California.

393
00:35:55,700 --> 00:36:00,400
And, and they've been pushed into Tennessee since 2008.

394
00:36:02,210 --> 00:36:11,720
It was a pilot project for some municipalities, I'm going to assume Davidson Hamilton meant

395
00:36:15,630 --> 00:36:28,670
and in another pilot program in 2011 and then it expanded to some counties in 2017 and I think that's about the time they started kind of pushed them on us.

396
00:36:30,420 --> 00:36:33,840
This county is being pushed towards

397
00:36:36,210 --> 00:36:38,410
what's happening in Nashville.

398
00:36:38,970 --> 00:36:45,470
We are being pushed in every facet to be just like what's happened in Nashville.

399
00:36:45,470 --> 00:36:53,330
We can sit back and we can let it and we can accept the reasoning and we can accept all that,

400
00:36:53,350 --> 00:37:00,070
but our county's changing and we're just going to keep allowing it to change because somebody

401
00:37:00,070 --> 00:37:12,070
says that's what's best, but Arizona and I know we're not like Arizona, but that more conservative

402
00:37:12,070 --> 00:37:17,870
legislative body in Arizona is trying to change back what they didn't

403
00:37:17,870 --> 00:37:24,770
2019. So I just think it's it's worth maybe us looking into this and I

404
00:37:24,770 --> 00:37:32,190
know the majority of us have not wanted this. Every time it's come up it's been

405
00:37:32,190 --> 00:37:41,670
pushed back. So will we push back again or are we going to

406
00:37:41,670 --> 00:37:47,890
appropriation for the money to move forward has been put on our plate before we've even talked

407
00:37:47,890 --> 00:37:56,070
about it again. And again, this is not anything towards you. I just, we're supposed to be a voice

408
00:37:56,070 --> 00:38:01,730
for the people if we continue to get rid of community, we're not going to have it anymore.

409
00:38:04,020 --> 00:38:04,300
Thank you.

410
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:08,900
Thank you Mr. Chairman,

411
00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:28,640
we did not carry enough of a majority for this to be forwarded to state legislature the last time it was heard by this commission and I think a lot of the reason that we didn't is because

412
00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:36,240
Several of us were hearing from members of our community wanting to maintain the individual

413
00:38:36,240 --> 00:38:43,740
precincts and the sense of community that those have because we know all the people

414
00:38:43,740 --> 00:38:58,620
that when we go there and they know us and it's kind of, it's really getting close to the

415
00:38:58,620 --> 00:39:05,560
telling us that we, that they didn't want to. So I'm in agreement that pursuing the funds

416
00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:12,760
for it, before it gets, before it gets a nod from this commission is probably not their

417
00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:16,340
outweigh to do it, because it's sending their own message to ourselves.

418
00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,740
I was one of the

419
00:39:20,740 --> 00:39:26,520
no votes last time and will be another no vote again this time, because I know that it's special

420
00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:34,620
when I go to my voting precinct and see the people that know me by name and I mean it's just

421
00:39:34,620 --> 00:39:41,240
just family. It's my town here. It's what we're all about and I like that idea of keeping it that way.

422
00:39:42,020 --> 00:39:47,480
So that's what I'm all about and that's why I'll be saying no but it's not that you didn't do a good job.

423
00:39:48,500 --> 00:39:53,640
Thanks, sir. I'd like to address, I'd like to answer a couple of those questions or address a couple of those things.

424
00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:59,180
Number one, when you're talking about Arizona and Washington, Illinois, my suggestion would

425
00:39:59,180 --> 00:40:05,600
be talk to Tennessee, talk to Rutherford County, talk to Williamson County, talk to Wilson

426
00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:11,360
County, talk to rural, talk to weekly county, talk to Henry County, those are the counties

427
00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:12,720
in Tennessee that have done this.

428
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:17,900
Now, the reason there haven't been a whole lot of Tennessee counties to do it is because of the

429
00:40:17,900 --> 00:40:23,180
infrastructure in place, the security in place with the IT now, I'm not about to, I didn't

430
00:40:23,180 --> 00:40:28,700
it all in express last night, so I got to defer to Justin, but we're in better shape than even

431
00:40:28,700 --> 00:40:35,420
the ones who have it, we're convinced that we're in better shape. To Mr. Aikert, thank you. One

432
00:40:35,420 --> 00:40:41,080
of the things I would say to that is, you know, the sense of the community, we had the move,

433
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:46,500
oh, view, pre-sync. We had the move at that old community center for the last election cycle.

434
00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:52,660
We moved in the heritage high school. Now, the commissioners from that district could express

435
00:40:52,660 --> 00:40:57,140
If they heard anything negative, I heard nothing but thank yous.

436
00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:00,120
And that's, again, that's just me and what I get.

437
00:41:00,220 --> 00:41:01,620
But I didn't hear any negatives.

438
00:41:02,020 --> 00:41:02,760
What have you done?

439
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:03,780
Why have you done this?

440
00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,180
And so there to address those two points.

441
00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:10,340
Next I've got Commissioner Jiles.

442
00:41:11,940 --> 00:41:12,700
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

443
00:41:14,380 --> 00:41:16,860
And again, my understanding is we are not voting

444
00:41:16,860 --> 00:41:19,160
and whether or not we're going to voting centers this evening.

445
00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:22,020
You've got a budget, you've got a budget increase,

446
00:41:22,020 --> 00:41:31,700
request for $110,000. I think I heard, you say, if we stay the way we are, without going to voting centers,

447
00:41:33,460 --> 00:41:38,340
what would that dollar amount? Instead of $110,000, the election commission, do you have an estimate

448
00:41:38,340 --> 00:41:45,900
is to what we are not? You're looking at potentially over 327 is the figure, and that's with additional

449
00:41:45,900 --> 00:41:50,640
pre-sinks with the machine, the whole pads that we have to replace things like that,

450
00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:51,200
is that what you're doing?

451
00:41:51,340 --> 00:41:52,420
And I don't need all the detail.

452
00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:55,080
Yeah, why so much more?

453
00:41:56,120 --> 00:42:01,840
The increase, the, we, needing additional voting machines, number one, which are the,

454
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:05,340
the actual machines that you cast your votes on the scanners and the printers and those

455
00:42:05,340 --> 00:42:08,500
things, because we have additional polling sites we'd have to do.

456
00:42:08,780 --> 00:42:12,260
Whole pads which have to be replaced, but you need additional ones if you need additional

457
00:42:12,260 --> 00:42:18,280
pre-sinks, the additional poll workers that would be needed, so that's roughly 10, I think

458
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:23,720
that, if I remember, sir, that's about per election that comes up to about $25,000,

459
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:24,260
pretty close.

460
00:42:24,300 --> 00:42:29,080
Over $24,000, needing extra savings per election.

461
00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:34,200
Yeah, cost avoidance per election going forward with voting center.

462
00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:39,520
So, again, there are more factors that are kind of coming together at this moment.

463
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:48,500
Yeah, we've seen it before, but those factors seem to be coming together in a time frame that, you know, what now's now's the time.

464
00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:52,440
Yeah, been here before, but now's the time to see what you think again.

465
00:42:52,760 --> 00:43:08,560
I don't like to assume things, but I'm assuming that you say we would have to have an increase in the number of pre-sings because of population growth population growth is part of it.

466
00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:13,940
the number of registered voters from 2016 to this past election.

467
00:43:14,620 --> 00:43:16,640
Right now, currently we're sitting at 100,000.

468
00:43:17,140 --> 00:43:22,760
And in November of 2016, again, a lot of numbers,

469
00:43:22,980 --> 00:43:26,420
if memory service would be correctly, we were at 79,000,

470
00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:28,520
in November of November 16 to 24.

471
00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:30,820
If you go back to March of 2016,

472
00:43:31,340 --> 00:43:34,420
I believe that was even, I think that was 69,000.

473
00:43:34,660 --> 00:43:37,920
Now, again, what are we going to see in the future?

474
00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:45,360
I don't know. I can't predict the future, but we're certainly on a path to, we're on a path to steadily grow.

475
00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:49,900
Plus then we hit those November election cycles and it jumps again because of, right?

476
00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:55,440
And you know, this no, in 26 we're coming up on, I would say the Tennessee gubernatorial election will probably

477
00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:58,160
pause us to jump pretty well.

478
00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:01,380
You know, so again, just our, just my.

479
00:44:02,620 --> 00:44:02,680
Right.

480
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:06,820
I'd like to reserve the right to come talk between now and next Thursday if we can.

481
00:44:07,180 --> 00:44:13,760
I would love for anybody to walk in good collar at me and come on down and sit down and go through it.

482
00:44:13,940 --> 00:44:22,420
Because yeah, it's a bit of a, it's a, there's more involved than meets the eye.

483
00:44:22,580 --> 00:44:28,180
You know, it's a little more complicated and I'm happy to go into the details.

484
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:36,960
But, yeah, I appreciate the time and I appreciate being here and hopefully we can see what we can do.

485
00:44:37,340 --> 00:44:38,360
At least give me some guidance.

486
00:44:38,720 --> 00:44:39,280
Mr. Wales.

487
00:44:40,900 --> 00:44:42,480
Yeah, just a very fast question.

488
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:46,320
Are we going to be able to see a voting center in each district?

489
00:44:47,020 --> 00:44:49,700
You'll have a voting center in each district.

490
00:44:49,820 --> 00:44:54,680
What we would do and one thing again, we're set within the county.

491
00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:57,160
We're set for voting centers in multiple places.

492
00:44:58,160 --> 00:44:59,980
Since we've got a long way to go in, pin.

493
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:07,640
Those down yet. However, you're looking at potentially 15, there could be more, but potentially 15, there'd

494
00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:11,900
be one in each county commission district than others that were strategically placed, depending on

495
00:45:11,900 --> 00:45:20,300
population or, you know, the paths of travel, things like that. So, but again, the nice thing, we've got,

496
00:45:20,300 --> 00:45:26,240
you know, we've got it in place and we can put those things in strategic locations.

497
00:45:26,980 --> 00:45:31,160
I'm going to ask you a very, I don't think everybody here knows the answer to what I'm

498
00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:37,340
getting right to ask, but the voting centers, obviously the attraction is that on election

499
00:45:37,340 --> 00:45:40,820
day you can vote at any of these voting centers you're not relegating to.

500
00:45:40,820 --> 00:45:43,740
Early voting, early voting on election day.

501
00:45:44,060 --> 00:45:47,420
You'll see a bunch of numbers toward the back of the information I gave you that are

502
00:45:47,420 --> 00:45:49,800
into that are kind of internally what we experience.

503
00:45:50,580 --> 00:45:54,720
And it doesn't mean a whole lot, but I finally was able to take those numbers and put

504
00:45:54,720 --> 00:46:00,740
to get phone calls that we receive. How many people left a polling place? How many people,

505
00:46:00,900 --> 00:46:05,980
you know, the different things that we're finally able to grasp in November? They're significant.

506
00:46:06,300 --> 00:46:11,340
And what we don't know is how many people got frustrated and left one polling place and never showed

507
00:46:11,340 --> 00:46:16,320
up at the next. And again, it's November numbers. Those are big numbers. And we're dealing with a

508
00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:24,280
smaller scale in May of 2006, which is first time this would take effect. But okay, in your position,

509
00:46:25,380 --> 00:46:30,640
How many people walk in a way from the voting, from the polling place, and what I'm not going,

510
00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:33,560
could that affect you or could that affect anybody?

511
00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:37,980
Because all the proportions are smaller, or can you understand what I'm saying?

512
00:46:38,380 --> 00:46:40,600
You may think of another couple of questions I apologize.

513
00:46:43,300 --> 00:46:50,020
The fact that, well, generalize for us, the percentage of voters, like in this past election,

514
00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:54,320
that voted on early voting versus voted a election, wants the percentage different.

515
00:46:54,320 --> 00:47:03,420
Yeah, thanks. Great. That's a really good question on a typical election. There's one exception to this and I'll explain it on a typical election and we had 70%

516
00:47:03,420 --> 00:47:23,340
No to turn out in roughly 70% in November 70% of those voted early and you'll see that through almost every election cycle 70% early and roughly 30% on election day really it's like 27% on election day because 3% vote absentee

517
00:47:24,140 --> 00:47:27,880
The exception to that is a March presidential primary.

518
00:47:28,220 --> 00:47:33,380
Those numbers will more equate because people are waiting to see if somebody drops out or whatever.

519
00:47:33,820 --> 00:47:38,020
But a typical election, you're going to see 70, 30 early voting to election day.

520
00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:39,620
That's what the voting center is.

521
00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:41,920
It's an early voting location.

522
00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,920
How many early voting locations do we have currently?

523
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:45,940
Wow.

524
00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:47,680
We did four in August.

525
00:47:48,180 --> 00:47:50,360
We went to end five in November.

526
00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:52,280
to only five locations and said,

527
00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:55,140
that's a good point to five locations.

528
00:47:56,340 --> 00:47:58,060
That's a roughly two week period.

529
00:47:58,320 --> 00:47:59,940
OK, let's don't, yeah, unless this is a statistic,

530
00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:02,240
you may or may not have, but do you know

531
00:48:02,240 --> 00:48:04,720
how many of that 70% voted out of district?

532
00:48:06,060 --> 00:48:08,020
How many of the 70% voted out of it?

533
00:48:08,420 --> 00:48:11,360
Well, good question.

534
00:48:11,720 --> 00:48:14,280
No, not necessarily all of them.

535
00:48:14,500 --> 00:48:15,220
Oh, no, I couldn't.

536
00:48:15,340 --> 00:48:15,840
It was all of them.

537
00:48:15,860 --> 00:48:17,480
No, I'd have to think about that.

538
00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:18,660
And I don't know.

539
00:48:19,100 --> 00:48:19,660
Obviously, come up.

540
00:48:19,660 --> 00:48:25,680
But I love him, dude, because they're, they may have voted in their district that happened to be at a location.

541
00:48:26,220 --> 00:48:33,680
Yeah, but the beauty of that is this, the library line, and logistically, the library calls us long lines, but everybody knows the library.

542
00:48:33,820 --> 00:48:35,480
Ever, it's the same way, everybody knows every.

543
00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:37,900
A lot of people go to Ever because they've always gone there.

544
00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:45,940
We haven't, I can't tell you how, there are many, many people who, because the Operation Center was such a logistically,

545
00:48:45,940 --> 00:48:50,620
It worked out to be such a logistically better place to go, and Pelle Cippy, the logistic,

546
00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:52,900
we had some going from one place to go.

547
00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:54,600
We have people call us, hey, wins the best time to go.

548
00:48:54,660 --> 00:48:55,340
Things like that.

549
00:48:55,960 --> 00:48:59,800
So it's a map they could see the line one place in hop to another place.

550
00:48:59,820 --> 00:49:00,620
Same thing.

551
00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:04,140
I do know that all of my district voters voted out of district.

552
00:49:04,380 --> 00:49:07,800
Because there isn't an early voting location in my district.

553
00:49:08,180 --> 00:49:10,180
So I know that was the case for them.

554
00:49:10,440 --> 00:49:12,100
So thank you for answering my questions.

555
00:49:12,100 --> 00:49:14,500
Other questions I didn't think of ahead of them.

556
00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:21,980
Commissioner Bowers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, just a statement. I appreciate the job that you're doing, Mr.

557
00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:25,940
Click. I've never really been for vote centers.

558
00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:31,180
I just feel like we just keep taking community out of our communities.

559
00:49:31,820 --> 00:49:41,260
I grew up in OPE about an OPE. I did hear a lot of people say I miss voting. It would like to say I do appreciate the early vote in places.

560
00:49:41,260 --> 00:49:47,660
the one at Providence. A lot of people might be able to use that and I would really like to see

561
00:49:47,660 --> 00:49:53,740
this move more in that direction to the early voting, but I won't be supporting this because

562
00:49:53,740 --> 00:49:55,680
I just don't like moving toward the vote of Sanders.

563
00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:01,100
Mr. Anderson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just

564
00:50:01,100 --> 00:50:07,280
wanted to clarify some things, just everyone's aware and MoCred me if I've misstated something.

565
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:15,880
So the resolution that we've gotten front of us does both the appropriation and it does the approval of the voting centers.

566
00:50:17,380 --> 00:50:22,720
So if we vote, yes, we're voting in favor of the appropriation and in support of the idea.

567
00:50:23,620 --> 00:50:35,880
And assuming that this would pass, if it passes, by a two thirds vote next week, then this is going to go to our state legislative tours who are then going to have to pass.

568
00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:46,520
A bill in Nashville to make this happen in blunt counties. That path is open should it be should we make it event that path is open

569
00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:54,460
But the resolution's both a statement and support and an appropriation. That's yes. Okay. Yeah. Thank you

570
00:50:54,460 --> 00:51:04,360
Commissioner Michaels for the second time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So I also I mean, I need you all to understand

571
00:51:04,360 --> 00:51:04,580
And

572
00:51:07,780 --> 00:51:15,040
what Commissioner Anderson just kind of laid out there in front of you.

573
00:51:15,300 --> 00:51:25,140
Within this budget increase inside of it, you're approving voting centers, not just

574
00:51:25,140 --> 00:51:26,640
a budget increase.

575
00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:35,880
So with it, having some opposition and never passing this commission before, I just

576
00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:43,500
find it very convenient that we have to do this right now. And I find it very

577
00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:51,200
methodical that it's come in the form that it's come. And I need you to think about that.

578
00:51:58,670 --> 00:52:06,030
And ask yourself why it came like this. This is not just by chance. Oh, yeah,

579
00:52:07,110 --> 00:52:10,230
we need to do this. That's not what happened right here.

580
00:52:11,610 --> 00:52:17,790
we didn't even have the discussion to get to this point. It's all balled up in a budgeting

581
00:52:17,790 --> 00:52:25,970
increase, which we mostly pass every time. So just think about it and I encourage you and I'm not

582
00:52:25,970 --> 00:52:35,990
saying that Mo has anything up is sleeve, but we dealt with this just about every year, if not ever

583
00:52:35,990 --> 00:52:45,430
the year since I've been on this commission. And while it seems like it may be better,

584
00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:54,800
what we're doing is we're asking for a change with this resolution that's going to change

585
00:52:54,800 --> 00:53:00,920
the way people vote in this county. You're not going to be able to go on election day and

586
00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:06,280
and it's your precinct and see your constituents and talk to them

587
00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:18,900
or encourage others that may vote for somebody else or have that opportunity to speak to them.

588
00:53:19,220 --> 00:53:31,020
That this right here in my opinion is a push to be able to not be connected to your constituency and your community.

589
00:53:34,100 --> 00:53:45,960
One other thing, Mo is how many, and you may have already answered this, I apologize if you have.

590
00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:49,760
How many voting centers, I think you said 15?

591
00:53:50,040 --> 00:53:51,260
Possibly, give or take.

592
00:53:51,900 --> 00:53:52,800
Again, possibly.

593
00:53:52,960 --> 00:53:56,600
That's what we would be looking at as an essential 15.

594
00:53:56,820 --> 00:53:59,120
And then how many precincts do we have?

595
00:53:59,120 --> 00:54:05,860
You've got 27 moving toward 31, quickly, 27 moving to 30.

596
00:54:05,860 --> 00:54:07,860
But what's happening in 24 moving toward 31?

597
00:54:09,960 --> 00:54:14,520
What causes the increase and is that what we're having to spend money on?

598
00:54:14,640 --> 00:54:16,720
One of the registered voters is the answer to that question.

599
00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:20,300
Once you get, you can only have 6,000 people in a precinct.

600
00:54:20,580 --> 00:54:20,600
Right.

601
00:54:20,840 --> 00:54:22,000
There's never sure in front of you too.

602
00:54:22,160 --> 00:54:22,840
You can dig into that.

603
00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:23,520
Look at that too.

604
00:54:23,940 --> 00:54:26,080
So now once you, once you pass that thing,

605
00:54:26,080 --> 00:54:32,080
So I'm going to significantly pass 5,000 voters now, we're pushed into, okay, I can't go past 6,000,

606
00:54:33,780 --> 00:54:40,400
we're going to start adding and that's where we are. So is that where, because I'm going to

607
00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:47,200
dig up where we appropriated the funds for the new voting equipment, we weren't going to have to

608
00:54:47,200 --> 00:54:53,580
add anything or buy more and this was going to get us through for a while, but you're saying the

609
00:54:53,580 --> 00:55:00,340
increase if we stayed with precinct voting and I'm just catching this with

610
00:55:00,340 --> 00:55:06,020
our conversation is going to be because the increase of registered voters and

611
00:55:06,020 --> 00:55:11,680
the precincts growing to where we have to add precincts correct which

612
00:55:11,680 --> 00:55:17,100
would necessitate new equipment right in those kind of things. I can't speak to

613
00:55:17,100 --> 00:55:22,000
the past I can't speak to a lot of the past stuff that you mean so at the same time

614
00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:28,300
Right, at the same time, ultimately, I would say anybody has any doubts, call me, come

615
00:55:28,300 --> 00:55:34,780
see me, come sit down with me and I get it, I get it, but come see me and I'll be happy

616
00:55:34,780 --> 00:55:35,220
to it.

617
00:55:35,220 --> 00:55:40,260
Would be happy to dig into it farther and see whether which way you think is the best.

618
00:55:40,820 --> 00:55:49,440
So let me clarify the 300,000 that it would cost us to stay with precincts is just for the

619
00:55:49,440 --> 00:55:55,360
addition of equipment additional whole workers yeah this equipment additional

620
00:55:55,360 --> 00:55:59,040
whole workers just additional those additional needs for the for the

621
00:55:59,040 --> 00:56:03,540
precincts okay I go ahead and move forward you're talking about the the

622
00:56:03,540 --> 00:56:10,880
poll worker piece of that continues on each election so yeah yeah so okay

623
00:56:11,800 --> 00:56:17,580
that helps me thank you Mr. Branch thank you

624
00:56:17,580 --> 00:56:18,120
Chairman,

625
00:56:22,090 --> 00:56:28,090
I guess first common I've got is if we push this forward, we're not voting for

626
00:56:28,090 --> 00:56:33,210
anything, we're just moving it forward to where we can act on it next week, which gives

627
00:56:33,210 --> 00:56:36,310
this time to come in and talk with you.

628
00:56:38,630 --> 00:56:48,610
I have the next question I have is, if we don't pass this next week or pass it not pass

629
00:56:49,850 --> 00:56:56,710
moving into the future. And I'm looking at three, four, five, six, eight years down the

630
00:56:56,710 --> 00:56:56,970
road.

631
00:56:59,770 --> 00:57:05,470
What kind of, what kind of cost factor are we looking at later on down the road with,

632
00:57:06,110 --> 00:57:11,490
with the population increase we're getting every year. What kind of increase are we looking

633
00:57:13,470 --> 00:57:18,370
That's a good question.

634
00:57:18,810 --> 00:57:19,170
I don't know.

635
00:57:19,490 --> 00:57:22,410
You would be looking at what would be looking at.

636
00:57:23,350 --> 00:57:23,750
I don't know.

637
00:57:23,910 --> 00:57:26,550
Because the things would have to say the same,

638
00:57:26,870 --> 00:57:29,090
you know, what we don't know what happens with.

639
00:57:29,330 --> 00:57:30,670
And again, let me, let me back up.

640
00:57:31,490 --> 00:57:32,330
So the answer is I don't know.

641
00:57:32,710 --> 00:57:35,370
But again, one of the things we look for is what was going to happen

642
00:57:35,370 --> 00:57:37,690
in my mind is we're approaching November.

643
00:57:37,690 --> 00:57:48,690
Okay, in 2016, we heard one side go crazed and for, for exact, forgive me, the crazy part, but go, you know, have really health concerns.

644
00:57:49,190 --> 00:57:53,930
In 2020, after the November election, one side had significant concerns.

645
00:57:54,490 --> 00:58:01,650
So, as I'm moving forward into November 2024, my first thought is, what's going to come down the pipe that's going to happen here?

646
00:58:01,910 --> 00:58:05,890
Well, we got through this pretty, pretty unscathed.

647
00:58:05,890 --> 00:58:09,290
We don't have any, you know, we don't have any real objections to what happened already,

648
00:58:09,570 --> 00:58:15,170
but you know, so again, a lot of that would be with, with the current climate and with

649
00:58:15,170 --> 00:58:18,770
things that are, the way things are happening, yeah, you'd progressively be adding here and

650
00:58:18,770 --> 00:58:23,230
adding here and adding here as we move forward. If something changes, in other words, what kind

651
00:58:23,230 --> 00:58:28,030
of change could happen? There's, you know, there's a push, there's a push for, we've got to go back

652
00:58:28,030 --> 00:58:33,030
to, we've got to go back to all paper ballots and we've got to hand count things and we

653
00:58:33,030 --> 00:58:43,730
Okay, that changes the whole game, and that's I don't even want to think about something like that in not from my perspective, but again, that's an extreme example, but what's going to change over the years of things as we progress.

654
00:58:44,350 --> 00:58:51,130
I don't know, but we're looking at this again, we're looking at a steady we're looking at a steady increase, a steady clock in my opinion.

655
00:58:51,710 --> 00:59:03,520
So, so if we move to precinct, are we are eliminating some voting machine if we're going to have the same number voting machine.

656
00:59:03,520 --> 00:59:07,960
If you go to the voting center model, keep the machines you've got.

657
00:59:07,960 --> 00:59:09,240
If we go to voting centers.

658
00:59:09,320 --> 00:59:12,020
If you go to the voting center model, you keep the machines you got.

659
00:59:12,020 --> 00:59:17,900
You could add additional machines at each voting center location to continue.

660
00:59:18,420 --> 00:59:20,260
Again, a lot of things I will, our lines are going to get long.

661
00:59:20,480 --> 00:59:22,340
I would say no to that.

662
00:59:23,240 --> 00:59:28,520
Also, just because of the, a lot of the, a line problems are caused by people who are in the

663
00:59:28,520 --> 00:59:33,020
wrong spot and either have to stop and feel like it causes everybody to stop,

664
00:59:33,020 --> 00:59:41,040
fill out new registration papers or get to set to a new precinct. So a lot of that stuff is caused by the fact that you got it, you're in the wrong place.

665
00:59:41,140 --> 00:59:46,120
You got to go somewhere else. New machines are going to, the logistically, this is not going to cause.

666
00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:53,560
Along lines along, like you got a big turnout, along lines along, but this is not going to cause longer lines in our estimation.

667
00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:54,100
Yes.

668
00:59:54,480 --> 00:59:55,680
Last question.

669
00:59:56,840 --> 00:59:59,980
If we move, I think 31, please thank you now.

670
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:29,640
27 now, 27 now, 31. And we need to move the 31 to handle the increase in population. We're heading that direction. Or if we move the precinct, we're moving the, I mean, voting standard, we're going to move the 15, maybe, maybe one or two more, we could, yeah, we present with that or plenty of that. Well, that decreases the working, the poll working population.

671
01:00:29,640 --> 01:00:34,940
Yeah, you're talking, you have about average of 10 poll workers at a precinct.

672
01:00:34,960 --> 01:00:38,520
If you go to voting centers, let's say that goes to 12 probably, something like that.

673
01:00:38,960 --> 01:00:46,000
So those numbers, we had, we had, we're going to move from, you're going to 300 in to roughly

674
01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:54,700
120 in, maybe 180, but, yeah, that's a pretty good, that's a pretty good, that's a pretty good,

675
01:00:54,700 --> 01:00:56,180
we'll increase the poll worker.

676
01:00:56,180 --> 01:01:07,440
Well, the increase of folks that is correct, but Mr. Davis, thank you, will this eliminate the early voting all the way?

677
01:01:07,700 --> 01:01:23,480
No, no, no, no early voting stays. It just turns election day into what is early voting. But think of it that way. That's ultimately that's what you're talking about is election day now turns an early voting where you just go to your most convenient spot, cast your vote and go.

678
01:01:23,480 --> 01:01:30,220
So if we got 70% that's early voting, that leaves our 30% that is assigned to go to the voting poll.

679
01:01:30,640 --> 01:01:30,860
Right now.

680
01:01:31,560 --> 01:01:34,100
So that's just leaving 30% to vote.

681
01:01:34,460 --> 01:01:41,540
And you're telling me that the reason we need to move toward this is because it's causing the

682
01:01:41,540 --> 01:01:45,700
lines to be longer, but we've only got 30% of the people voting in there.

683
01:01:48,120 --> 01:01:51,280
Well, that's not the reason to move to the end.

684
01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:59,520
The more it's not as much as the the convenience issue is if if you go to the we people don't

685
01:02:00,700 --> 01:02:05,500
people don't update voter registration is in the numbers we in the past we've all it

686
01:02:05,500 --> 01:02:11,480
hey we move we update voter registration okay we that kind of doesn't happen anymore folks are just

687
01:02:11,480 --> 01:02:15,940
we just don't see that so we have significant numbers again those numbers are within the information

688
01:02:15,940 --> 01:02:24,100
very if you can kind of follow them doing. So the significant number of people that go to the wrong

689
01:02:25,200 --> 01:02:30,680
precinct and they end up on election day, like, sorry, you can't vote here. You'll have to go,

690
01:02:30,800 --> 01:02:35,740
sorry, you can't come into a friendsport. You're going to have to go to a near. And so what do we

691
01:02:35,740 --> 01:02:40,600
lose in that? Now, in fact, I estimate, I think it was one of the estimations I looked at. I think the number

692
01:02:40,600 --> 01:02:45,720
of people, and I know there were more than this, but the number that I could count the people who

693
01:02:45,720 --> 01:02:51,480
sent to other precincts on election day in November, equated to the number of people that voted at Lewis.

694
01:02:52,960 --> 01:02:57,340
And that's a significant number when you think about it. So that's, that's kind of weird.

695
01:02:59,080 --> 01:03:04,020
What are some of the counties you mentioned that have moved to this and they've been successful.

696
01:03:04,080 --> 01:03:07,140
And do you know the first thing that the people that's increased their voters?

697
01:03:09,020 --> 01:03:12,220
Yeah, let me get to the counties that may not only forget that.

698
01:03:12,220 --> 01:03:15,280
One thing that's a little bit, I don't want to lead people,

699
01:03:15,380 --> 01:03:19,720
I don't want to lead you to believe that if you do this voter turnout's going to increase.

700
01:03:20,680 --> 01:03:24,680
It's more matter, yeah, it's going to be more convenient. So you might see an increase.

701
01:03:24,940 --> 01:03:30,480
But for me to say, oh, it's going to increase things by 10, 15%. That's not holding.

702
01:03:30,600 --> 01:03:33,780
That's not necessarily holding true. So I don't want to lead you down that road.

703
01:03:34,440 --> 01:03:37,940
The county's in Tennessee that do this. And again, this is more driven by

704
01:03:37,940 --> 01:03:41,580
That he infrastructure and security than it is, they build it.

705
01:03:41,720 --> 01:03:46,860
None of your large count, the large count at Knox, Davidson, Hamilton, Shelby, they do not

706
01:03:46,860 --> 01:03:47,720
do this.

707
01:03:48,060 --> 01:03:52,060
And they would be hard pressed to do anything like this at this current currently.

708
01:03:53,020 --> 01:03:59,920
Rutherford, which is Murphy's Burrow, Williamson, which is Franklin and Brentwood, Wilson,

709
01:04:00,380 --> 01:04:06,720
which is Lebanon and Mount Juliet, weekly, which is Martin in northwest Tennessee, that Martin

710
01:04:06,720 --> 01:04:14,400
in there. And Monroe doesn't hear locally. Monroe's your closest one that does that and the one

711
01:04:14,400 --> 01:04:20,800
Henry was the one who just got that and did it in the 20 just this election cycle 2024. Henry

712
01:04:20,800 --> 01:04:29,000
is Paris laying between the lakes that it better. Thank you very much. Mr. Aker for the second time.

713
01:04:29,340 --> 01:04:36,580
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I like the way early voting works. We're anybody can go anywhere they

714
01:04:36,580 --> 01:04:41,880
to go, but I just can't get past the

715
01:04:41,880 --> 01:04:46,240
the sense of community that is in the individual voting

716
01:04:47,640 --> 01:04:51,040
precincts. I think it was a big mistake when we

717
01:04:51,040 --> 01:04:54,560
can nominate all of our hospitals together and got rid of

718
01:04:54,560 --> 01:04:57,200
our community that way, and I think it's a big

719
01:04:57,200 --> 01:05:01,240
mistake to get rid of our sense of community this way.

720
01:05:02,360 --> 01:05:05,900
We do have a bunch of workers that work those polls

721
01:05:05,900 --> 01:05:15,020
And it's the same workers that have been working those polls pretty much my entire voting career.

722
01:05:15,400 --> 01:05:17,940
And I think it's a big deal to those people.

723
01:05:18,360 --> 01:05:29,260
And they get some benefit from that employment and sense of community a lot of pride in it.

724
01:05:29,920 --> 01:05:40,900
I don't want to take it away from, I really don't, and I've heard from a bunch of people, I mean it's not, it didn't get any press this time because of the way it's been presented to us.

725
01:05:41,160 --> 01:05:46,320
They got a lot of press last time because of the way it was presented to us, and we heard from people.

726
01:05:46,660 --> 01:05:51,320
We would have heard from people before tonight, if they had realized what was on the agenda.

727
01:05:51,320 --> 01:05:58,120
And I think that's what another commissioner was, was alluding to when he was

728
01:05:58,120 --> 01:06:01,840
explaining that it's kind of come in here a little bit, a little bit sideways.

729
01:06:03,440 --> 01:06:06,480
And again, I,

730
01:06:08,620 --> 01:06:13,800
first of all, I don't think that the number 300,000 is going to be what

731
01:06:13,800 --> 01:06:16,180
happens in the May 2026 elections.

732
01:06:16,180 --> 01:06:27,160
I think the 26 elections are going to be a whole lot lower numbers than what we just had and therefore probably not going to be as high as what we just had.

733
01:06:27,900 --> 01:06:33,300
But everybody's going to be getting paid more and we do have to have data equipment.

734
01:06:33,820 --> 01:06:45,840
I believe we just replaced basically all of our equipment by state law that required us to have the ability to do it all in paper as well.

735
01:06:45,840 --> 01:06:53,020
electronic, at least I noticed a new voting machine when I was in there in the polls this time.

736
01:06:55,620 --> 01:07:01,560
I was at early voting, and then I was at the precinct when my wife went to vote.

737
01:07:03,200 --> 01:07:05,780
And new stuff, both places.

738
01:07:07,640 --> 01:07:14,700
And surely, again, as we, if we're going to have a lot lower voter turnout, we're not going to have a

739
01:07:14,700 --> 01:07:16,220
have a whole lot more machines.

740
01:07:18,500 --> 01:07:24,600
Again, I'm just dead set against doing away with the sense of community that we have.

741
01:07:25,260 --> 01:07:32,540
I like to be able to go out and see the people that are in my community and know that that's where they're going to be.

742
01:07:32,540 --> 01:07:36,800
and them know that they can reach out to me any time.

743
01:07:37,440 --> 01:07:39,200
I feel like that's really important.

744
01:07:41,300 --> 01:07:45,880
And we all know that the high school robberies that went away

745
01:07:45,880 --> 01:07:52,640
when we went to Mike County High School was just sad.

746
01:07:52,980 --> 01:07:56,840
The community aspects of things was very disappointing.

747
01:07:56,840 --> 01:08:06,520
and I don't want to do that to us to the community that works so hard on election days to

748
01:08:07,140 --> 01:08:11,860
to make that special. So again, thank you for the time.

749
01:08:12,640 --> 01:08:15,920
And he measures ready for the question. Mr. Michael,

750
01:08:16,120 --> 01:08:17,940
you've already spoken to us on this agenda.

751
01:08:17,940 --> 01:08:18,920
I don't

752
01:08:27,680 --> 01:08:30,840
want your amendment, I got you.

753
01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:34,120
Thank you.

754
01:08:34,620 --> 01:08:41,200
I would like to separate out this budget increase.

755
01:08:42,140 --> 01:08:53,180
I think there also needs to be a separate amendment that would kind of probably, as a pre-rec was it to this budget increase.

756
01:08:53,180 --> 01:09:04,720
I would like to make an amendment resolution 25, 0, 2, 0, 1, 7, A possibly name at that and to

757
01:09:04,720 --> 01:09:07,880
where we actually have to approve

758
01:09:11,080 --> 01:09:17,040
Black County going from voting precincts to voting

759
01:09:17,040 --> 01:09:25,060
centers prior to this, this item being considered on next week's agenda.

760
01:09:25,060 --> 01:09:27,380
have a motion. Do I have a second?

761
01:09:34,760 --> 01:09:35,640
All right, we don't have a

762
01:09:35,640 --> 01:09:38,500
second. So we're still on the main motion.

763
01:09:38,780 --> 01:09:40,100
Commissioner's ready for the question.

764
01:09:42,190 --> 01:09:43,730
So please register your votes.

765
01:09:56,350 --> 01:09:58,770
Commissioner Webb, do you wish to vote?

766
01:10:12,140 --> 01:10:13,140
Chairman, you have 10

767
01:10:13,140 --> 01:10:16,920
yes votes. Seven no votes and one abstention.

768
01:10:17,480 --> 01:10:22,680
That motion fails. Moving on to other budget items. Thank you.

769
01:10:28,500 --> 01:10:36,520
County Sheriff's Office grant application $200,000 to apply for fiscal year 25 Bureau of Justice

770
01:10:36,520 --> 01:10:43,280
Assistant Grant to purchase a virtual training simulator that provides different scenarios during

771
01:10:43,280 --> 01:10:49,320
training. No matching funds are required. Referred to full commission was the favorable recommendation

772
01:10:49,320 --> 01:10:53,500
by the Budget Committee for Z-Grow. I have a motion from Commissioner Davis,

773
01:10:53,500 --> 01:10:56,700
Second, from Commissioner Eichard or any discussion?

774
01:10:58,380 --> 01:11:00,300
Not, Commissioner's please register your votes.

775
01:11:18,200 --> 01:11:19,120
Commissioner, okay.

776
01:11:21,990 --> 01:11:23,830
Chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

777
01:11:24,210 --> 01:11:24,630
Thank you.

778
01:11:24,850 --> 01:11:27,670
That grant application will be moved forward to the full commission.

779
01:11:29,410 --> 01:11:32,750
Agriculture Extension Committee to your term appointments.

780
01:11:33,090 --> 01:11:39,030
The Farm Women Representative Lisa McHenry and Farm Man Representative Steve Mars.

781
01:11:39,890 --> 01:11:40,490
Councillor忠 mill.

782
01:11:40,950 --> 01:11:42,450
Councillor Comister, Carver.

783
01:11:42,750 --> 01:11:44,130
Second, Commissioner Davis.

784
01:11:44,730 --> 01:11:45,430
Is there any discussion?

785
01:11:46,910 --> 01:11:47,350
No, Commissioner.

786
01:11:47,690 --> 01:11:48,870
Please register votes.

787
01:11:56,750 --> 01:11:56,790
Sure.

788
01:11:56,950 --> 01:11:58,570
I chairman, there are 18 yes votes.

789
01:11:59,270 --> 01:12:02,370
Thank you, those appointments have been moved forward to the fall commission.

790
01:12:03,570 --> 01:12:06,350
Resolution number 2520108.

791
01:12:06,910 --> 01:12:09,930
A Resolution by the Blank County Board of Commissioners.

792
01:12:10,070 --> 01:12:14,610
Supporting the efforts of the Blank County Highway Department to repair and maintain

793
01:12:14,610 --> 01:12:19,990
the Swinging Bridge in Townsend, Tennessee, known as the Dark Island Bridge.

794
01:12:20,550 --> 01:12:22,250
Have a motion from Commissioner Aikert,

795
01:12:22,790 --> 01:12:27,230
sake it from Commissioner Bowers, and I've got Commissioner Jiles at first.

796
01:12:28,470 --> 01:12:29,430
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

797
01:12:29,910 --> 01:12:33,030
I realize we're just discussing to move this on the next week,

798
01:12:33,150 --> 01:12:38,070
but I've got just a couple of questions that I've not been able to get the answer on,

799
01:12:38,310 --> 01:12:41,870
just because of my lack of time to research its,

800
01:12:41,870 --> 01:12:43,210
is who owns this bridge?

801
01:12:44,840 --> 01:12:47,760
So anyone here that like to answer that question?

802
01:12:48,320 --> 01:12:48,560
Jeff?

803
01:12:58,780 --> 01:12:59,840
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

804
01:13:00,360 --> 01:13:03,380
Commissioner, there's discussion about that.

805
01:13:03,500 --> 01:13:10,360
That goes way back in some grants that involve dark bowling and sunshine.

806
01:13:12,820 --> 01:13:22,120
So we know that dark bowling, one side, is an individual with city of Townsend, a property hunter.

807
01:13:22,120 --> 01:13:30,020
cross the bridge while you're in the state. The other side, the county side has been sold and

808
01:13:30,020 --> 01:13:36,800
Mr. A and my department, we've been researching and found two individuals who will be having

809
01:13:36,800 --> 01:13:44,680
discussions with next week. Let's see the outcome. Mayor Prater have also been speaking in person

810
01:13:44,680 --> 01:13:48,540
and on the phone to determine some things.

811
01:13:50,040 --> 01:13:53,340
But a lot of research is going in to your questions, sir.

812
01:13:53,460 --> 01:13:54,960
I don't know that that helps.

813
01:13:55,300 --> 01:13:56,260
But we're trying to get to the bottom.

814
01:13:56,260 --> 01:13:57,700
No, I appreciate your candor.

815
01:13:57,980 --> 01:14:01,800
So will we have those answers before we vote on this resolution

816
01:14:01,800 --> 01:14:04,220
for next week, Mr. Chairman, as far as you know,

817
01:14:04,860 --> 01:14:09,360
or Mr. Hedrick, sir, we'll child very hard

818
01:14:09,360 --> 01:14:12,060
by next Thursday night.

819
01:14:12,060 --> 01:14:19,420
I know Mayor Perrier is working on his side and we're working on our side and, you know,

820
01:14:19,540 --> 01:14:24,560
quite frankly, nobody like to see this happen any more of the mayor, anybody in this

821
01:14:24,560 --> 01:14:33,500
courthouse. But before we go spend money, we've got to make sure its tires are suspended on.

822
01:14:33,940 --> 01:14:41,100
And if both sides, we can agree, let's keep this in place and establish an MOU.

823
01:14:41,100 --> 01:14:59,960
And understanding going forward, so we're not, we're at the end of ownership, yes, so financially, structurally sound, we need to get some answers and stop this and figure out who was.

824
01:15:20,290 --> 01:15:31,770
We have driven by, we've looked at it, but we're going to have to get more data from an engineer's standpoint of, you know, are the more

825
01:15:31,770 --> 01:15:47,310
or they compromised are they not, but first and foremost, who owns it, and if we got permission from both sides to again crossing the county side, it's behind the gate.

826
01:15:47,310 --> 01:15:50,730
Right, that some individuals have purchased.

827
01:15:52,870 --> 01:15:56,310
I think one family on the City of Townsend side that Mayor

828
01:15:56,310 --> 01:15:57,550
Predator's working with.

829
01:15:58,610 --> 01:15:59,970
So there's a lot of moving parts.

830
01:16:00,510 --> 01:16:02,370
You know, can we make it happen?

831
01:16:02,650 --> 01:16:03,210
I hope we can.

832
01:16:03,610 --> 01:16:06,550
Because it's the destination for a lot of people.

833
01:16:06,730 --> 01:16:06,750
Yes.

834
01:16:07,130 --> 01:16:10,110
Yeah, the town locally versus kids.

835
01:16:11,690 --> 01:16:14,510
You know, when you keep it open, if we can.

836
01:16:14,510 --> 01:16:17,430
I've got to figure out who's responsible.

837
01:16:18,630 --> 01:16:24,090
I concur, but I applaud your efforts to figure out who owns it and be really tough to put

838
01:16:24,090 --> 01:16:29,550
public dollars into a private, and especially if we can't get access to it, depending on

839
01:16:29,550 --> 01:16:36,210
the whims of the owners of the public, the transparency, the last flood, I don't remember.

840
01:16:37,770 --> 01:16:50,170
We did repair them. Maybe six, seven years ago. Sunshine and Dark Island. At that point, along

841
01:16:50,170 --> 01:16:58,870
with helping with the Kevin Bridge, there was some sort of agreement there that, you know,

842
01:16:58,870 --> 01:17:09,090
It turns into the cover bridge, and the swing and bridge at Dark Island was part of that to keep up and maintain.

843
01:17:09,710 --> 01:17:12,270
At that point time we fixed it.

844
01:17:12,490 --> 01:17:13,590
Used a lot of tracks.

845
01:17:13,830 --> 01:17:15,950
We used a lot of stainless steel.

846
01:17:16,470 --> 01:17:18,810
Got the blocks cut off.

847
01:17:19,110 --> 01:17:21,890
If you will from an engineering standpoint is a lot of way.

848
01:17:22,370 --> 01:17:29,390
And so on the morning to compromise, I can't, I can't tell you yes or no, yes.

849
01:17:29,670 --> 01:17:37,410
We will look at them entirely with my engineer, but we also have an engineer, it's very

850
01:17:37,410 --> 01:17:46,890
gracious to this county, Mr. Chris Sorrow, a C2RL, who's offered to ride with me to look.

851
01:17:46,890 --> 01:17:55,050
So, you know, we got a lot of things we got to answer and hopefully we can get both sides of the area.

852
01:17:55,370 --> 01:17:57,170
We can figure out what other costs to face.

853
01:17:58,030 --> 01:17:59,750
You know, can I face it entirely?

854
01:18:00,570 --> 01:18:00,710
Maybe.

855
01:18:01,090 --> 01:18:03,890
I have to come back to this body and ask for some money.

856
01:18:04,350 --> 01:18:04,950
Maybe not.

857
01:18:05,130 --> 01:18:05,870
I hope not.

858
01:18:06,170 --> 01:18:07,890
You know, we can face it entirely.

859
01:18:09,030 --> 01:18:12,030
But in established M.O.E.

860
01:18:12,770 --> 01:18:16,850
And possibly easements of the city of towns of the side.

861
01:18:16,850 --> 01:18:23,010
And the county side, right, that will stay in place moving forward even when it changes science.

862
01:18:23,130 --> 01:18:36,850
We got you. Okay. One final question, and it probably isn't a fair question. Do we have any idea what those, the amount of those dollars might look like to renovate and then to maintain it?

863
01:18:36,850 --> 01:18:43,190
I suspect not, but I know it's going on until the point cannot try to get you all

864
01:18:43,190 --> 01:18:48,350
parked possibly, but next Thursday night with some other questions, it's very possible.

865
01:18:49,310 --> 01:18:55,270
It's rain will get on out here, give us opportunity to get down in there, get the water,

866
01:18:55,490 --> 01:19:01,350
get back under, probably do some drone footage flying underneath, and try to determine what

867
01:19:01,350 --> 01:19:02,590
we stay in.

868
01:19:02,610 --> 01:19:03,670
Thank you, Mr. Hedger.

869
01:19:03,850 --> 01:19:04,370
Yes, sir.

870
01:19:07,590 --> 01:19:15,670
Thank you Mr. Chairman, so I'm very passionate about anything in Townsend, but especially

871
01:19:15,670 --> 01:19:20,030
this bridge, it's one of, you know, it's a historic landmark, it's been there forever.

872
01:19:20,610 --> 01:19:24,470
So I'm very passionate about getting it fixed and getting it back open.

873
01:19:26,150 --> 01:19:31,390
So when we saw that it was closed and as the sponsor of this resolution, I just wanted

874
01:19:31,390 --> 01:19:32,750
to talk about this for a second.

875
01:19:32,750 --> 01:19:41,310
So, our first draft of this resolution was kind of going off half-cocked, but it was because

876
01:19:41,310 --> 01:19:44,650
of my misunderstanding of the situation.

877
01:19:44,890 --> 01:19:49,150
Now, first of all, everyone needs to understand that Superintendent Hedrick has done a wonderful

878
01:19:49,150 --> 01:19:49,550
job.

879
01:19:49,730 --> 01:19:53,430
He's fixed this thing multiple times and got him back up and going.

880
01:19:54,410 --> 01:20:01,090
But my thought when we were first writing this resolution was, I don't want the highway super

881
01:20:01,090 --> 01:20:06,110
content, it's always have to come to the county commission to ask for more money to fix

882
01:20:06,110 --> 01:20:07,270
that or do anything like that.

883
01:20:07,430 --> 01:20:11,390
I want this to be a permanent thing, just like any other road or bridge in the county that

884
01:20:11,390 --> 01:20:18,290
just gets fixed, because, well, Superintendent Hedrick, you know, is dedicated to fixing it.

885
01:20:18,290 --> 01:20:21,670
It doesn't mean that the next person that has his job is going to feel the same way.

886
01:20:21,750 --> 01:20:25,390
So I would like it to just be on the books that it's something that gets done every

887
01:20:25,390 --> 01:20:25,750
time.

888
01:20:25,750 --> 01:20:34,810
And so that's why when we originally wrote it, it had some misinformation because of my

889
01:20:34,810 --> 01:20:36,930
misunderstanding of the actual situation.

890
01:20:39,050 --> 01:20:47,490
And so because we had been writing it to be an actionable resolution here, then the county

891
01:20:47,490 --> 01:20:50,570
attorney had to get involved and he looked at it and said, well, we don't actually know

892
01:20:50,570 --> 01:20:55,430
who owns it, there is nothing that's actually been, you know, there's nothing in writing,

893
01:20:55,430 --> 01:20:58,870
there's no documentation, it's not correctly done, we need to do it correctly.

894
01:20:59,670 --> 01:21:05,950
And so I didn't understand why it was my understanding that it was handled and it was

895
01:21:05,950 --> 01:21:10,350
in the very beginning of my term as a county commissioner that both of the bridges had

896
01:21:10,350 --> 01:21:10,810
been closed.

897
01:21:11,070 --> 01:21:13,950
There were a lot of locks on that you guys had to cut off and all kinds of stuff.

898
01:21:14,530 --> 01:21:21,230
So I finally found where my misunderstanding came from and I'm just going to go ahead and read

899
01:21:21,230 --> 01:21:23,930
this just as an explanation of my misunderstanding.

900
01:21:24,670 --> 01:21:29,010
And that was from the June 20th, 2019 commission meeting.

901
01:21:29,090 --> 01:21:35,070
There was a big group of people here from towns and that we're all speaking out,

902
01:21:35,170 --> 01:21:37,950
wanting the bridges opened and fixed and all that kind of stuff.

903
01:21:38,550 --> 01:21:44,850
So with this big group of people here, and Commissioner French was the chairman that night.

904
01:21:45,330 --> 01:21:50,510
And so he said, I have an announcement before we start the business of tonight's meeting

905
01:21:50,510 --> 01:21:53,990
because we have many folks here who wish to speak to this matter.

906
01:21:54,910 --> 01:21:59,350
I've been advised by the Highway Superintendent that he has reached an agreement in principle

907
01:21:59,350 --> 01:22:04,390
with the representatives of the City of Townsend to repair and reopen the bridge to Dark Island

908
01:22:04,390 --> 01:22:07,430
within the corporate limits of the Townsend by June 28.

909
01:22:07,910 --> 01:22:12,210
The County Attorney is drafting an agreement that is to be presented to both County Commission

910
01:22:12,210 --> 01:22:14,290
and the City of Townsend for their approval.

911
01:22:14,770 --> 01:22:17,630
If you're here to speak on that item, it is a mood issue.

912
01:22:17,630 --> 01:22:20,830
uh... the other bridge will be taken care of and it continues on

913
01:22:20,830 --> 01:22:21,370
but so

914
01:22:21,870 --> 01:22:25,730
that was the last i'd heard of this was that that the county attorney was

915
01:22:25,730 --> 01:22:27,910
drafting agreement at that time

916
01:22:27,910 --> 01:22:30,950
apparently i i never followed up on that

917
01:22:30,950 --> 01:22:34,470
obviously none of us followed up on it and that was never done

918
01:22:34,470 --> 01:22:38,870
and so that needs to be done this time so that's why we re-worded this

919
01:22:38,870 --> 01:22:39,690
this time

920
01:22:39,690 --> 01:22:41,170
to to be

921
01:22:41,170 --> 01:22:43,970
saying that we support the highway departments

922
01:22:43,970 --> 01:22:46,770
job and figuring out how to get it done correctly.

923
01:22:47,410 --> 01:22:49,110
So essentially that's what this is.

924
01:22:49,270 --> 01:22:53,510
It's just the county legislative body getting behind this and saying, we support

925
01:22:53,510 --> 01:22:56,250
Superintendent Hejrick's efforts to do this.

926
01:22:56,930 --> 01:23:01,790
So on behalf of myself and everyone in towns and everyone in the county that loves that bridge,

927
01:23:02,090 --> 01:23:04,550
I would appreciate everyone's support.

928
01:23:05,090 --> 01:23:05,910
Mr. Baker.

929
01:23:06,750 --> 01:23:08,210
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

930
01:23:14,940 --> 01:23:40,860
long history involved in towns and with twinning bridges, I believe that there were up to seven of them, more than a hundred years ago, including these two bridges, and I believe they have been maintained, built by and maintained by blunt county for a significant amount of time.

931
01:23:40,860 --> 01:23:44,360
A piece of property that I own in towns and that I've been

932
01:23:44,360 --> 01:23:53,880
Hagling with the Towns and City Commission and Planning Commission and pretty much anybody in towns and about was bought by my grandparents in 1957

933
01:23:55,040 --> 01:24:05,100
Because the only access to their farm was across the burnt county swinging bridge that was on the property or going through the river

934
01:24:05,100 --> 01:24:13,740
And my grandfather actually drove cows across that swing and bridge that had missing boards in it in

935
01:24:13,740 --> 01:24:20,200
1957 when he bought the piece of property that he used to build his own bridge to go across river.

936
01:24:20,900 --> 01:24:27,580
So we've got a really long history of Lunt County being involved with these bridges.

937
01:24:27,580 --> 01:24:42,440
And something came to my mind, as I was researching this, in September of 1996, this legislative

938
01:24:42,440 --> 01:24:52,140
body voted unanimously to repair the swinging bridges and towns and spend money out of the

939
01:24:52,140 --> 01:25:00,220
county call for to do that. In 2019, you know, that you were involved in repairing the bridges

940
01:25:00,220 --> 01:25:05,020
at the county's behest. And I would,

941
01:25:07,330 --> 01:25:10,110
with my limited knowledge of real estate, I did

942
01:25:10,110 --> 01:25:16,730
have an affiliate broker's license, about 100 years ago. But with my limited knowledge of

943
01:25:16,730 --> 01:25:28,070
state, with it being a public bridge, maintained by the county for MXS of a century, it would be

944
01:25:28,070 --> 01:25:36,690
really hard for anybody to claim my own with our history where we are. So I'm really strongly

945
01:25:36,690 --> 01:25:42,930
encouraged you all to get this squared away if it's as simple as filing a quick claim deed

946
01:25:42,930 --> 01:25:50,110
that we own it because we built it and it's there and we maintain it. I don't see how anybody

947
01:25:50,110 --> 01:25:56,250
could ever shut it down on their own authority because they own the Bishop property that's

948
01:25:56,250 --> 01:26:04,930
touching it with it being a public bridge. So I was involved in the initial wrong way of doing it

949
01:26:04,930 --> 01:26:12,330
and I see from the county attorney that it was the wrong way to do it but it was based on a bunch

950
01:26:12,330 --> 01:26:19,490
assumptions that are in evidence where we've gotten grants, the county got grants, and did

951
01:26:19,490 --> 01:26:23,690
the work to repair our bridge, bridges, rather,

952
01:26:25,830 --> 01:26:27,830
and I don't see how you're all going to have

953
01:26:27,830 --> 01:26:36,750
a real problem with this. We want to see it happen. We want to see it be in perpetuity so that

954
01:26:36,750 --> 01:26:41,490
we don't have to come back before this commission again when there's something else that goes wrong

955
01:26:41,490 --> 01:26:47,850
of them. Everybody knows what's supposed to happen and if we have a commission up here

956
01:26:47,850 --> 01:26:52,690
that care about towns and it won't matter because it's already covered and that was a big

957
01:26:52,690 --> 01:26:58,110
part of what Jeff was talking to me about initially when we when we were starting to put this

958
01:26:58,110 --> 01:27:06,290
together. I believe everybody hears on the exact same page and I met no offense by bringing

959
01:27:06,290 --> 01:27:14,390
at the way I brought it to start with. It's just, that's the way I started grinding and I was involved

960
01:27:14,390 --> 01:27:21,030
in some of my haggling with towns and then heard in one of their meetings that they had decided

961
01:27:21,030 --> 01:27:26,770
that it was unsafe and wanted to close it and I knew that it was a big deal to a whole bunch of tourists

962
01:27:27,310 --> 01:27:32,270
and a whole bunch of people and towns and then wanted to bring it before us and got with Brad

963
01:27:32,270 --> 01:27:33,950
in JF because it's their district.

964
01:27:34,530 --> 01:27:36,830
I just happen to be at the meeting that they weren't at.

965
01:27:37,410 --> 01:27:40,190
And I know they're very active in towns and not again.

966
01:27:40,530 --> 01:27:42,550
I wasn't real happy about being there myself,

967
01:27:42,910 --> 01:27:45,070
but it was something I needed to do.

968
01:27:46,670 --> 01:27:50,350
And I applaud your activity so far

969
01:27:50,350 --> 01:27:53,130
and trying to make it happen and look forward

970
01:27:53,130 --> 01:27:56,130
to us getting them fixed and them being fixed

971
01:27:56,130 --> 01:27:57,030
for the long haul.

972
01:27:57,230 --> 01:27:58,110
So thank you, Matt.

973
01:27:58,130 --> 01:27:59,430
I hope y'all support this.

974
01:28:00,250 --> 01:28:02,150
The commissioner is ready for the question.

975
01:28:03,990 --> 01:28:04,910
Mr. Carpenter.

976
01:28:05,430 --> 01:28:10,230
I saw it, Mr. Commissioner Jenkins wanted to speak. He raised his hand.

977
01:28:10,530 --> 01:28:12,650
Do you still need to make a statement, sir?

978
01:28:15,580 --> 01:28:17,880
Uh, I don't know. He's not allowed to speak.

979
01:28:18,620 --> 01:28:20,540
Yeah, you can ask him a question or it could be blocked.

980
01:28:21,200 --> 01:28:30,500
Well, but just you're understanding on the property owners and on each side on the towns inside.

981
01:28:31,260 --> 01:28:37,980
If you look at the deed for the property, there's a legal easement on that deed to the bridge.

982
01:28:39,300 --> 01:28:47,600
Now, you can ask about, okay, the pillars on the river bank, there's not anything on their deed that talks about it.

983
01:28:47,740 --> 01:28:54,940
And just like everybody in towns and we own to the middle of the river, they own to the middle of the river, that's the way it is.

984
01:28:54,940 --> 01:29:17,360
But they have an easement on their D if you look at it. On the other side, I can't find anything that defines it, there's an easement, but there's an implied easement because people have been using it for over 75 years, and there is such a legal term as implied easement.

985
01:29:18,160 --> 01:29:31,760
Now in 96 when they repaired it, it was because of a huge flood we had in 95 and it took out a lot of stuff in the county repair here at that time.

986
01:29:32,820 --> 01:29:38,100
Since then there has been minor maintenance that the City of Townsend's done on it.

987
01:29:38,100 --> 01:29:45,920
out of good faith, we've cut hundreds of pounds of locks off the bridge. We've replaced a few

988
01:29:45,920 --> 01:29:51,500
boards on it. We constantly pick up the litter that's under it on it and buy it.

989
01:29:51,500 --> 01:29:59,340
And we think that what county's got a vested interest in repairing it.

990
01:29:59,700 --> 01:29:59,960
Okay?

991
01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:01,880
Thank you, sir. Okay,

992
01:30:04,000 --> 01:30:33,700
Mr. Michael's. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, I might make a recommendation to be more specific in the resolution to amend it to say that our county attorney may implore a title company to search the title on both sides of the, if this gentleman says that,

993
01:30:33,700 --> 01:30:42,660
it. There is an easement on one side and, you know, possibly an implied easement. But if

994
01:30:42,660 --> 01:30:48,580
it was looked into through a title company, it could almost be traced back if there was

995
01:30:48,580 --> 01:30:53,540
ever an easement over there. And if there's not, maybe the county attorney could track down

996
01:30:53,540 --> 01:31:01,940
and run down the definition and the possibility that an implied easement would actually be sufficient.

997
01:31:01,940 --> 01:31:16,160
So, I think the question at hand in all this discussion is to define implied easement, see what the

998
01:31:16,160 --> 01:31:23,080
stat's story conditions are around that. And then if the other deed has the easement only,

999
01:31:23,320 --> 01:31:27,160
it's just a matter of finding out the other side and seeing what we got to do.

1000
01:31:27,160 --> 01:31:42,860
So, I'm definitely in support of this, but maybe the authors of the resolution may be more specific on what we need to task the county attorney with doing within the resolution.

1001
01:31:43,840 --> 01:31:45,160
So, thank you.

1002
01:31:45,900 --> 01:31:50,340
Commissioner's ready for the question. Please register votes.

1003
01:32:00,040 --> 01:32:02,320
Chairman, there are 18 yes folks.

1004
01:32:02,840 --> 01:32:03,180
Thank you.

1005
01:32:03,220 --> 01:32:07,180
Resolution 252018 will be moved forward to the full commission.

1006
01:32:07,980 --> 01:32:10,200
Next, we have announcements and statements.

1007
01:32:11,380 --> 01:32:16,240
The Public Service Committee will meet on Thursday, February 13th at 530 p.m.

1008
01:32:16,520 --> 01:32:18,520
at what county operations center.

1009
01:32:19,560 --> 01:32:24,120
Commission rules committee will meet on Thursday, February 13th at 6 p.m.

1010
01:32:24,120 --> 01:32:27,200
and the Black County Court House Commission meeting room 430.

1011
01:32:27,880 --> 01:32:33,200
What kind of government offices will be closed for present today on Monday, February 17th?

1012
01:32:33,860 --> 01:32:39,080
Board of Commissioners will meet in regular session next Thursday, February the 20th at 630 p.m. in the

1013
01:32:39,080 --> 01:32:42,360
Black County Courthouse Commission meeting room 430.

1014
01:32:42,820 --> 01:32:46,600
Does anyone else have any announcements or statements?

1015
01:32:48,590 --> 01:32:52,130
Not or moving on to public input for items not on the agenda.

1016
01:32:52,410 --> 01:32:54,870
Does anyone wish to speak to an item not on the agenda?

1017
01:32:57,360 --> 01:33:00,120
I will stand for a motion to adjourn.