Hickman County TN

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · Feb 13, 2023

Mon, Feb 13, 2023

Oversees the annual budget process, departmental funding requests, and personnel policies including hiring, compensation, and benefits.

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Outline

This outline was generated by an LLM from a transcript and may contain errors or inaccuracies. Prefer the original recording when available.

The committee approved a series of budget amendments with little opposition, including sheriff’s office increases for fuel and jail overtime, a transfer for UT Extension computers, library book purchases funded by donations, insurance-recovery funds for a sheriff’s vehicle, a TCI training-equipment grant, and $200,000 to start engineering and site-preparation work for the new EMS/sheriff multipurpose facility at Pinewood/Conway. Members also approved the 2023–24 budget schedule and received an ARPA balance update showing about $1.85 million still unallocated, while flagging a likely upcoming health-department match request tied to a larger state-funded project.

The other substantive item was the committee sitting as the beer board to approve a permit transfer for Duck River Market in Shady Grove. Discussion covered what Tennessee law allows the county to consider, the applicant’s disclosed misdemeanor history, distance and notice rules for new businesses, permit types, and county beer-permit revenues. A late discussion also touched on the archive-building need and the county’s lease/occupancy situation in buildings it no longer owns.

Call to Order, Agenda, and Minutes 11:21

  • 11:21 Budget, Finance, and HR Committee called to order; quorum present with 5 members noted.
  • 12:03 Agenda amended to add a beer-permit request under new business; amended agenda approved.
  • 12:57 Prior meeting minutes approved without substantive discussion.

Budget Amendments 13:56

Finance Director presentation 13:56

  • 14:03 Budget Amendment 23.40 for the Assessor of Property: move funds within the office budget because contracted-services costs ran higher due to audit work; approved by roll-call vote with all present voting yes.
  • 15:17 Budget Amendment 23.41 for UT Extension: transfer from office supplies to equipment for the local cost share on two new computers; approved by roll-call vote.
  • 16:01 Budget Amendment 23.42 for the library: accept donations for purchase of books; approved.

Sheriff’s Department amendments 16:43

  • 16:43 Budget Amendment 23.43 for sheriff fuel: request to move $55,000 from fund balance into gasoline due to higher fuel prices and increased usage.
    • 17:15 Explanation given that the comparison to the prior January showed both higher consumption and higher prices.
    • 17:50 Members asked whether $55,000 should cover the remaining 5 months of the fiscal year; response was yes.
    • 19:02 Amendment approved by roll-call vote.
  • 19:21 Budget Amendment 23.44 for jail overtime: additional guard overtime needed, with little left in the existing overtime line; funds shifted within the sheriff budget; approved.
  • 20:16 Budget Amendment 23.45 for insurance recovery: insurance proceeds from a wrecked sheriff’s vehicle to be placed back into the budget; members asked what “insurance recovery” meant; approved.
  • 20:57 Budget Amendment 23.46 for a TCI training-equipment grant: sheriff’s department had already received $7,500 for computers used for training; amendment entered the grant into the budget; approved.

Multipurpose facility / EMS-sheriff project 21:50

  • 21:50 Budget Amendment 23.47: request for $200,000 for site preparation and engineering tied to the multipurpose facility previously approved in Resolution 22-37.
  • 22:33 Members clarified this was not the archives project but the new EMS and Sheriff’s building at Pinewood/Conway.
  • 22:57 County Mayor said discussions with engineers had already started; the figure was set high enough to get architecture/engineering underway because exact costs were not yet known.
  • 23:29 Amendment approved by roll-call vote.

HR Business and Old Business 23:52

  • 23:52 No HR business presented.
  • 23:58 No old business presented by finance staff.

New Business / Agenda Items 24:05

2023–24 budget schedule 24:05

  • 24:05 Committee reviewed the proposed 2023–24 budget calendar.
  • 25:05 Finance Director said the schedule largely matched the prior year, with dates updated rather than a redesigned process.
  • 25:40 Members noted the process typically runs about two months, with Monday and Thursday meetings during the heavy budget period.
  • 27:20 Motion to approve the budget schedule passed without opposition.

ARPA / “Arbor” funds update 27:44

  • 27:59 Finance Director provided a spreadsheet because members had asked how much had been allocated and how much remained.
  • 28:08 Spending/commitment summary included:
    • TDEC matches for the towns of Centerville and Bon Aqua.
    • Allocation for the new EMS building.
    • Previously approved scanners and computer documents/equipment.
  • 28:34 Reported unallocated balance: $1,853,287.20.
  • 28:41 Finance Director warned the health department would likely soon request ARPA funds for its local match.
  • 28:50 Initial amount was recalled as either $175,000 or $127,000; members refined the discussion.
  • 28:59 Clarified likely match was $127,500, described as a 25% local share against a $500,000 amount.
  • 29:11 Members stressed the county might not need to commit the full match if the full $500,000 project amount was not ultimately needed, and asked for more itemization before action.
  • 29:47 It was noted that Amy Mitchell from the health department was expected at a later Health and Safety meeting with an itemized breakdown of repairs and costs.
  • 30:23 Discussion reflected confusion over grant structure, with members distinguishing between reimbursement-style grants and this match arrangement.
  • 31:15 Finance Director explained that because the county took ARPA as revenue loss, one more report remained, but otherwise the money functioned as county funds for one-time purposes and did not carry the same spend-by timing constraints members expected; still subject to audit.

Beer Board: Duck River Market permit transfer 32:09

  • 32:09 Committee sat as the beer board for a permit request involving Duck River Market in Shady Grove, described as a transfer to Doctor of Tobacco Incorporated.
  • 32:17 County Clerk explained beer permits are approved or revoked by this body and outlined the legal limits on denial.
  • 32:49 Background-check and location rules summarized:
    • TBI background check required.
    • For a new business, 750 feet from a church, school, kindergarten, or daycare.
    • Mention of a 200-foot resident-objection rule in some circumstances.
  • 33:15 Clerk stated the main disqualifier under Tennessee law would be an alcohol-related felony within the last 10 years.
  • 33:38 Applicant Mr. Patel had disclosed a 2014 conviction for selling to a minor in Lincoln County and a revoked-license offense; both described as misdemeanors, not felonies, so they did not legally bar issuance.
  • 34:26 Additional examples of alcohol-related felonies were discussed, including untaxed alcohol offenses, transport/manufacture issues, and a third-or-more DUI.
  • 34:53 Members asked about county versus state authority:
    • County controls beer permits only.
    • Liquor and wine are handled by the state.
    • Liquor-by-the-drink law changes following a lawsuit were said to affect beer-sale hours in areas outside city limits when nearby cities allow liquor by the drink.
  • 36:34 Members asked whether permits are on-premises or off-premises:
    • Off-premises means packaged sales only.
    • On-premises would allow consumption at the business.
  • 37:47 Fee/revenue discussion:
    • County receives a $250 permit fee.
    • Annual renewal is $100.
    • Most beer-related revenue was said to come from distributor privilege taxes.
    • Annual distributor-related volume/revenue was described as around $250,000.
  • 38:32 Clerk estimated roughly 30 beer licenses countywide.
  • 38:49 Chair noted no lawful reason for denial had been identified, especially because this was an existing business transfer rather than a new location.
  • 39:12 Notice timing discussed: residents have about 10 days after newspaper notice to object before board consideration, but distance objections were said not to matter here because the location was already operating.
  • 40:37 Permit approved by roll-call vote; members were told the temporary permit already allowed sales and that full approval would allow continued operation.

Other Discussion 41:28

  • 41:45 Members raised the separate issue of a new archive building and asked for information on what direct-appropriation-grant money and property-sale proceeds remained.
  • 42:06 A question was raised about the county’s lease arrangement for space now housing functions such as the Ag Extension office, since the county no longer owns those buildings.
  • 42:30 Discussion suggested the county was operating without ownership and relying on a cooperative landlord rather than a clearly discussed long-term end date.
  • 42:52 Concern was voiced that the condition of those buildings could create pressure to complete a replacement/archive facility.

Adjournment 43:19

  • 43:19 Meeting adjourned.

Key figures and statistics

Figure Type Context / topic Timestamp
5 Vote / headcount Quorum present / members noted present 11:55
23.40 Budget amendment number Assessor of Property contracted-services transfer 14:03
23.41 Budget amendment number UT Extension computer purchase transfer 15:17
2 Equipment count New computers for UT Extension 15:17
23.42 Budget amendment number Library book purchases from donations 16:01
23.43 Budget amendment number Sheriff fuel increase 16:43
$55,000 Expense Sheriff gasoline line increase from fund balance 17:50
5 Time period Months remaining in fiscal year discussed for fuel coverage 17:57
23.44 Budget amendment number Sheriff guard overtime shift 19:21
160 Budget line reference Existing overtime line mentioned as having little left 19:21
23.45 Budget amendment number Insurance recovery for sheriff vehicle 20:16
23.46 Budget amendment number TCI training-equipment grant 20:57
$7,500 Grant Sheriff computers for training under TCI grant 21:07
23.47 Budget amendment number EMS/sheriff multipurpose facility startup funds 21:50
22-37 Resolution number Prior approval referenced for multipurpose facility 21:58
$200,000 Project allocation Site preparation and engineering for EMS/sheriff facility 22:07
2023–24 Fiscal year Budget schedule under review and approval 24:05
2 months Time period Typical budget-process duration 25:13
$1,853,287.20 Fund balance Unallocated ARPA balance remaining 28:34
$175,000 Potential expense Initially recalled health-department request amount 28:50
$127,000 Potential expense Revised estimate of health-department local match 28:50
$127,500 Match amount Clarified 25% local share tied to health project 30:09
25% Match rate County share discussed for health-department project 28:59
$500,000 Grant / project amount Health-department project amount used in match discussion 28:59
$1,100,063 Project amount Larger improvement figure mentioned in health-department discussion 30:23
750 feet Distance rule New beer-business distance from church/school/daycare 32:57
200 feet Distance / objection rule Resident-objection distance rule discussed for beer permits 33:07
10 years Legal lookback period Alcohol-related felony disqualification for beer permit 33:15
2014 Year Applicant’s selling-to-a-minor conviction year 33:49
6 a.m. Time Liquor-by-the-drink opening hour referenced in beer-hours discussion 35:57
3 a.m. Time Liquor-by-the-drink closing hour referenced in beer-hours discussion 35:57
$250 Fee Beer permit application fee 37:47
$100 Annual fee Beer permit annual renewal 37:56
$250,000 Revenue / tax amount Approximate annual distributor privilege-tax revenue discussed 38:03
30 License count Approximate number of beer licenses in the county 38:32
10 days Notice period Approximate resident-objection window after newspaper notice 39:12

External vendors, brands, and software

Name Type Context / topic Timestamp
UT Extension Company Cost-share transfer for two new computers 15:17
TCI Company Sheriff training-equipment grant for computers 20:57
TDEC Company ARPA commitments included TDEC matches for local towns 28:16
TBI Company Background check required for beer-permit applicant 32:49
Doctor of Tobacco Incorporated Company Proposed transferee for Duck River Market beer permit 32:34
Duck River Market Company Existing Shady Grove store seeking beer-permit transfer 32:41

Laws and policies

| Citation / name | Level | Type | Context / topic | Timestamp | |---|---|---|---| | Resolution 22-37 | County | Resolution | Prior approval referenced for EMS/sheriff multipurpose facility | 21:58 | | ARPA | Federal | Law | Balance, committed funds, and allowable spending discussion | 27:44 | | Revenue loss | Federal | Policy | Finance Director said county elected the revenue-loss option for ARPA funds, affecting reporting and use | 31:15 | | Tennessee beer permit disqualification for alcohol-related felony within 10 years | State | Law | Clerk explained legal basis for denying permit | 33:15 | | Liquor by the drink | State | Law | State framework discussed as affecting local beer-sale hours after prior litigation | 35:40 |