Hickman County TN

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

Health, Safety & Properties · Meeting · Oct 5, 2026

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

Advises on public health and safety initiatives, emergency preparedness, and the care and use of county-owned buildings and grounds.

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

Highlights:

The committee reorganized for the new term, electing Jim Tanner as chair and Tony Escher as vice chair by acclamation, then moved into operational reports dominated by EMS write-offs, sheriff technology needs, and EMA staffing pressure. EMS reported two months of call, billing, and collections figures; the committee approved both monthly reports plus hardship write-offs of $300 and $711. EMS also reported receiving a grant-funded $305,000 ambulance and getting a remounted unit back, giving the service two new ambulances.

The sheriff’s office previewed a likely major upcoming capital request for a countywide camera replacement project estimated at about $180,000, plus a possible future $60,000 server build to escape recurring body-camera storage costs. EMA reported winter-storm FEMA money has been obligated federally and moved to TEMA, then opened a broader discussion about adding a third full-time EMA position, estimated at about $70,000 annually with benefits; no motion was made, but commissioners were urged to review the request before next month. Other notable threads included constable access to tax/tag/driver-license queries by resolution, Starlink connectivity for emergency vehicles, grant administration strain, and an effort to standardize committee minute templates.

Elections, Appointments, and Confirmations

Committee leadership elections

  • Chair election: Jim Tanner was nominated and elected by acclamation after nominations were closed; no opposition voiced.
  • Vice chair election: Tony Escher was nominated and elected by acclamation after nominations were closed; no opposition voiced.
  • Secretary: Valerie was noted as already posted/assigned as secretary, with no further action needed.

Approval of Agenda

  • The agenda was approved without dispute.

Public Comments

  • No public commenters came forward.

Approval of Minutes

  • Minutes from the previous meeting on August 3 were approved without dispute.

Department / Official Reports

EMS report

  • EMS reported that because the committee had not met in August or September, members received two monthly reports covering July and August rather than more current figures.
  • July report approved:
    • EMS ran 287 calls.
    • EMS billed $195,507.67.
    • EMS collected $107,008.94.
    • A motion to approve the July numbers passed without opposition.
  • August report approved:
    • EMS ran 271 calls.
    • EMS billed $132,296.50.
    • EMS collected $92,522.07.
    • EMS said collections typically fluctuate between about $92,000 and $110,000 depending on payer timing, including Medicare and other insurers.
    • A motion to approve the August numbers passed without opposition.
  • Hardship write-off approved for $300:
    • The balance involved a 94-year-old woman on a fixed income.
    • Insurance had paid all but $300.
    • EMS said she had completed hardship-waiver paperwork.
    • Motion to write off $300 passed without opposition.
  • Hardship write-off approved for $711:
    • EMS described the case as a transported 1-year-old child in a single-income household, with the mother pregnant and not working.
    • The family had qualified for financial hardship through the hospital and submitted supporting financial and tax documents.
    • A commissioner asked whether a formal write-off policy existed; EMS answered that hardship decisions are handled case by case rather than under a standard across-the-board rule, and added the balance was unlikely to be collectible.
    • Motion to write off $711 passed without opposition.
  • Staffing and operations update:
    • EMS said it had been four people short since July 1 because of workers’ compensation and off-duty personal injuries.
    • One employee had returned, leaving the service still three short.
    • Despite shortages, EMS said it was maintaining operations and staying within budget on overtime and personnel.
  • Capital/grant update:
    • EMS reported a grant-funded ambulance costing $305,000 had arrived the previous Monday.
    • The unit was not yet in service but was expected to be deployed shortly.
    • EMS also reported that a remounted ambulance had returned, leaving the service with two brand new ambulances, one already in service and the other expected in service by the end of the month.

Sheriff’s report

  • The sheriff briefly reported no major issues at the Banana Pudding Festival and said attendance appeared good despite rain slowing one day.
  • Personnel/training:
    • One new group had graduated the academy.
    • One additional person was currently in the academy.
  • Monthly call report:
    • The sheriff said the report breaks down calls by type and apologized that those reports are sometimes delayed because they arrive at month’s end during busy periods.
  • Constable records-access resolution discussed:
    • The sheriff said the county needs a resolution authorizing elected constables, when qualified, to run tax, tag, and driver-license checks.
    • The issue had been discussed with Casey Dorton and 911 personnel, and the resolution was expected to need county attorney and dispatch-supervisor signoff before implementation.
    • Committee members agreed they would need to review the resolution first, then recommend it forward for full county commission action.
    • No vote was taken at this meeting; expectation was to bring it back, likely next month or directly to full commission if ready.
  • Sheriff revenue overview:
    • The sheriff distributed a revenue-side summary going back to 2018 to show how office revenues had changed over time.
    • Members noted smokeless tobacco/nicotine sales had performed well.
    • The sheriff explained some revenue categories stay with the sheriff’s office under prior resolutions, while other categories such as inmate commissary, phone-call revenue, and state reimbursement for state inmates return to the general fund.
  • Jail / courthouse / sheriff’s office camera system needs
    • The chief said the current jail camera system is inadequate and creates compliance and liability problems, including panic-button concerns and poor evidence retention.
    • An earlier quote of about $18,000 for part of the work was described as unreasonable for the limited scope, prompting further shopping.
    • The office had spoken with multiple vendors and wanted to bring a vendor representative to next month’s meeting so commissioners could ask technical and expansion questions directly.
    • The current system was described as outdated analog equipment requiring substantial rewiring to move to digital.
    • The proposed project would replace and unify three separate systems now serving the sheriff’s office, courthouse, and jail.
    • Current retention periods differ by system at 30 days, 14 days, and 21 days, creating evidentiary risk if complaints arrive after footage has expired.
    • The chief said the current setup also limits remote access: if inmates or others took over an area, officers could be unable to reach the room needed to view live footage.
    • The proposal would also add cameras to cover blind spots, including discussion of adding non-audio visual coverage in the courtroom for officer awareness and response.
    • Estimated project cost was about $180,000 as of roughly three months earlier, with both companies quoting near that figure.
    • The sheriff said one vendor had floated 0% financing for five years, and the office was considering whether smokeless nicotine revenue could help pay for the project.
    • Committee members asked that both the vendor and county IT staffer Josh attend next month’s meeting.
    • No motion or funding approval was made at this meeting.
  • Body-camera and dash-camera storage / server strategy
    • The chief said the office wants to move away from cloud-based evidence storage because recurring costs are too high.
    • Axon was identified as the current body-camera vendor, and the sheriff’s office said storage pricing is “killing us.”
    • Over a five-year period, body-camera storage alone was estimated to cost about $100,000.
    • For dash cameras, one unnamed private company had quoted $100,000 per year just for patrol cars, which the office said was not feasible.
    • The sheriff argued Axon now has a near-monopoly because it also controls taser purchasing, limiting options and pushing expensive contracts aimed at much larger agencies.
    • An alternative company had quoted about $3,000 to equip one deputy with both a car camera and body camera, with no recurring licensing/storage like the current model, but the county would need its own server infrastructure.
    • The quoted equipment warranty was two years.
    • The office estimated it would cost about $60,000 to build a server capable of housing body-camera evidence.
    • The sheriff said the current Axon contract has about three years left, so planning can begin before renewal pressure forces another long-term commitment.
    • The office said it is already under budgeted licensing/fee counts by two units and may seek budget authority next year to buy two body cameras and two dash cameras as a pilot transition.
    • The long-term argument was that startup costs are high, but operating costs would be much lower once local servers are in place.
  • Patrol connectivity / mobile systems
    • The sheriff said the office has already implemented the Azorus report system so deputies can write reports from their cars.
    • County support had previously helped equip patrol cars with computers.
    • The next goal is mobile access to tag and driver-license queries from patrol units.
    • Current connectivity relies on cellular cards and works poorly in some areas with weak service.
    • The sheriff and dispatch staff said adding Starlink or similar connectivity would be a major improvement.
    • Once records-query access is in place, the office hopes to move to mobile CAD so dispatched calls appear in patrol units in real time, with deputies able to add their own notes.
    • Dispatch staff said this would materially improve emergency handling because deputies would no longer need to interrupt dispatchers for routine tag requests during active 911 call spikes.
    • Members discussed whether such connectivity could also benefit ambulances; EMS said its units use Verizon and face similar coverage problems.
  • NCIC/TBI terminal fees for mobile access
    • The sheriff said he had initially understood the annual cost for this mobile access layer to be about $2,500 per year.
    • He later learned it would be about $2,500 per quarter, tied to NCIC/TBI terminal fees.
    • He signaled that this may require an increase next year in the communications budget.
    • Even so, he argued the benefit would justify the cost.

EMA report

  • FEMA/TEMA reimbursement update
    • EMA reported that reimbursement for Winter Storm Fern had already been obligated by FEMA and moved down to the TEMA stage.
    • Once remaining information is submitted to TEMA, EMA expects reimbursement money to begin returning to the county.
    • EMA stressed that good documentation affects reimbursement outcomes.
  • Request to begin discussion on a third EMA position
    • EMA director Pete Tibbs said the request had been raised previously during budget season and was being brought back because current workload is not sustainable with existing staffing.
    • Materials distributed included a job description and justification for a new position focused on community resilience / VOAD coordination, grant administration, and floodplain-management support.
    • EMA said county emergency-management duties keep expanding at the federal, state, and local levels, including resilience work and floodplain management.
    • Tibbs and Jim Tanner both argued the department is structurally at the point of needing three full-time staff to remain resilient long-term.
  • Rationale for the proposed position
    • EMA said floodplain management had earlier been shifted away from codes because it fits better with mitigation and emergency management.
    • The department described a three-part model:
      • director overseeing the county disaster-management program,
      • operations manager handling responder coordination, equipment, and interagency agreements,
      • preparedness/resilience coordinator handling administrative work, grants, VOAD/nonprofit relations, and floodplain management.
    • Supporters also argued the role could help identify and manage grants benefiting other county functions, not just EMA, including public safety and development-related opportunities.
  • Cost discussion
    • Salary for the proposed position was stated at $45,000.
    • Benefits were estimated to bring total county cost to about $70,000 annually.
    • Commissioners asked whether existing budget lines could absorb any of the cost; EMA said current part-time funding is already inadequate.
  • Overtime / staffing pressure
    • EMA said before some recent adjustments, overtime had been running roughly 10 to 20 hours per week.
    • With current support arrangements, overtime had been reduced somewhat, but the broader workload problem remains.
    • The director emphasized EMA work extends beyond normal business hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
  • Current staffing arrangement
    • EMA clarified it has two full-time employees and one part-time budget line now split between two part-time workers in an effort to keep up.
    • One part-time worker is capped at 16 hours.
    • The other is being worked up to 32 hours, but the director said the part-time budget will run out before year-end.
    • The city had contributed an additional $5,000 to help with the part-time budget, but EMA said that still would not be enough.
    • The director warned the part-time budget will be exhausted before the end of the fiscal year.
  • Questions about alternatives and scope
    • A commissioner asked whether some duties, such as grant writing, might fit better under the mayor’s office than EMA.
    • EMA responded that the immediate issue is not abstract grant writing but managing active grants already underway, including generator projects and disaster-recovery documentation that must be tracked for years.
    • Another commissioner asked whether stepping away from interim rescue-squad leadership would relieve the problem; Tibbs said that assignment is temporary through December and is not the main source of EMA workload.
    • Commissioners also asked about training needs for a new hire; EMA responded that qualifications vary by applicant and that emergency management is inherently cross-disciplinary.
  • Financial context
    • Commissioners discussed the county’s general fund balance:
      • end of prior budget year cited at $6.8 million,
      • projected on hand at the end of the current year at $3.9 million,
      • discussion also referenced a $1.2 million loan during Winter Storm Fern.
    • A misunderstanding was clarified: the county is expected to receive back more than $600,000 in reimbursement, and the $1.2 million figure referred to the loan amount rather than the final reimbursable expense itself.
  • FEMA reimbursement example used to argue for staffing value
    • EMA staff said strong grant/disaster administration had already brought substantial money back to the county and serves as an “insurance policy.”
    • One example cited was a generator grant of $120,000 started around the same time EMA was also handling the Banana Pudding Festival and severe weather/AES response.
    • Staff argued that with another full-time employee they could have pursued at least five additional grants for first responders and county needs.
  • Outcome
    • No motion was made to create the position at this meeting.
    • The chair and other commissioners framed this as a conversation starter and asked members to visit EMA, review state and federal mandates, ask questions, and continue the discussion next month.

New Business / Agenda Items

Properties / facilities

  • A brief properties update said there was still work underway regarding Station 3, with efforts continuing to figure out what could be done; no formal proposal or vote followed.

Committee minute template standardization

  • The chair said a review of committee minutes during the campaign highlighted inconsistent formats, scattered reporting, and missing information that made attendance and past actions hard to track.
  • He said he had spoken with Casey Dorton and circulated minute templates, including the format used for full county commission meetings and a Robert’s Rules of Order template.
  • Health, Safety & Properties plans to mirror the county commission format going forward.
  • The chair encouraged other committees and chairs to adopt a common structure so minutes are easier for citizens and commissioners to search and compare.
  • A member noted that the software system used for full county commission minutes and iPad workflow could be expanded to committees, but that expansion would carry added cost.
  • No formal vote on software expansion occurred; the immediate direction was simply to standardize this committee’s minute format.

Adjournment

  • The committee adjourned on motion and second without recorded opposition.

Key figures and statistics

Figure Type Context / topic
287 Call volume EMS calls in July
$195,507.67 Billing EMS charges in July
$107,008.94 Collections EMS collections in July
271 Call volume EMS calls in August
$132,296.50 Billing EMS charges in August
$92,522.07 Collections EMS collections in August
$92,000 Collections range Lower end of typical EMS monthly collections fluctuation
$110,000 Collections range Upper end of typical EMS monthly collections fluctuation
94 Age EMS hardship write-off case involving elderly patient
$300 Write-off EMS hardship write-off approved for elderly patient
1 Age EMS hardship write-off case involving transported child
$711 Write-off EMS hardship write-off approved for family hardship case
4 Staffing shortfall EMS staffing shortage since July 1
3 Staffing shortfall EMS remaining shortage after one employee returned
$305,000 Grant-funded capital Ambulance received by EMS
2 Vehicle count “Two brand new ambulances” after arrival and remount return
2018 Year Start year for sheriff revenue comparison sheet
$18,000 Quote Earlier camera-related quote described as unreasonable for limited scope
30 days Retention period One current sheriff/courthouse/jail camera system retention period
14 days Retention period One current camera system retention period
21 days Retention period One current camera system retention period
$180,000 Capital estimate Estimated unified camera-system replacement cost
0% Financing rate Possible vendor financing discussed for camera project
5 years Financing term Possible vendor financing term for camera project
$100,000 Operating cost estimate Approximate five-year body-camera storage cost under current model
$100,000 per year Vendor quote Dash-camera quote from private company for patrol fleet
$3,000 Equipment cost Approximate per-deputy alternative for car camera plus body camera
2 years Warranty term Warranty on alternative camera equipment
$60,000 Capital estimate Server build estimate for body-camera storage
3 years Contract term remaining Approximate time left on Axon contract
2 Unit count Proposed pilot purchase next year: body cameras
2 Unit count Proposed pilot purchase next year: dash cameras
$2,500 per year Cost estimate Sheriff’s initial understanding of mobile/terminal annual fee
$2,500 per quarter Cost estimate Revised actual recurring mobile/terminal fee estimate
3 Staffing target EMA long-term staffing model argued to require three full-time staff
$45,000 Salary Proposed salary for third EMA position
$70,000 Total compensation Estimated annual cost with benefits for proposed EMA position
10 to 20 hours per week Overtime EMA overtime range before recent support adjustments
2 Full-time staff Current full-time EMA staff
2 Part-time workers Number of part-time workers sharing one EMA budget line
16 hours Part-time schedule One EMA part-time worker schedule
32 hours Part-time schedule Target schedule for the other EMA part-time worker
$5,000 External support Additional city contribution to EMA part-time budget
December Time period Expected end of interim rescue-squad assignment mentioned by EMA director
$6.8 million Fund balance Prior year-end general fund figure discussed
$3.9 million Projected fund balance Current-year projected general fund on hand figure discussed
$1.2 million Loan Winter Storm Fern loan amount discussed
$600,000 Reimbursement difference discussed Rough amount referenced during discussion of Fern spending/reimbursement gap
$120,000 Grant Generator grant EMA staff said they were managing
5 Grant opportunities Additional grants EMA staff said they could have pursued with more manpower

External vendors, brands, and software

Name Type Context / topic
Axon Company Current body-camera vendor; recurring storage costs and taser monopoly concerns
eBay Company Mentioned jokingly as a possible place to find obsolete analog-compatible parts
Starlink Brand Sought for emergency-vehicle connectivity in dead zones
Verizon Company EMS current connectivity provider for ambulances
Azorus Software Sheriff report-writing system used from patrol cars
NCIC Software Records/terminal access layer tied to recurring mobile-access fees
TBI Company Terminal/approval authority discussed for mobile records access and setup
FEMA Company Federal disaster reimbursement process for Winter Storm Fern
TEMA Company State-level disaster reimbursement stage after FEMA obligation
Red Cross Company Example of nongovernmental/VOAD partner EMA coordinates with
Robert’s Rules of Order Brand Minute-template model discussed for committee standardization

Personnel changes

Name Role / office Change Context / topic
Jim Tanner Chair, Health, Safety & Properties Committee Elected Chosen as committee chair by acclamation
Tony Escher Vice Chair, Health, Safety & Properties Committee Elected Chosen as committee vice chair by acclamation
Valerie Secretary, Health, Safety & Properties Committee Assigned Noted as already posted/assigned as secretary

Laws and policies

Citation / name Level Type Context / topic
Robert’s Rules of Order County Rule Minute-template model discussed as a possible standard for committee minutes