Friday Recap for May 30, 2025

My Comment

This week I would like to focus on an issue that has been very important to me for a number of years and that is the national statistics about our health. In particular, I have been concerned with the health of our children. Just this past week, HHS Secretary Kennedy presented the MAHA report. If you haven't seen it, go here. This is something that everyone can agree on and, hopefully, we can start cleaning up our food and getting toxins out of our environment.

Regarding our environment, the Williamson County Republican Party had the CEO of Harpeth Conservancy speak at their mix and mingle last Thursday. Cleaning up our rivers should be a non-partisan issue that everyone can get behind.

It turns out that the Harpeth Conservancy CEO is a liberal democrat which has thrown the Williamson county Conservatives into a state of apoplexy. They are demanding that the entire board of the WCRP resign immediately in disgrace. According to them, the audacity of the WCRP to allow a dreaded democrat to speak in favor of clean water at their event is beyond the pale.

I have a simple question for the WCC: if your house was on fire would you check the political affiliation of the firefighters before allowing them to put out the fire?

Did You Know

There has been a lot of conversation about our jail over the last few years. Regardless of how you view it, there are significant issues with our current jail and things are not getting better. I asked for a list of issues that are ongoing the this is what I got.

1. Master Control and Door Systems. The control systems and mechanical slider doors have been retrofitted repeatedly over the years. Despite our best efforts, many doors fail to operate as directed, either not opening or closing prematurely. This presents serious risks during emergency responses and day-to-day operations.
2. Emergency Keys and Locking Systems of our emergency key set is split between two large rings containing approximately 30 keys due to the facility’s phased construction over the years. The outdated and deteriorating locks make quick egress during emergencies difficult, and replacing the locking system is cost-prohibitive at $4,000 per lock.
3. HVAC Systems the facility relies on, roughly 60 rooftop units, many of which are old and prone to failure. This leads to temperature control issues in both staff and inmate areas, and maintaining TCI-mandated temperature ranges is increasingly difficult.
4. Plumbing issues. We recently spent about $117,000 to re-line deteriorated sewer pipes as a temporary measure. These lines run beneath the inmate housing areas, and a collapse would render the facility’s sewer system inoperable, requiring costly and immediate inmate relocation.
5. Inmate Property Room. Our current property room is a repurposed gym, undersized for our inmate population. Staff must walk a lengthy hallway—up to 30 times daily—to retrieve or store inmate property, creating inefficiencies and impacting operations.
6. Roof Leaks. Despite ongoing repairs, persistent roof leaks remain throughout the facility. In some areas, the source of the leaks cannot be identified, continuing to affect infrastructure and working conditions. Last year we spent $281,000 on the roof and it still leaks.
7. Housing Layout and Security Risks. Many housing areas are open dormitories holding 24 to 54 inmates, with limited ability to enforce lockdowns or respond to noncompliance. Mechanical failures in other sections using sliding doors further hinder emergency response and overall security.
8. Lack of Windows. The absence of windows throughout the facility contributes to a negative work environment for staff, who often work 10- to 16-hour shifts. This impacts morale and contributes to retention challenges. The design of the new facility will address this.
9. Quartermaster Access. Our Quartermaster is located within the secure portion of the jail, requiring all agency personnel—including civilians—to enter secure areas for supply needs. This poses both safety and security concerns, especially when staff are not properly identified.
10. Booking and Magistrate Access. Arresting officers currently must bring arrestees into the secure area, as the magistrate’s office is not directly connected to intake. Officers often leave arrestees with us before they are formally committed to our custody, creating legal and logistical challenges.
11. Office and Storage Space Limitations. Due to space constraints, we’ve converted small closets into office areas and continue to seek creative ways to accommodate operational growth within the limited footprint of the current jail. We recently did away with our conference room in the Sheriff's Office, to add cubicle office space for staff. Now we must travel to neighboring buildings and use their conference rooms for our meetings. Which is not only time-consuming and inconvenient, but is also embarrassing that we do not have a meeting space in our office. 
12. Recreation Yards. The layout of the current facility includes multiple recreation yards scattered throughout the jail. This design is staffing intensive, as it requires dedicated personnel to safely supervise and escort inmates to and from these areas. The manpower demands make it challenging to provide consistent outdoor recreation time while maintaining overall facility security.
13. Medical Area Limitations. Our facility has only one medical area with a single exam room. All inmates requiring medical attention must be escorted from their housing units to this centralized location, which is highly staff intensive and creates logistical delays. This setup limits our ability to deliver timely care and poses additional challenges during high-volume or emergency situations.
14. Court Room. We currently have a digital court room inside the jail. All inmates are required to be escorted to that court room to be seen by the judge. This court room is off the kitchen which is in operation during court hours. Due to the operation of the kitchen, it is noisy and hard for the judges to hear. In the new jail, we will have booths in the housing areas that will have access to the courts for a more private setting and will not need to move inmates to the court house.
15. Gas line repair this past year was nearly $71,000 dollars.
16. Bathrooms. There are only 5, single stall bathrooms, inside the jail, for staff use. These bathrooms are shared by approximately 30 to 40 people during peak operation hours.

 These challenges highlight some of the growing strain on our existing infrastructure and hopefully support some of the reason for a new jail. We appreciate your continued support as we work to address these issues and plan for the future of corrections in Williamson County.

No one is happy about the price of the new jail and there is room for healthy debate in that regard. $188,000,000 is a lot of money and the majority of that will be funded by debt.

Sheriff Hughes and his staff have been meeting with the design team for several months refining the design to cut costs and improve functionality. Hopefully, they will complete that process very soon and then put it out for bid. Then we will know that actual costs.

Next week is Solid Waste and I know this is a hot topic for all. Smile.

This past week the following committees/commissions met:

Monday May 26

• No meetings

Tuesday May 27th

• BOMA Work
• BOMA Meeting Session

Wednesday May 28th

• Williamson County Property Committee

Thursday May 29th

• Williamson County Rules Committee

AI Disclaimer:

The AI program I use is pretty accurate, but it does make mistakes from time to time and I don't always catch them. I provide agendas and videos/audios when I have them available and recommend that you watch the video and follow along with the summary to get the most accurate report.

One of the limitations of AI is that if a participant's name is not called out, then they are listed as participant 1, 2, etc. A limitation with audio, as opposed to video, is that one cannot always identify a person by voice alone. As imperfect as these AI summaries are, they still give a pretty good account of a meeting.

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Williamson County School District

No meetings this week.

Next Week

Monday June 2nd

Policy Committee meets at at 6:00 PM in the Training Center on the 1st Floor at the Williamson County Administrative Building unless otherwise noted. The Administrative Building is located on the first floor at 1320 West Main Street, Franklin. Agenda Audio Audio is available at 6:00pm on the 2nd and thereafter.

Williamson County Commission

Williamson County Commission committees

Special Note: Since Williamson County does not record any meetings other than the commission, budget committee and planning commission meetings, I am recording all the meetings that I attend on my iPhone. We are in the process of reviewing a technology upgrade that will allow the county to record more meetings as well as include agendas, minutes and packets on our website. I will keep you up to date when progress is made.

Wednesday May 28th

Property Committee Minutes Audio

AI Summary

Overview

• Committee unanimously approved all four resolutions including a hub facility location, $104,300 land sale to Nolensville for Sunset Road expansion, mobile adoption trailer transfer, and withdrawal from county seal modification litigation
• Kevin Benson ( Property Department Head) presented 0.266 acres permanent land sale plus 0.278 acres temporary construction easement to Nolensville, with the temporary easement returning to county after construction completion
• Bobby Cook (legal counsel)explained that recent state law changes made the county seal litigation moot, as county seals are now defined as memorials requiring state approval for modifications

Hub facility location approval Resolution

• Kevin confirmed the hub facility will be located south of the four-way stop, behind the community center in the wood line between properties
• The facility will be positioned 200-300 yards from the four-way stop and will not be visible or audible from the road
• Committee unanimously approved the hub facility location

Sunset Road expansion land sale Resolution

• Nolensville contacted the county 2 years ago through Mayor Mac Nolan requesting land for Sunset Road expansion in front of the convenience center
• County agreed to sell 0.266 acres permanently to Nolensville for $104,300
• County will provide 0.278 acres as temporary construction easement, which will return to county after project completion
• Kevin noted the road expansion will improve the entryway to the county's convenience center facilities
• Committee unanimously approved the land sale agreement

Mobile adoption trailer conveyance Resolution

• County received a new adoption trailer worth $50,000 last month and is now surplus the old trailer
• Kevin estimated the old trailer's current value at approximately $3,000
• The animal center plans to transfer the old trailer to a neighboring county in the Needle area
• Commission unanimously approved the trailer conveyance

County seal modification withdrawal Resolution

• Bobby explained the county originally sought state approval to modify the county seal due to concerns about a Confederate flag and cannon in one quadrant
• Tennessee Historical Commission initially ruled the seal was not a memorial and county could change it without state approval
• Sons of the Confederate Veterans appealed that decision
• State law changed in April 2025 to define county seals as memorials requiring state approval for modifications
• Bobby recommended withdrawing from litigation since the law change made the case moot
• It was confirmed the county retains the right to modify the seal in the future.
• Commission unanimously approved withdrawing the county seal modification request

Thursday May 29th

Rules Committee March 25 Minutes Audio

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Commissioner Smith - Communicate Rules Committee feedback to Commissioner Richards Take the notes and feedback from the Rules Committee meeting back to Commissioner Richards regarding the agenda publication resolution, including the committee's request for more specificity about what should be included on posted agendas and legal verbiage.
• [ ] Commissioner Smith - Prepare budget amendment for electronic signature system Prepare a budget amendment to cover the costs for the DocuSign electronic signature system, which will likely come out of the commissioner's budget and need to go to budget committee.
• [ ] Commissioner Smith - Contact Commissioner Richards about pulling resolution from commission agenda Communicate with Commissioner Richards about whether he wants to pull the agenda publication resolution from the upcoming commission meeting agenda, since the Rules Committee deferred it to allow for revisions.
• [ ] Commissioner Smith - Follow up with Sean Cochran on final DocuSign license costs Follow up with Sean Cochran, IT Director, to get answers to remaining questions about the actual cost for DocuSign licenses, including exploring options for administrative licenses that may be less expensive than the current estimate of $689 per license.

Overview

• Committee approved electronic signature authorization for resolutions, pending budget approval for DocuSign licensing estimated at $28,000 annually
• Committee agenda publication resolution was deferred to July commission meeting to allow Commissioner Richards to revise the proposal with clearer specifications
• DocuSign licensing would cost $689 per commissioner plus county mayor's office, with 35 total licenses estimated
• 48-hour advance publication requirement for committee agendas was the core proposal, but implementation details need clarification

Electronic signature authorization for resolutions Resolution

• Commissioner Smith presented resolution 6-25-36 to allow electronic signatures for sponsoring resolutions
• Smith worked with Sean Cochran (IT Director) to research DocuSign implementation used currently by probation office
• DocuSign licensing costs $689 per license with estimated 35 total licenses needed for commissioners and county mayor's office
• Total estimated annual cost of $28,000 for DocuSign licensing with annual renewal fee
• Smith noted budget amendment will be required and costs would likely come from commissioners' budget
• Legal consultation confirmed electronic signatures are permissible for resolutions
• Resolution passed committee vote with one "no" vote Judy Herbert
• Purpose is to solve filing deadline issues when commissioners are out of town

Committee meeting agenda publication requirements Resolution

• Commissioner Smith presented resolution 5-25-1 requiring 48-hour advance publication of committee agendas
• Proposal aims to give public advance notice of committee meeting topics so they can decide whether to attend
• Committee removed the sentence allowing late-filed resolutions to be considered by majority vote after 48-hour deadline. Resolutions filed after the 48 hour agenda is posted may be considered by the committee upon majority vote of the committee and the recommendation of the committee transmitted to the Commission as a whole.
• Diane Giddens (Chief of Staff for Mayor's Office) requested specific guidance on what to include in published agendas and how to handle resolutions received after 48-hour cutoff
• Discussion covered whether to publish full resolutions or just titles, and how to handle real-time updates
• Committee deferred resolution to July commission meeting to allow Commissioner Richards (absent due to travel) to revise with clearer specifications
• Legal counsel suggested adding disclaimer that additional items may be added to agenda as allowed by state law
• Current practice sends generic notice to press about reviewing resolutions and transfers without specific details

Next Week:

Monday June 2nd

Budget Committee meets at 4:30 pm in Executive Conference Room, Williamson County Administrative Complex 1320 West Main Street Franklin Packet. This is a loaded agenda with a lot to consider.

Tuesday June 3rd

Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the 2025-26 budget at 5:30 pm in the Auditorium at Williamson County Administrative Complex 1320 West Main Street Franklin. Consolidated Budget . This meeting is, as are all committee meetings, open to the public. It is being held in the auditorium, so there will be room for a lot of people. I recommend attendance.

Purchasing & Insurance Committee will convene at 4:30 p.m.  in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex 1320 West Main Street Franklin. Committee members will meet to discuss stop loss insurance information effective 7-1-25 and any additional business that comes before the Committee at that time.

Wednesday June 4th

Highway Commission meets at 8:30 a.m in theWilliamson County Highway Facility 302 Beasley Drive, Franklin, TN 37064 Wednesday . Agenda

Solid Waste Board to meet at 4:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex 1320 West Main Street Franklin.

Thursday June 5th

Public Health Committee meets at 5:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex 1320 West Main Street Franklin. May 1 Minutes Amendment Resolution Resolution Gov. Contract Resolution

These are all public meetings and anyone can attend.

Williamson County Commission Committees

Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Tuesday May 27th

BOMA Work Session agenda video

AI Summary

Overview

• City proposed $243.3 million total FY26 budget with $128.1 million general fund, representing 9.7% increase over current year
• Property tax rate options presented: 32 cents (recommended) vs 29 cents per $100 assessed value, with current rate dropping from 32.61 cents to 23.1 cents due to reappraisal
• Invest Franklin 2.0 proposed to dedicate 6.8 cents of property tax for infrastructure, generating approximately $100 million in 20-year debt capacity
• Mac Hatcher Southeast project still has $25 million funding gap despite city's $50 million commitment and state's $25 million contribution
• Employee compensation study recommended 15% pay range increase to reach 90th percentile market rate, affecting 125 team members at estimated $1 million cost
• AI policy framework presented with focus on responsible use, data protection, and employee training across city operations

FY26 proposed budget overview

• Total budget decreased 2.7% to $243.3 million compared to amended current budget
• General fund increased 9.7% to $128.1 million, with 6% related to dedicated property tax component
• Budget maintains structural balance with ongoing revenues matching ongoing expenses
• Eric Stookey confirmed budget fully complies with debt and fund balance policies
• Reappraisal increased assessed tax base from $7.6 billion to $10.75 billion
• One penny of property tax now generates $1 million compared to previous $750,000

Property tax rate options debate

• Current rate of 32.61 cents drops to 23.1 cents due to reappraisal to generate same revenue
• Option 1: 32 cents total (23.1 cents base + 6.8 cents Invest Franklin 2.0 + 2.1 cents operations)
• Option 2: 29 cents total (23.1 cents base + 3.4 cents infrastructure + 2.5 cents operations)
• Alderman Barnhill supported 32 cents for full infrastructure funding capacity
• Alderman Baggett preferred 29 cents without Mac Hatcher Northwest component until specific project list identified
• For $1.1 million home, 32 cent rate equals additional 63 cents per day or approximately $230 per year
• Hotel occupancy tax proposed increase from 4% to 5%, generating $1.2-$1.3 million annually

Invest Franklin 2.0 infrastructure funding

• Dedicates 6.8 cents property tax for critical infrastructure over multiple years
• Provides $100 million baseline capacity through 20-year debt service
• Supports Mac Hatcher Southeast widening partnership with TDOT requiring $50 million city contribution
• TDOT confirmed $25 million funding gap remains for Southeast project completion
• Creates capacity for Mac Hatcher Northwest partnership opportunities when state considers additional projects
• Enables other capital improvements including Franklin Road and Carruthers spot improvements
• Alderman Baggett proposed limiting 3.4 cents specifically to TDOT partnerships rather than general CIP

Mac Hatcher road project partnerships

• Southeast widening requires $100 million total: city committed $50 million, state provided $25 million
• Eric Stookey confirmed $25 million funding gap still exists despite recent state budget additions
• State indicated another round of partnership project consideration planned for next year
• City exploring federal MPO funding opportunities to address remaining gap
• Northwest widening not included in current state partnership but remains priority for future consideration
• Alderman Baggett expressed disappointment Northwest section excluded from current proposal

Employee pay plan compensation study

• Comprehensive update moving all positions to 90th percentile market rate from 75th percentile
• 15% overall pay range increase needed, affecting 58 positions and 125 team members (17% of workforce)
• Police and fire already adjusted to 90th percentile in previous year, requiring only 4% additional adjustment
• 56 employees previously topped out in pay ranges will gain advancement opportunities
• Implementation includes 3% base adjustment for affected employees plus 2.5% market increase
• Merit component adds 0.5% to 2.5% based on performance evaluations
• Total individual increases range 3% to 5% depending on performance
• Steve Thompson consulting team used public and private sector benchmarks for market analysis

Artificial intelligence policy framework

• Jason Potts presented draft AI policy based on Government AI Coalition guidance from 150+ jurisdictions
• Eight key principles: human-centered design, security, privacy, transparency, impartiality, accountability, effectiveness, empowerment
• Kevin Townsell emphasized AI as productivity tool, not employee replacement, requiring proper training and editing
• Shawna highlighted vendor contract risks after learning contractors use city data in AI systems without disclosure
• Andrew Southern demonstrated use cases: Frankie chatbot supporting multiple languages, plan review automation, 911 dispatch assistance
• Policy requires regular updates approximately every 6 months due to rapidly evolving technology
• Internal AI committee established with cross-departmental representation for ongoing oversight

BOMA Meeting agenda video

AI Summary

Overview

• Board approved property annexation of 5.86 acres at 4356 South Carothers Road and rezoned 204.86 acres from PD 1.0 to PD 1.26 district
• Water and sewer rates approved with Option A selected, featuring 5.7% increases for 2026 and 2027, then 4.3% for 2028
• Property tax rate set at 32 cents (Option 1) after amendment to reduce to 28.6 cents failed 3-3 with mayor casting deciding vote
• Hotel motel tax increased from 4% to 5%
• Franktown Open Hearts received $450,000 funding for stormwater infrastructure from county adequate facilities tax funds
• Infrastructure contracts approved totaling $75,120 for water line relocation design

Property annexation and rezoning

• Board approved Resolution 2025-11 to annex 5.86 acres at 4356 South Carothers Road adjoining city limits within Franklin urban growth boundary
• Ordinance 2025-03 approved to rezone 204.86 acres from plan PD 1.0 district to plan PD 1.26 district south of Merck Spur Road, east of South Carruthers Road
• Rezoning passed 5 to 1 with Alderman Berger voting against

Water and sewer rate options

• Board selected Option A for water rate increases over 2026-2028 period
• Sewer rates set at 5.7% increases for 2026 and 2027, then 4.3% for 2028
• Option A and Option B had same total increases but different timing between 2027 and 2028
• Alderman Blanton clarified motion to specify Option A selection
• Public hearing scheduled for June 10, 2025

Budget amendments and adoption

• Board approved Ordinance 2025-12 to amend fiscal year 2024-25 budget
• Ordinance 2025-13 approved adopting budget for fiscal year 2025-26
• Both items established public hearings for June 10, 2025
• All budget items passed unanimously

Property tax rate debate

• Alderman Barnhill proposed 32 cents tax rate (Option 1)
• Alderman Baggett amended to 28.6 cents rate, removing Northwest Mac Hatcher funding but keeping operational at 2.1 cents
• Baggett argued for specific road project list before higher tax, wanted to reserve increase for Northwest Mac Hatcher or specific projects
• Alderman Caesar supported 32 cents for significant transportation improvements including intersection fixes
• Amendment failed 3-3 with mayor voting against
• Original motion for 32 cents passed 5 to 1 with Alderman Baggett voting against

Hotel motel tax increase

• Ordinance 2025-15 approved increasing hotel motel tax from 4% to 5%
• Passed unanimously
• Public hearing established for June 10, 2025

Franktown Open Hearts funding

• Board approved $450,000 funding for stormwater infrastructure at northeast corner of Johnson Circle and Granbury Street
• Original request was up to $900,000 but motion specified flat $450,000 amount
• Funding sourced from county adequate facilities tax funds rather than Community Development Block Grant funds
• Franktown committed to break ground by October 31st deadline regardless of city funding
• Project scaled from $9.2 million full build to $6.2 million first phase of 7,500 square feet
• Franktown raised $5.2 million in donations and pledges with $2.2 million already collected
• Alderman Blanton recused due to conflict of interest
• Motion passed 5 votes with 1 abstention

Infrastructure design contracts

• Contract 20250166 with Gresham Smith and Partners approved for $75,120 for water line relocation design for Franklin Road bridge replacement over Harpeth River
• Amendment 5 to Contract 2020012 with Hazen and Sawyer approved for no-cost modifications for southeast wastewater capacity evaluation
• Both contracts passed unanimously

Next Week

Go here to see what's coming next week

These are all public meetings and anyone can attend.

Election Commission

There were no meetings this week and none next week

If not me, who?

If not now, when?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1)

“We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer gently.” (1^st Corinthians 4:12-13)

Blessings,

Bill

pettyandassociates@gmail.com

Community resources

If you like Friday Recap, check out these other grassroots conservative projects!

• Williamson County Citizens Provides free tools and information to help grassroots conservatives exercise their citizenship here in Williamson County.
• Tennessee Voters for Election Integrity is helping restore confidence in Tennessee Elections.
• Williamson County Republican Party is one of the most active parties in the state and captures the conservative heart of Tennessee.
• Mom's For Liberty Williamson County is dedicated to fighting for the American family by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.
• Tennessee Stands produces video media, podcasts, and live events, and provides social commentary on relevant issues in our state.
• M4LU is a new site developed by the national Mom's for Liberty but generated right here in Williamson County. The mission of M4LU is to to inform, equip, and empower parents with knowledge, understanding and practical tools.
• WCSB Substack. This site reports on the Williamson County School Board meetings. It provides accurate summaries of all WCSB meetings.

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