Newsletter

Friday Recap May 22nd, 2026

My Comment Audio Synopsis

Monday is Memorial Day. For information about this day, go here. Check your local city website for information about ceremonies near you. In Franklin, there will be a service at Five Points; go here for more information.

I hope that we all spend some time reflecting on what it means to give the ultimate sacrifice and how we can honor that sacrifice as we live out our daily lives.

Meetings this past week were:

School Board Law Enforcement and Public Safety Special Courthouse Task Force Rules Committee Purchasing and Insurance Committee for Franklin City meetings, go here

Meetings Next Week

Tuesday, May 26th

The Education Committee will meet at 5:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin Agenda/Resolutions, Committee members: Steve Smith (C), Bill Petty (VC), Chris Richards, Drew Torres, Judy Herbert

Wednesday, May 27th

Storm Water Appeals Meets at 8:30 am There is no further information.

The Property Committee will meet at 5:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin No Agenda yet Committee members: Ricky Jones (C), Jennifer Mason(VC), Barb Sturgeon, Brian Clifford, , Matt Williams

Thursday, May 28th

Board of Zoning Appeals Will meet in Williamson County Administrative Complex 1320 West Main Street, Executive Conference Room
Franklin, Agenda

For City of Franklin, go here

Enjoying Friday Recap? Take a minute now and forward it to 3 people. Copy this https://friday-recap.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/680aad97ab206e0001e15b3f in your email.

Subscribe For Free

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.

Williamson County School Board

Monday, May 18th

School Board Meeting Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] - Set up regular litigation summary reports for the board Multiple board members and Dr. Driggers requested regular litigation summary reports. Golden acknowledged this is appropriate and something they were working on.
[ ] - Provide 3-year legal expense breakdown to the board Board requested a breakdown of legal expenses by case/resolution and cost for the past three years. Golden agreed to provide it.
[ ] - Prepare special ed teacher caseload chart for work session Dr. Driggers asked for a chart showing average special ed teacher caseloads by disability category, to be presented at a future work session.
[ ] - Poll T2 teachers and TAs on the transition program pilot Mr. Cash suggested polling T2 teachers and TAs on the pilot program; Golden agreed. Board members also strongly supported this.
[ ] - Set up process for parents to volunteer for the 2026–27 screen time committee via Andy Davis Dr. Driggers asked who parents should contact to volunteer for the next screen time committee (2026–27). Golden said to call the district office and Andy Davis would get the information.
[ ] - Implement parent-accessible IEP service delivery logs by fall Dr. Driggers asked when service delivery logs accessible to parents would be available. Golden confirmed Maria Griego believes they can deliver this on day one in the fall (August). Needs to be confirmed and implemented.
[ ] - Set up regular personnel reports for the board Ms. Clements also requested periodic personnel reports alongside litigation summaries so the board stays informed.
[ ] - Schedule T2 stakeholder meeting as requested by Dr. Johnson Dr. Johnson formally requested a stakeholder meeting with clearly defined problem, shared data, and open dialogue before the T2 pilot moves forward in her district. Golden said they'd have another discussion about her suggestion.

Overview

Meeting covered significant parent concerns about Chromebook safety, special ed legal spending, IEP service gaps, bullying data, and the Transition 2 program pilot — most of these remain unresolved or in progress
Screen time committee finished its work (~May 2026) and a new policy recommendation is coming that goes beyond state law, extending device restrictions to K–12; professional development for principals and teachers is already underway
Multiple board members (Dr. Johnson, Bostik, Driggers) formally opposed the T2 pilot as currently implemented; Superintendent Golden acknowledged the communication process failed but defended the underlying rationale
The board approved $200,000 in additional OCS legal funding (resolution 06.26), drawing pointed public criticism about structural underbudgeting — Golden committed to providing a 3-year legal expense breakdown by case/resolution
IEP service delivery logs for OTs, PTs, and SLPs passed first reading (9–1) and move to second reading in June; district expects logs available to parents by fall 2026
All budget amendments passed; total new appropriations approved tonight exceeded $4.1M across six resolutions
19 students earned perfect ACT scores (36); Ravenwood Indoor Percussion won a world championship; Centennial High won multiple esports state titles — first in district history

Chromebook and screen time

The screen time committee ran from May 2025 to May 2026 and finished its core work about a week before this meeting
The district's forthcoming policy recommendation goes further than state law — extending device restrictions beyond K–5 to K–12, with the guiding principle that technology is used "only when it enhances student learning"
Kindergarten data from August–September showed fewer than 10% of students logging on daily, and those who did averaged under 15 minutes — used to support the decision to stop sending devices home with youngest students
Professional development is already in motion: principals were briefed ~a month ago, an all-day principal PD session is planned, and a district-wide teacher PD day will introduce the new guidance
The screen time committee has been asked to continue meeting at least twice a year to monitor progress using real-time screen time data; parents interested in joining the 2026–27 committee can call the district office (contact: Andy Davis)
Golden noted a tension at the state level: the Tennessee Dept. of Education is simultaneously moving toward requiring online testing at the elementary level

Special ed legal spending and oversight

Public speaker Bill Barksdale laid out a 5-year pattern: supplemental legal funding for the OCS special ed account was approved in 4 of 5 years — $200K (May '22), $725K (May '23), $300K (May '24), and $200K tonight — totaling ~$1.45M
Barksdale argued the base budget of $340K structurally understates actual spending and that board approval at the supplemental stage is post-hoc ratification, not upstream oversight
Golden said the district has budgeted $340K for at least the last three years, acknowledged some years come in under and some over, and called the budgeting approach reasonable given unpredictability
Dr. Driggers requested a 3-year legal expense breakdown by case number/resolution and cost — Golden agreed to provide it
Dr. Driggers also flagged a recent Office of Civil Rights finding against the district (related to IEP service delivery), noting the district will be monitored until in full compliance — said he hadn't known the district was under OCR review
Ms. Clements asked for regular litigation summaries and personnel reports for the board; Golden agreed this is appropriate and said the district had done it in the past
The district currently uses outside counsel for special ed cases and has a "bullpen" of attorneys; the in-house general counsel position is vacant and interviews are ongoing

IEP service delivery and accountability

Public advocate Christy Bailey reported that a kindergarten student (identified as Bostik's son) went nearly the entire school year without receiving any speech and language services — no one caught or corrected it until the next IEP meeting
Bailey called for mandatory district-wide service delivery logs immediately; Golden said the district is working on it and that Maria Griego believes logs will be available to parents by day one of fall 2026
Bostik explained the policy (4.202, child find and special education) covers OTs, PTs, and SLPs — not all special ed teachers — and would log when mandated IEP services are completed
Bostik noted the district used to have service delivery logs and that some states require them by law; he framed them as protection for both families and the district
Dr. Driggers asked about special ed teacher fill rate — Golden said it's currently 96–97% — and requested a work session chart showing average caseloads by disability category
Some SLPs are carrying 50+ student files; Bostik noted that at a typical cadence of twice a week for 30 minutes, that's roughly 50 hours of service time per week

Bullying data and school safety

Public speaker Brad Davis challenged Golden's prior public statements, citing a 62% increase in confirmed bullying cases and a near-doubling of the confirmed bullying rate per student since Golden became superintendent
Golden clarified he expected reporting to increase — not violence — because the district actively encouraged students to report, including by communicating that reports would result in visible action
Golden pushed back on the characterization that he said "it takes an act of Congress" to address safety, saying that phrase isn't how he speaks; he explained the actual context was a specific tension between Tennessee's zero-tolerance law for threats of mass violence and federal IDEA discipline rules that cap removal at 45 days for students with disabilities
Board member Galbreth asked Golden to address the "top 3 most dangerous district" claim — Golden said the data was from the Tennessee Dept. of Education's 2023–24 reported bullying statistics and doesn't reflect his view of the district's safety
Welch noted the district's bullying reporting push was intentional and that increased complaint numbers are an expected outcome of encouraging students to speak up, not evidence of a more dangerous environment
Ms. Clements asked that summer teacher PD include a review of bullying consequences and consistent application of policy

Transition 2 program

Multiple board members — Dr. Johnson, Bostik, and Driggers — formally opposed the T2 pilot as currently implemented; Johnson asked that if the pilot continues, it not be placed in her district
Golden explained the rationale: special ed leadership analyzed post-program job outcomes (described as "not excellent") and concluded clustering students at fewer sites would let T2 teachers specialize — some focusing on job skills, others on life skills — and increase time at job sites
Bostik disputed the "18-month process" framing, saying teachers were first told in December and informed it was "95–98% a done deal" and told not to tell parents — parents then went through IEP meetings in the dark
Dr. Bonnie Barksdale (public comment) said her son's placement in the T2 program at Nolansville High was changed without IEP team consultation at the May 7th IEP meeting, and that the district's response to their independent education evaluation request didn't comply with 34 CFR Section 300.502
Melissa Hogan (public comment) said the district initially told parents the moves were not optional and not a change of placement requiring IEP approval, then reversed course after media coverage and parent backlash
The pilot currently affects 19 students across Page and Nolansville high schools; some parents are being offered the option to stay at their current school, but Bostik said what's being offered doesn't resemble the actual T2 program
Cash suggested polling T2 teachers and TAs; Golden said that's feasible given the small number involved
Golden acknowledged the individual parent communication process "could have been handled better" and said the district is still working through it

Student and program achievements

19 students earned a perfect 36 on the ACT, from Brentwood, Centennial, Franklin, Independence, Nolansville, Page, Ravenwood, and Summit high schools
Ravenwood Indoor Percussion won the world championship (not national — world), competing in Dayton alongside students from Franklin High School
Violet Zimmerley (Page High) earned a perfect ACT 36, won first place in DECA's entrepreneurship series, and co-won first place in the Real World Ready Challenge
Centennial High won multiple esports state championships at Cumberland University — Valorant, Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, and Madden — the first esports state titles in district history
Legacy Middle School students swept four first-place finishes at the Technology Student Association state conference; Nolansville High won first place in robotics
Page High won first place in forensic science, music production, and software development at the TSA state conference
Sunset Elementary and Legacy Middle were both named Best Buddies Chapter of the Year (elementary and middle school categories respectively)
Three teachers were named CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence: Aurora Foster (Woodland Middle), Trevor Baxter (Centennial High), and Taylor Colmyre (Page High)

Budget amendments

TCAT donation — dual enrollment: $8,278.79 approved (10–0) — TCAT covering part of teacher salaries for a dual enrollment program
MTSU donation — dual enrollment: $6,500 approved (10–0) — MTSU funding teachers for joint college credit coursework
Letter grade bonus: $4,000,000 approved (10–0) — state funding increase; district had projected ~$2.3M but more schools qualified than expected
Trustee commission: $300,000 approved (9–1) — adjustment for property tax collections above budgeted amount, with a required portion going to the county trustee
ESCO payment: $1,183,842.58 approved (10–0) — annual payment on the Energy Savings Program; Golden noted the county budget committee is considering eliminating this line to help close the budget gap, with a final decision expected at the county commission in late June
Additional insurance expenses: $2,400,000 approved (10–0) — traditional liability insurance increase from the County Risk Manager, reassessed starting around October; unrelated to special education
Additional student support service expenses: $200,000 approved (9–1) — end-of-year projection through June 30th on top of the base $340K OCS legal budget

School board meeting dates

Board approved the 2026–27 meeting schedule (10–0) with one change from the work session draft: the December policy committee meeting is set for December 7th, 2027

High Performing School District Flexibility Act

Board renewed the district's designation under the High Performing School District Flexibility Act (10–0) — required every 3 years to maintain eligibility
Key current benefit: the district doesn't need county commission approval for budgets not funded by tax dollars (food service, school-age child care); Golden noted there may be additional future uses for the designation
Welch noted the act was originally written in Williamson County

Williamson County Commission Meetings

Wednesday, May 20th

Law Enforcement and Public Safety Agenda, Resolutions, Video Committee members: Tom Tunnicliffe (C), Greg Sanford (VC), Pete Stresser, Matt Williams, Bill Petty. Commissioners Sanford and Stresser were absent

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Connor Scott - Calculate 911 fee revenue from Maury County side of Spring Hill Need to parse out the 911 fee revenue attributable to the Maury County side of Spring Hill using the state's public formula, to complete the net cost picture.
[ ] Connor Scott - Meet with Spring Hill city manager on May 28th re: Maury County EMS cost-sharing Meeting is on May 28th. Key topics: whether Maury County will contribute funding, and what Spring Hill's intentions are regarding dispatch and EMS coverage going forward.

Overview

Passed 4 resolutions unanimously: volunteer firefighter education incentive match, juvenile detention services contract ($186.95/day rate), Emergency Management Performance Grant, and forensic medical examiner contract
The Spring Hill EMS situation is the most pressing issue — the interlocal agreement expires June 30th, and the county is carrying roughly $1M/year net cost to service the Maury County side of Spring Hill after accounting for ~$400K in patient revenue
No decision was made tonight on Spring Hill EMS; Connor is meeting with Spring Hill's city manager on May 28th to explore cost-sharing options, and a 6-month extension was floated as a bridge
County fire staffing study from CTAS is expected around September 2026, with a combination (hybrid volunteer/full-time) model the likely direction

Routine resolutions

Passed resolution matching state incentive payments for qualified volunteer firefighters and extending a similar program to emergency response personnel, amending the FY2026 public safety budget
Passed annual contract with TN Dept. of Children's Services for juvenile detention services reimbursement at $186.95/day
Passed Emergency Management Performance Grant agreement with TEMA — funds supplement salaries for emergency management personnel
Passed forensic medical examiner services contract with Forensic Medical Management Services PLC — same rate as prior contract, with cities now reimbursing the county for autopsies from within their city limits per last month's resolution

Spring Hill EMS and Maury County coverage

The interlocal agreement with Spring Hill expires June 30th, requiring a decision on the path forward
Williamson County has covered EMS for both sides of Spring Hill since 2020, stepping in after a private provider delivered poor service — splitting the city operationally is the core reason both sides are covered
Net cost to service the Maury County side is estimated at roughly $1M/year — calculated as ~9–10% of total EMS system cost ($1.2–1.4M) minus ~$400K in patient revenue from that side
Separate from EMS costs, Spring Hill pays ~$555K/year to Williamson County for dispatching Spring Hill police and fire — this revenue could be lost if Spring Hill moves dispatch to Maury County as a downstream consequence of walking away from EMS
The 911 surcharge fees the county receives for covering the Maury County side of Spring Hill are an additional revenue figure Connor still needs to calculate
Connor is meeting with Spring Hill's city manager on May 28th to discuss whether Maury County or Spring Hill would contribute funding to offset costs
A 6-month contract extension was suggested as a bridge — giving all parties time to negotiate without forcing an abrupt change at fiscal year end
Maury County EMS doesn't have the resources to quickly absorb coverage, and even a private provider couldn't mobilize in under a month
If the county walked away today, Williamson County units would still likely end up responding mutual aid to the Maury side because they'd be the closest available — creating an unsustainable informal arrangement
Participant 2 suggested approaching Spring Hill and Maury County together to collectively fund a solution

County fire service update

CTAS is conducting a fire staffing study — expected around September 2026, though the assigned analyst is the only one doing these reports statewide and is heavily booked
The anticipated model is a combination department (full-time staff supplemented by volunteers), consistent with what Rutherford County and Maury County run
Current automatic aid agreements are in place with Franklin (partial, covering part of I-65), Fairview (tanker), Nolansville, and Spring Hill — a Maury County auto aid agreement was in progress as of this meeting
Franklin agreement is still being worked out — terms include reimbursement for responses within 5 miles of a Franklin station but outside 5 miles of a county station, with budget allocated

Special Courthouse Task Force Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Sean Aiello - Circulate date for next task force meeting Schedule the next task force meeting (same 5:30 format) and circulate the date to all members.
[ ] Kevin Benson - Prepare list of qualifying courthouse properties within 1 mile of the Square Work with Brad Coleman and the property assessor's office to pull a list of properties meeting Jim Cross's size/criteria that are for sale or adjacent to properties for sale, within a 1-mile radius of the Square. Aim to distribute the list at least 5 days before the next meeting so task force members can review in advance.
[ ] Jim Cross - Get cost estimate for Triple J revalidation (full and abbreviated versions) Provide a cost estimate for both the full 3-month revalidation and the shorter (~1–2 month) version so the task force and County Commission can evaluate options.
[ ] Judge Deana Hood - Schedule courthouse tour for Eric and other interested task force/BOMA members She offered tours of the existing courthouse space paired with the Triple J plan to help task force members (and others) understand why renovation isn't viable. Eric Stuckey expressed interest.

Overview

Judge Andra made a strong case for keeping all courts in one building — splitting Circuit/Chancery and General Sessions across two sites would create security, staffing, and efficiency problems for the Sheriff, attorneys, DA, public defender, clerk's office, and the public
The task force is targeting the July 2026 County Commission meeting for recommendations, leaving roughly 2 more meetings after tonight
The Triple J needs assessment (2019/2020) was accepted as a baseline for demographic and caseload growth projections to 2044, with the understanding it needs further validation and supplementation in the design phase — not as a final word on space requirements
No viable county-owned or city-owned property was identified; the only county-owned option (5.5 acres off Mack Hatcher near Franklin High School) has serious access, traffic, and safety concerns
The task force voted to ask county staff to produce a list of properties — for sale or adjacent to properties for sale — within a 1-mile radius of the Square that meet Mr. Cross's size criteria, to be delivered at least 5 days before the next meeting
Rehab of the existing courthouse is increasingly viewed as not viable, but no formal resolution was passed tonight — it's on the agenda for the next meeting

Keeping courts in one building

Judge Andra argued that splitting General Sessions from Circuit/Chancery would require the Sheriff to nearly double security staffing across two buildings, on top of already covering the Juvenile Services Building — creating 3 separate secured facilities
Attorneys routinely have cases in both General Sessions and Circuit/Chancery on the same day, and separating the buildings would create scheduling and parking problems for them and their clients
The DA's office, Public Defender, and clerk's office would all face inefficiencies moving between buildings, especially since one clerk (Ms. Barrett) currently serves both General Sessions and Circuit
Judge Andra noted General Sessions handles roughly 600 people per week — more than all other courts combined — and parking is already a problem even without a split
Judges' chambers security is also a concern: the current General Sessions chambers are on the ground floor with no secured parking, and the new building would address this

Task force timeline and recent commission actions

The last opportunity for the current County Commission to act on task force recommendations is the July 2026 meeting, leaving about 2 more task force meetings after tonight
The Commission approved a contract extension on the Hill property through September 2026 and approved $100,000 in initial funding for property evaluation or preliminary design questions
A third resolution authorized the right to publish a bond posting for Hill property acquisition — a procedural step only, not a vote to issue bonds

Triple J needs assessment

The task force accepted the Triple J report as a baseline for demographic and caseload growth projections, with a recommendation for further validation and supplementation in the design phase
Jeff (Gresham Smith) said the projections are likely still sound — when they revalidated similar reports for the jail and Juvenile Justice Center post-COVID, they found a near-term dip but mid- and long-term return to the original growth trends
A full revalidation would take about 3 months; a lighter data-driven check could take 1–2 months, but neither fits the current timeline
The report projects out to 2044 — a 25-year window from when it was written — and several members (Participant 12, Participant 14, Participant 15) think the planning horizon should be 50+ years, with Participant 12 noting the county is likely spending around $100 million on this
The motion was amended several times before passing: the accepted framing is that the report establishes a factual basis for need, not a design blueprint, and the design phase will require a more thorough operational and space-needs review

Adaptive reuse of the 2004 courthouse

The task force isn't interested in reusing the 2004 addition for court functions — the consensus is to move on and build new
Participant 17 (Mr. Benson) suggested the Board of Education as a potential reuse tenant: the AOC currently uses 36,500 sq ft, and the 2004 courthouse has well over that across its floors
Participant 9 echoed the Board of Education idea, having heard similar comments about their space needs
Participant 15 raised the possibility of not reusing the building at all and repurposing the land itself

Historic courthouse preservation

Mr. Heller submitted a detailed memo (circulated to the task force) on behalf of Franklin Preservation Partners and 906 Studio
Visit Franklin is willing to take over the historic courthouse and make it a showcase for downtown Franklin visitors
The estimated cost to convert the building to tourist/historic use is $300,000–$500,000

County-owned and city-owned site options

The only county-owned property inside Franklin city limits that could work is 5.5 acres off Mack Hatcher — but it requires state permission for access, Mayor Anderson has objected to it, traffic during school hours is a serious concern, and it would displace a practice lacrosse field and soccer field used near Franklin High School
A second county-owned parcel near Carlisle Lane (about 5 acres, near animal control) is also in the city limits but has the same Mack Hatcher access problem — the state previously denied access
Mr. Benson evaluated the city's alternate City Hall sites and concluded none meet the county's size and parking requirements
No city-county land swap discussions have taken place; Participant 12 confirmed the city is open to the conversation but nothing has happened

Private properties in Franklin

Mr. Benson identified two private properties: 2040–2042 Second Avenue (just under 4 acres, listed at $6,750,000, adjacent to the Harpeth Hotel) and a 17-acre site on Southeast Parkway (the former Logos warehouse, priced at $17 million+) — both have significant drawbacks (flood risk and railroad crossing, respectively)
Mr. Heller noted his property at 2.5 acres across from the courthouse is appraised at $27 million, is not for sale, and is too small — but he's open to discussing parking arrangements
Participant 12 raised the Bank of America building plus adjacent parcels as a potential assemblage worth exploring, though Participant 6 noted the adjacent car dealership isn't for sale and the area has floodplain issues
Participant 6 cautioned that engaging a real estate agent risks signaling the county is buying, which would drive up prices on any property not yet on the market

Staff property search resolution

The task force voted to ask county staff to identify properties for sale or adjacent to properties for sale within a 1-mile radius of the Square that meet Mr. Cross's size criteria
Mr. Benson will work with Brad Coleman and the property assessor's office to pull the list and aims to deliver it at least 5 days before the next meeting
The chair clarified this doesn't prevent task force members or the public from bringing other properties forward at the next meeting
Participant 6 suggested adding a geographic parameter to avoid pulling every 5-acre parcel across all of Franklin (e.g., Cool Springs, Columbia Avenue)

Rehab vs. new build

Participant 6 said a renovation keeping the courthouse operational would take at least 3 years, require temporary holding cells and Sally Ports elsewhere, and the Sheriff's department has said the security situation during construction is not workable
Judge Hood said all 6 judges, the DA, public defender, circuit court clerk, clerk and master, and the Sheriff's department are unified: the rehab plan is not viable
Participant 13 suggested the task force's final report should include a recommendation against rehabbing the existing courthouse while emphasizing preservation of the historic building — but no resolution was passed tonight
Participant 12 wants to understand whether adding onto the existing site (e.g., building toward Church Street) could get close to the target square footage before fully ruling it out — Participant 17 noted a site plan and functional diagrams from 906 Studio already exist as part of the 2020 master plan

Thursday, May 21st

Rules Committee Agenda, Video Committee members: Brian Clifford (C), David O’Neil (VC), Ricky Jones, Guy Carden, Barb Sturgeon, Chas Morton. Commissioner Clifford and O'Neil were absent.

AI Summary

Overview

Participant 1 called the meeting to order under rule 8.1C (chair and vice chair absent), Chance was elected temporary chair, and the committee moved through all three agenda items
Minutes from November 5th, 2025 were approved unanimously
Resolution amending public comment rules passed unanimously — aligns county rules with state law, which now allows citizens to speak on any county-related topic at committee meetings, not just agenda items

Temporary chair election

Participant 1 invoked rule 8.1C to call the meeting to order and opened nominations for a temporary chair
Participant 2 nominated Chas; Participant 3 seconded — vote passed unanimously

November 5th minutes approval

Minutes from November 5th, 2025 were approved with no questions, changes, or discussion

Public comment rule amendment

Resolution passed unanimously — updates county rules to match state law, which expanded citizens' right to speak at committee meetings to any county-related topic, not just items on the agenda
Participant 2 raised a constituent's complaint: Bobby Cook had previously shut down a constituent who wanted to speak about law enforcement because the topic wasn't on the agenda
Participant 3 noted counties are instruments of the state and must follow what state law dictates, unlike cities which have their own charters

Purchasing and Insurance Agenda, Presentation, Video Committee members: Sean Aiello, Meghan Guffee, Gregg Lawrence, Steve Smith, Mayor Anderson. Commissioners Lawrence and Smith were absent.

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Participant 1 - Structure AMWINS contract to allow retro add-on of cash-flow protection policy Work with legal to draft the AMWINS contract so that the $1/PEPM cash-flow protection policy (fronting reimbursements) can be added retroactively without requiring another committee vote.
[ ] Participant 2 - Explain AMWINS stop loss recommendation at county commission Present the committee's recommendation to move to AMWINS for Medical + RX stop loss at the $400k deductible to the full county commission.
[ ] Participant 5 - Send bullet points on AMWINS recommendation to the chair Send bullet-point summary of the AMWINS Medical + RX recommendation (with $400k deductible) for the chair to use when presenting to the county commission.
[ ] Participant 5 - Continue negotiating Cigna interface fee reduction Ongoing negotiation to reduce or eliminate the Cigna interface fee before the AMWINS contract is finalized.

Overview

Committee approved two resolutions: a $1,119,105.27 solid waste fund amendment and a contract with AMWINS for 26-27 stop loss
Recommendation accepted: AMWINS (Sun Life carrier) for medical + pharmacy stop loss at $400,000 deductible — $65.03 PEPM, $4,735,224 policy year premium, no lasers
AMWINS comes in at $814,082 more than current but $792,967 less than Cigna's med+RX renewal quote; the no-laser and no-new-laser-at-renewal provisions drove the decision over SA Benefits' lower price
Cigna interface fee of $582,528 is still being negotiated — if reduced or waived, net savings improve further
A resolution to recommend AMWINS to the county commission is also needed, per legal advice — Participant 2 will present it on the floor

Solid waste fund amendment

Committee approved $1,119,105.27 to cover two unexpected claims in the solid waste division: a Fair Labor Standards Act claim and a pedestrian/bicyclist-vs.-trash-truck incident, both of which the county lost

Current stop loss setup

Williamson County uses Cigna for specific stop loss only — no aggregate — covering medical claims at a $400,000 deductible for $61.85 PEPM (~$4,503,670 annually)
Pharmacy is not covered under the current plan, and Charles flagged 6 active pharmacy claims — 4 already over $400,000 and 2 over two-thirds of the way there, with some claims where the pharmacy portion alone exceeds $450,000

Medical-only stop loss bids

AMWINS (Sun Life) came in at $52.99 PEPM ($3,858,520) — a $645,150 gross decrease vs. current, netting to $62,622 savings after the $582,528 Cigna interface fee
SA Benefits was the lowest at $49.49 PEPM ($3,603,664), but carries a 24/12 contract (vs. industry standard 36/12) and adds a new $1.5M laser on top of the existing $3.3M one — the affected employee is confirmed still active
Cigna renewal was a 9% increase to $67.42 PEPM ($4,909,255)

Med+RX stop loss bids

Adding pharmacy to the AMWINS bid raises the premium to $65.03 PEPM ($4,735,224) — an $814,082 increase vs. current but $792,967 less than Cigna's med+RX renewal, with no lasers
SA Benefits' med+RX bid is $54.11 PEPM ($3,940,074) — only $18,932 more than current net of the interface fee — but picks up an additional ~$800,000 pharmacy-only laser on the still-active employee, on top of the shortened 24/12 contract
Megan and Participant 1 both flagged the 24/12 contract as a significant concern — incurred-but-not-reported claims can be substantial, and the shorter tail leaves real liability exposure

Alternative deductible options

At $450,000 med-only, AMWINS saves $551,217 vs. current net of the interface fee, with $330,000 in additional liability (roughly 11 claimants expected to exceed the higher threshold vs. ~13 at $400,000)
At $500,000 med-only, AMWINS drops to $2,899,533 — a ~$1,021,681 net savings vs. current — but it's nearly a toss-up with Cigna's $500K quote once the interface fee is factored in
Med+RX at $450,000 with AMWINS saves $223,545 vs. current with $555,500 additional liability; at $500,000 it saves $353,158 vs. current with $810,000 additional liability

AMWINS contract features

Sun Life is the underlying carrier — AM Best rating is high, and they're a premier AMWINS partner
Contract includes a no-new-laser-at-renewal provision and a 50% rate cap on renewal
AMWINS also offers a gene therapy / CAR-T protection add-on at $1 PEPM (~$6,000/month) — not included in the current bid but can be added retroactively to the effective date if needed
Reimbursement timing with AMWINS/Sun Life will be slower than Cigna — roughly 2–3 weeks vs. near-instant; the $1 PEPM fronting policy would accelerate that, and Megan wants to evaluate Sun Life's actual reimbursement speed before deciding whether to add it

Recommendation and vote

Charles recommended AMWINS for med+RX at the $400,000 deductible — no lasers, strong contract terms, and competitive pricing vs. Cigna renewal
Committee voted to approve; per legal advice, a separate resolution recommending AMWINS to the county commission is also required — Participant 2 will handle that presentation
Cigna interface fee negotiations are ongoing offline — Participant 1 noted Charles and Cigna will work to bring that number down

Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman

For all meetings go here.

Election Commission

May 19th

Election Commission Agenda Audio

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Participant 3 - Share details of Secretary of State seminar with commissioners Notify commissioners of the Secretary of State/Division of Elections seminar in late June; encourage carpooling and have interested commissioners coordinate with Chad.
[ ] Participant 3 - Put early voting plan on June 5th agenda for vote Bring early voting locations, dates, and hours to the June 5th meeting for a formal vote if ready.
[ ] Participant 3 - Add precinct boundary review to June 5th agenda Add review and potential amendment of precinct boundaries to the June 5th meeting agenda, given the new congressional district lines.
[ ] Participant 3 - Develop process testing component to add to Logic & Accuracy testing Expand LA testing to include end-to-end process steps (e.g., closing polls, printing results, shutting down machines) so gaps like the override password issue are caught before election day.
[ ] Participant 6 - Complete database updates for congressional district redistricting Finish database updates for the congressional district boundary changes; target end of week or sooner.
[ ] Participant 6 - Develop voter education plan for congressional district changes Finalize voter education approach for voters now in different districts, including maps at all polling places and promoting the TN voter lookup tool.
[ ] Participant 6 - Send new voter registration cards to all Williamson County voters Send new voter registration cards to all county voters (not just those whose district changed) to support list maintenance and avoid confusion.
[ ] Participant 6 - Confirm Census Bureau block boundary submission is complete Proposed census block boundary changes were submitted to the U.S. Census Bureau yesterday — no further action noted, but confirm completion is logged.
[ ] Participant 6 - Complete pre-election administrative tasks ahead of August 6 election Routine pre-election tasks: lock the boxes, appoint poll officials, and other election business — target completing within the first couple of weeks of the six-week window.
[ ] Participant 6 - Secure Columbia State Community College as early voting site for August Reach out to Columbia State Community College to secure their campus as an early voting location for the August 6, 2026 primary. Chair Duda offered to join the meeting.
[ ] Participant 6 - Staff Juneteenth event at Bicentennial Park in Franklin Office will have a presence at the annual Juneteenth event at Bicentennial Park in Franklin — bring tables, chairs, and voter information materials.
[ ] Participant 6 - Fix tabulator programming so override password isn't required for poll closure Ensure the override password is not required for poll worker election activities outside the office — fix on the programming side.

Overview

Three public commenters raised concerns about state-level redistricting chaos, election integrity, and poll worker conduct at the May 5th primary — commission acknowledged all three
May 5th primary had a significant incident: poll workers were prompted for a master override password they weren't given, causing ~25–30 minutes of chaos at close; commission confirmed it was a programming error, not a tabulator malfunction
May 5th primary results certified unanimously
August 6th ballot candidates for Districts 5 and 9 certified unanimously — qualifying closed Friday, May 15th at noon with no withdrawal option
All voters in Williamson County will receive new voter registration cards reflecting congressional redistricting changes; database updates expected done by end of this week
Next meeting set for Friday, June 5th at 3:00 PM — agenda will include precinct boundary review and post-election performance audit
Early voting for August 6th runs July 17th – August 1st; commission is pursuing Columbia State Community College as an eighth location

Public comment on state-level election changes

Participant 1 criticized the state of Tennessee and the Election Commission for last-minute changes that put local commissions in difficult positions without consulting them or taxpayers about costs
Dorinda Smith (League of Women Voters) commended the commission for a fair and accurate May 5th election and committed to helping voters understand new district and precinct info given the short timeline
Reagan Grossman (chair, local Democratic Party) called out Tennessee's congressional redistricting as a moral failure that systematically weakens Black and brown communities' representation

Tabulator override password incident (May 5th)

At poll close on May 5th, tabulators prompted for a master override password that poll workers weren't given — they entered the election password instead, triggering error messages and machine lockouts
The cascade caused ~25–30 minutes of chaos: poll workers couldn't call in to report the last voter, early voting results were released later than planned, and poll watchers observed a visibly chaotic scene
Chair confirmed this was a self-inflicted programming error — the commission programs its own elections and takes responsibility
Two fixes committed: ensure the override password is not required for any election-day activities outside the office (programming side), and expand Logic and Accuracy testing to include full process walkthroughs, not just ballot style verification
Administrator Gray noted technicians are so familiar with the override password that they didn't flag it as a gap — a reminder that routine familiarity can create blind spots

Poll worker ballot guidance and open primary confusion

Chair acknowledged poll workers are in a no-win position when voters ask which ballot to choose — Tennessee's open primary law (in place since 1972) requires only that voters declare intent, with no defined duration of party affiliation
Commission received feedback — including from poll watchers — that poll workers in some cases encouraged Democratic voters to request Republican ballots, citing "more choices"; chair said this is unacceptable and the commission needs to be more consistent
Chair noted the August election is less likely to have this problem since it runs a state primary alongside a countywide general election, reducing ballot-switching confusion

Certifying May 5th primary results

Commission voted unanimously to certify the May 5th, 2026 County Republican and Democrat primary results
Administrator Gray confirmed no challenges or outstanding issues

August ballot candidates (Districts 5 & 9)

Commission certified the Republican, Democrat, and independent candidates for Districts 5 and 9 for the August 6th primary and November 3rd general election, as provided by the Tennessee Division of Elections
Qualifying deadline was Friday, May 15th at noon; no withdrawal deadline existed — candidates were either in or out by that time
At least two District 5 candidates no longer reside in their district, but there is no constitutional residency requirement for the congressional district in which a candidate seeks office

Congressional redistricting rollout

~100,000 addresses changed in Williamson County due to redistricting; database updates expected complete by end of this week, possibly sooner
All voters will receive new voter registration cards regardless of whether their district changed — Administrator Gray wants consistency to avoid confusion and to support list maintenance
Maps will be posted at all polling places so voters can confirm whether they're in District 5 or the new District 9; the state's voter lookup tool is also available
A reversion plan is in place in case the redistricting is reversed
Administrator Gray submitted proposed Census Bureau block boundary changes yesterday to avoid awkward precinct lines in future redistricting cycles

Early voting plan for August 6 election

Early voting runs July 17th – August 1st (required by law to begin 20 days before the election)
Commission is pursuing Columbia State Community College as a location, which would bring total early voting sites to 8 — 4 in each congressional district
Chair suggested keeping Saturday hours consistent across all locations rather than extending hours on the final Saturday; no objection raised
Commissioner Williamson suggested shortening the early voting window given expected low summer turnout, but Chair and Administrator Gray noted state law requires starting July 17th and that inconsistent hours or locations have drawn criticism in the past

Admin updates and outreach

Commission office will have a presence at the annual Juneteenth event at Bicentennial Park in Franklin
Commissioners interested in the Secretary of State and Division of Elections seminar in late June should contact Administrator Gray to arrange a carpool
Next meeting is Friday, June 5th at 3:00 PM — agenda will include precinct boundary review, locking ballot boxes, appointing poll officials, and the post-election performance audit

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)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves" (Philippians 2:3)

Blessings,

Bill

pettyandassociates@gmail.com

Community resources

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

Grassroots Citizens of Williamson County 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.
TruthWire Local news and commentary.
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.

Help educate citizens of Williamson County

Want to support Friday Recap? Forward this newsletter to 3 people and invite them to subscribe. Use this link

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe now by clicking below.

Subscribe For Free