Friday Recap October 2nd 2026

My Comment

It was a relatively slow week regarding committee meetings and that was due mostly to the fact that only half of our committees were filled. Nonetheless, things are happening and next few weeks, we'll see more activity committee-wise.

Other than the monthly commission meeting scheduled for the 12th, the most important meeting this month is the Property Committee. I have been reporting on the pending hospital sale for several weeks: September 25th, September 18th and September 11th. We have a Letter of Intent (LOI) that lays out the offer in broad terms that needs to be negotiated into a final Purchase Agreement.

At the Property Committee meeting on the 28th, we will be given the current status of the negotiations. The Mayor's office as well as our legal counsel, Foley & Lardner, will be there to give us specific details. We will be able to see how the LOI compares to the Purchase Agreement and will be able to ask questions. To be clear, all commissioners have equal ability to ask any question at any committee meeting. The only difference is that non-committee members don't have a vote. Committee votes are not binding; they are only recommendations to the full board and only become binding when voted on at a monthly meeting of the full board. Further, all committee meetings are open meetings. Therefore, any resident may come and make a public comment for which 30 minutes are allotted.

Affordable housing is an issue that the county needs to address. Many of the people who work for the county, including the school district, Sheriff's Department, etc., cannot afford to live in the county; some of whom travel an hour or more both ways to get to work. As noted below in the Chief of Staff Report, the county is meeting with Upward Communities to explore affordable housing for the people who serve our county and make it work. I highly recommend that you go to their website to see what they have to offer.

Highlights from this week

Wednesday, September 30th

Steering Committee

Overview

• Tom Tunnicliffe elected chair, David O'Neill elected vice chair
• The Committee filled seven of the 13 county committees — law enforcement, property, education, tax study, public health, investment, and audit — all passed unanimously. Of the other six committees, Budget and Purchasing and Insurance were appointed by the mayor and Human Resources, Parks and Recreation, Rules and Steering were chosen by the commissioners at our last monthly meeting.
• Here is the full compliment of committees and members:

Mayor's Chief of Staff Leisa Niemotka's Friday Report

This report is sent out each Friday to all 24 commissioners.

Around the County

• Our monthly meeting with WCS Superintendent Dr. Leigh Webb included a look at enrollment and school capacity, the draft five-year capital plan and the importance of beginning next year’s budget conversations early. We also welcomed Dr. Claire Reeves in her new role as WCS Board Chair and reinforced our commitment to being a resource and partner to WCS.
• The Opioid Task Force met this week and completed a thoughtful review of this year’s grant applications. Thank you to the members for the time and care they put into this work. Funding recommendations will come before the Commission in November.
• We continued conversations with Upward Communities around essential housing. Their team has now met with Human Resources, Williamson County Schools and the Sheriff’s Office as we begin exploring together what this could look like in Williamson County and how it might support our workforce.
• At the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC), regional leaders discussed infrastructure and growth from the greater Nashville area south toward Columbia, including transportation planning and a TDOT presentation focused on improving regional travel times.
• Today, Commissioner Tom Tunnicliffe interviewed Mayor Marshall at Brentwood Rotary about his first 30 days in office. Thank you, Tom, for a great conversation and the opportunity to share some of what is underway across the County. 

Fire Safety Advisory Task Force | Next Steps

As shared in the September 18 Friday Brief, Mayor Marshall is establishing a Fire Safety Advisory Task Force to help develop a responsible road map for the future of fire service in Williamson County. The Task Force will bring together County leadership, Public Safety and EMA, Finance, volunteer fire leadership, residents of unincorporated Williamson County and the County Commission. As we begin putting the Task Force together, we invite the Commission to select one of its members to represent the Commission in this work. We ask that the Commission identify its representative by the October 12 Commission meeting so that we can begin scheduling the Task Force’s first meeting shortly thereafter.

Additional information about the Task Force and its first meeting will follow as the group is finalized.

Committee Appointments | Draft List Attached

The Steering Committee met Wednesday and completed its recommendations for appointments to the remaining standing committees. An updated DRAFT committee list reflecting those recommendations is attached. The appointments will come before the full Commission on October 12. Thank you to everyone who shared committee preferences and to the Steering Committee for its work. With committee membership nearly in place, we are ready to get the regular committee cycle underway.

Upcoming Meetings

• Monday, October 5 | 4:30 p.m. – Budget Committee
• Tuesday, October 6 – Parks & Recreation Committee – Canceled
• Thursday, October 8 | 5:30 p.m. – Planning Commission
• Monday, October 12 | 6:00 p.m. – Williamson County Board of Commissioners

One Very Good Update

Gordon Hampton has returned home and is on the road to recovery. We are all well and truly grateful for Gordon's progress and for everyone who has kept him and his family in their thoughts. We look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready.

There is a lot moving across the County, and I appreciate everyone continuing to lean in and help move the work forward. As always, we are here to support you—please call, email or stop by anytime.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the rain!

Attachment: Updated DRAFT Committee List (see above)

Meetings Next Week:

Monday, October 5th

The Budget Committee will meet at 4:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin Agenda/minutes Resolutions Transfers Committee members: Guy Carden, Judy Herbert, Mayor Marshall, Andrew Mitchell, Matt Williams (C).

School Board Policy Committee at 6:00 pm in the Training Center on the 1st Floor at the Williamson County Administrative Building located on the first floor at 1320 West Main Street, Franklin Agenda

Wednesday, October 7th

Highway Commission meets at 8:30 am at 302 Beasley Dr. Franklin, TN 37064 Agenda

Thursday, October 8th

Planning Commission meeting at 5:30 pm in the Main Auditorium of the Williamson County Administrative Complex 1320 West Main Franklin Agenda/Packet

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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

No meetings this week

Williamson County Commission Meetings

Tuesday, September 29th

Opioid Abatement Task Force Agenda since this meeting was not recorded, I have no further information other than what is given above in the Chief of Staff weekly report.

Wednesday, September 30th

Steering Committee Agenda, Video Committee members:  Drell Floyd, Gregg Lawrence, Eric McElroy, Chas Morton, David O’Neal, Tom Tunnicliffe (C).

AI Summary

Overview

• Tom Tunnicliffe elected chair, David O'Neill elected vice chair
• All 7 committees filled — law enforcement, property, education, tax study, public health, investment, and audit — all passed unanimously
• Law enforcement had 9 first-choice requests for 7 spots; property had 8 for 7 spots — the most contested assignments
• Key rules: one commissioner per district per committee, can't serve the same committee two years in a row unless you were vice chair, tax study is capped at 5 members (all others can go to 7)
• All appointments will be confirmed by the entire commission at the October 12th meeting

Officer elections

• Tom Tunnicliffe nominated and elected chair unanimously
• David O'Neill nominated and elected vice chair unanimously

Committee eligibility rules

• One commissioner per district allowed on any given committee
• Commissioners can't serve the same committee two years in a row unless they were vice chair the prior year — in which case they can move up to chair
• Budget committee members are marked ineligible across all other committees
• Tax study is capped at 5 members; all other committees can have 5 or 7

Law enforcement committee assignments

• Final slate (7 members): Jeff Goodspeed, Greg Sanford, David O'Neill, Nancy Bailey, Barb Sturgeon, Marie Fellhauer, Drason Beasley — passed unanimously

Property committee assignments

• Final slate (7 members): Jennifer Mason, Greg Lawrence, Rob Varrell, Paul Webb, Tom Tunnicliffe, Drew Torres, Brian Clifford — passed unanimously
• 8 commissioners listed property as their first choice; Rob Varrell was the one left out by seniority
• Clifford was included partly for continuity from last year, which the group felt was valuable given ongoing hospital-related property issues
• The committee is expected to go to 7 members because of activity around the hospital

Education committee assignments

• Final slate (6 members): Ricky Jones, Darrell Floyd, Greg Sanford, Tom Tunnicliffe, Bill Petty, Eric McElroy, Drason Beasley — passed unanimously

Tax study committee assignments

• Final slate (5 members): Greg Lawrence, Rob Varrell, Drew Torres, Bill Petty, Eric McElroy — passed unanimously
• Tax study is capped at 5 — Sarah (county attorney) clarified it cannot go to 7
• Greg Lawrence was a natural fit as former vice chair
• Eric McElroy was the only commissioner to list tax study as a first choice

Public health, investment, and audit assignments

• Public health final slate (7 members): Ricky Jones, Darrell Floyd, Jennifer Mason, Paul Webb, Nancy Bailey, Jody Todd, Marie Fellhauer — passed unanimously
• Investment final slate (3 members): Jeff Goodspeed, Paul Webb, Brian Clifford — passed unanimously; Clifford added since the committee meets roughly once a year and he wanted to limit his commitments
• Audit final slate (3 members): Jeff Goodspeed, Drew Torres, Eric McElroy — passed unanimously
• The mayor and Karen Harris (trustee) also serve on the investment committee per existing rules

Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman

For all other meetings go here.

Election Commission

No meetings this past week or next

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

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• Grassroots Citizens of Williamson County Provides free tools and information to help grassroots conservatives exercise their citizenship here in Williamson County.
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• Tennessee Stands produces video media, podcasts, and live events, and provides social commentary on relevant issues in our state.
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