The May meeting of the McNairy County Commission proceeded with its accustome smoothness, coming in at right at 24 minutes.

After the unanimous approval (on a motion by Anthony Smith, seconded by Charlie Garrison) of the previous month’s minutes, County Mayor Jai Templeton called on Ted Moore, executive director of the McNairy County Economic Development Commission/Chamber of Commerce, for some comments.

“First of all,” Moore began, “I’d like to say thank you for the support from Mayor Templeton and from this body.  It takes all of us working as a team to be successful.  And you know, recently we had an announcement that the California company we’ve been working with since January has now acquired the Schefenacker building.  Hopefully will start moving in in the next thirty days or so and be in place by September.  They have sixty to eighty loads of equipment to move from California.  They have, a couple of them has been in looking at houses, and they’re getting ready to make an offer on a house, on a couple of houses, I think, one in particular.  So that’s moving forward, and I just hope that when they’re here, in the near future, that we can have a little reception for them and invite all of our elected officials to come and welcome these people to McNairy County.  

“Also,” Moore continued, “Midwest Woodworking is starting to move a few things in.  There’s been a little bit of an issue with dust control and so forth.  That’s a requirement that they’ve got to get through, and on to get everything moved and into place.  You’ll be looking at some resolutions later relating to United Stainless, their move.  They’re moving their operations from Wisconsin to McNairy County.  And, again, I hope we continue to build our community and making it a place that businesses want to come to, and I think businesses—  Had an opportunity to go to Detroit, to the Society of Automobile Engineers Congress.  Seven hundred exhibitors.  Anybody, just about, that makes a car part.  Luckily, the Tennessee booth was right next to Toyota, and we have a list of about ninety suppliers now, that we’ll soon start working that list.  

“First of all, we need to get some work done in the industrial park, and I would like to say thank you for your resolution, the fast-track application for us to level about thirty acres.  These people are wanting sites that are what they call shovel-ready, ready to put in the foundation, and it seems that McNairy County is either a hill or a holler or a flood plain, so possibly we can start work on that as soon as our fast-track application is approved.  We do have a local company that’s wanting some acreage in the industrial park to build a building and create a few new jobs.  Two of the three that we’ve been talking about all have been, both of those have been existing companies.  Seventy to seventy-five percent of the jobs in Tennessee are created by existing industries.  We’ll be working, in the future, very hard on setting up a retention program, and a plant-managers association, so we can work more closely with our existing industry, and have quarterly meetings and address any issues that they might have.”

Moore also informed the commissioners of a potential international connection.  “I have a gentleman that is from, Mr. Iino, that is from Japan.  He works through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.  The organization that he actually works for is JETRO, which is a Japanese government owned organization.  He’s over here trying to recruit businesses that want to do business in Japan.  Help them get set up and find new markets and so forth.  I’ve already been talking to some of our local industries about meeting with him, seeing if there’s an interest there, to look at the Japanese market and see if we could be off assistance to them.  So, I hope to have him in in the next couple of weeks and start some of those meetings.”  He then asked for questions.

Tammy Dillon asked about possible tax incentives for plants which relocate to McNairy County.

“No, ma’am,” Moor replied, “not at this point.  They have discussed that with us, but we haven’t addressed that yet.  The actual transaction of that building [the Schefenacker building] will not, proposal will not go in his name until the end of this year, so he’s got to own it before the industrial board can deal with that.  He has to hold title to it.”

“What level of hourly rate are we looking at with this company?” Dillon asked.

“It’s not public yet,” Moore replied, “but you’re going to be talking about machinists, welders, so forth.  I had a gentleman in today that was a machinist that had worked for Shefenacker and was making $20 an hour in Jackson now.  He’s looking to come home, and the thought, you know, having to make that drive, and hopefully that will be an hourly rate that’s going to be fairly close that will allow him to do that.  I’ve had two of them the last couple, today and Friday.  So maybe it will give him an opportunity to come back.  I want to do a survey.  We have 3,800 people leaving this county every day to go to work, and I’d love to know what their skill levels are, what they’re doing.  That would be a great tool in recruiting, to say, you know, we’ve got people that’s skilled in this, this, and this that live in this community that’s working outside the community now that might be available.  Not all of them would be available, because some of them may have twenty years in, and they’re looking at retirement issues and those type of things.  But it’s something no other county’s done.  And I think we ought to figure out a way to do that.  May ask Mr. Miskelly, if he would help us out on that with the kids, taking some note home to their parents, in the newspaper, and other ways of communicating and getting it out.”

Templeton then called on Commissioner Carol Ann Woods for a report from the solid waste committee.  Woods advised that the committee had been working on a garbage contract, “but we’re not ready to put it before the full commission in terms the full contract has not been finalized.  It will be ready for the June meeting.”

Templeton added that“We had hoped that that could be ready to be mailed to you, but many of you may know that our county attorney has had some serious illness and he has not been able to prepare those contracts.  So in the meantime, if you have any questions please feel free to call or come by.”  The committee would meet again, Templeton said, at 6:00 p.m. on June 9.

Templeton next called on Highway Committee Chairman David McCullar, who reported that “we had a request to close a road called Tucker Lane in the Michie area, and there were three families call Tucker that lived there, in that road.  And in investigating, some more information about it, and Mr. Smith, who happens to be a member of the road board, and also the city council of Michie, and we asked him.  He made us aware that the city limits go a quarter of a mile each side of the highway in that area.  So he went and looked at it after that meeting that night, and it looks, right now, it looks like it’s not in the county road even deal with it in the first place.  So we’re going to do a lot more research before we ever do anything with it.”

McCullar also advised the commissioners that “you might notice around the county, we’ve had the first spraying.  We took a contract for 200 miles of road to be sprayed with herbicide.  Banks and guardrails, and it’s going to be sprayed three times, and the first 200 miles has done been completed on that.  So if you look around and see a lot of dead vegetation in certain areas, that will be what that is.  They will continue to do a lot of work on shoulders and ditches around the county, which I’ve been out and seen a lot of work on in that area.”

Budget Committee Chairman Jim Rickman then spoke.  “The budget committee has been meeting at seven o’clock on Monday nights.  We’ve started putting together this year’s budget.  As usual, we’ve got just a little bit more in requests than we do in anticipate revenues, so we probably will be meeting and working on it for a little bit longer.  Some of the actions that the budget committee has taken thus far, and these recommendations [several unintelligible words] action tonight, the highway department and law library amendment, I think those were mailed out in the packet.  We need to move the June 9 commissioner meeting to June 23.  We need to declare [the sales tax placed in county general situs-based].  We need to amend the library budget.  They’re $2,050 short to complete this fiscal year, and the budget committee is recommending that we fund them the balance that they’re, to get them through the end of the year.  The mayor has come up with a way to save us some money on our telephones.  We can change the phone system, to AT&T, and lease a phone system from Weaver Telephone for a 36-month lease-purchase, will save us $460.35 per month.  So I’d put these five things in the form of a motion, recommendation of the budget committee.”

Mayor Templeton then summed up Rickman’s motion, after it was seconded by O.H. Freeland. “In favor of these recommendations to approve the highway department and law library amendments as mailed, move June 9 commissioners meeting to June 23, declare the sales tax placed in county general situs-based, that is to help alleviate somewhat our audit findings with fire protection, grant the public library fund, amend the public library fund $2,050 in order for them to complete this fiscal year, to change our phone service to AT&T, Inc. phone system that would allow a $460 monthly savings over current costs.  If you’re in favor of those five recommendations, please vote yes.  If you’re opposed, please vote no.” The motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote.

Templeton then asked Commissioner Troy Moore if he had “a report from the Airport Authority.”

“Just an announcement,” Moore responded.  “This Saturday, they’re having a fly-in and a barbeque out there.  Everyone is invited, all commissioners as well as the audience.  The meal will be served about twelve o’clock, but you’re welcome to come out any time during the day from nine until four.”

After the commissioners unanimously confirmed the appointment of Ted Moore to the Airport Authority (on a motion by Wilburn Ashe, seconded by Troy Moore) and Paul Estes to the Shiloh Regional Library Board (on a motion by Moore, seconded by Anthony Smith), Mayor Templeton turned to an item of “old business that failed to be placed on the agenda but it should have been mailed in your packet.  Last month you approved the resolution that would allow the county to apply for the grant, site-improvement grant for the Selmer/McNairy County Industrial Park.  You all should have a certification before you requesting current costs prior to contract execution under the fast-track infrastructure development program.  Actually, you should have two in your packet.  This one is for industrial site improvement, with the Selmer/McNairy County Industrial Development Board.  What this does it simply to allow, you’re giving me permission to sign it, that any costs incurred prior to the awarding of the grant, that McNairy County would stand good for that.  The industrial development board has already approved it.  Again, it’s in the original resolution, they will pay any cost.  But it does have to go through McNairy County for this to be pursued.”  The application was approved unanimously, on a motion by Jay Weatherford, seconded by Keith Jernigan.

Templeton then turned to new business.  “You should have a resolution, 501-08-03, that would authorize McNairy County on behalf of United Stainless to apply for a fast-track grant.  Again, there in the third paragraph it signifies that the local funding will be provided by a total amount of $806,450 by United Stainless.  I would entertain a motion that that be approved.”  The motion was provided by Neal Burks, seconded by Tammy Dillon, and passed unanimously.

“Also,” Templeton continued, “you should find the certification that would support that request.  Again, it is spelled out that the, well, you should have found on your desks a letter, or, actually a cost-reimbursement agreement that signifies that United Stainless will incur any costs, should the grant not be awarded.  They would like to see the survey work done.” Templeton asked for a motion to authorize him to sign the certification,  It was provided by Smith, seconded by Jernigan, and unanimously approved.

Lastly, Templeton said that it was the wish of United Stainless that the TLM engineering firm be retained.  “This is done through McNairy County government.  You would need to approve a resolution, that’s resolution 512-08-02, that TLM Associates be engaged as the engineers to administer this project.  I would entertain a motion that that resolution be approved.”  The motion was made by Rickman, seconded by Dillon, and carried unanimously.

“Next,” Templeton continued, “you should find, this is at the request of the UT Martin/McNairy/Selmer Center Higher Education Committee, that TLM be engaged as engineers to administrate the project, the expansion project at the UT Martin/McNairy County Center.  Tomorrow night it is my understanding that the Selmer City Board will take this up, a similar resolution.  As you know, McNairy County and the City of Selmer are joint owners in that facility, and certainly whatever plans are developed as a result of this engineering firm’s activity will have to come before our building committee, which will then recommend it to this body for approval, as well as the Selmer City Board would have to make approval for those expansion plans.  But the next step to move forward is to engage an engineering firm, and it is the recommendation of the higher education committee that TLM Services be awarded that project.”  A motion to that effect was made by McCullar, seconded by Dillon, and passed by a unanimous voice vote.

“For your consideration next month,” Templeton then said, “Mr. Jim Stackhouse has been recommended to serve in a vacancy on the Selmer/McNairy County Industrial Development Board.  And also you should have before you the proposed 2008-2010 Board of Equalization members: J.D. Wilkerson, Mr. Glen Rankin, Mr. Terry Crabb, Mr. Preston King, Mrs. Effie Carrie Woods.  These were supposed to have been approved by you at the April meeting.  It was brought to my attention last week that we failed to do so.  These individuals have agreed to serve, and I would entertain a motion that you would suspend the rules and elect these Board of Equalization members as they will have to begin their work in June.”  Ashe provide the motion, which was seconded by Weatherford and passed by a unanimous voice vote.

After the notaries were unanimously approved (on a motion by Dillon, seconded by Weatherford), Templeton announced that “the budget committee will meet again next Monday night beginning at 6:30 at the courthouse.  They will not meet on Memorial Day.  They will resume again the first Monday night in June.  The education committee has been asked to meet with the budget committee and the school board at 6:30 p.m. at the courthouse on June 2nd.  You will receive, we will mail a reminder notice to you, and the solid waste committee meeting is on June the 9th, and we will also mail a reminder notice to those committee members.”

After the minutes were unanimously approved (on a motion by Anthony Knight, seconded by Kenneth Amerson), Mayor Jai Templeton departed from the agenda.  "We have a group of people who have done quite well by our county.  You should have found a copy of a resolution on your desk this evening that commemorates McNairy Central High School FFA and … I would entertain a motion that that resolution be adopted."  The motion was make by Jay Weatherford, seconded by Jeff Lipford, and passed unanimously.

Templeton then called on David McCullar for the highway committee report.  McCullar advised the commission that the highway committee had recommended the addition of seven roads to the county road list: Chris Lane, in Eastview; Arrowhead Trail and Timber Creek, in Adamsville; and Cooper Cove, Carter Cove, Red Oaks Cove, and Shelter Cove, all in the new subdivision near McNairy Central High School.  McCullar made the motion that the roads be added, and his motion, seconded by Troy Moore, passed unanimously.

Mayor Templeton then called on Building Committee Chairman O.H. Freeland.  "The building committee met this afternoon," Freeland reported, "and we took a look at architect and engineers for the Latta Building, and we are going to present to the group here TLM, for an engineering fee to do the design, bid, and construction observation, a total of $90,000.  I make that in the form of a motion," which was seconded by Carol Ann Woods.

"That is a $90,000 fee," Templeton explained, "but that is reimbursable through the T21 grant.  That will be part of the total project cost.  So that will not be money that McNairy County will have out of pocket.  Are there any questions?"

"Will that money be spent before we get the grant approved?" Wilburn Ashe inquired.

"No, sir," Templeton replied.  "Actually, the grant has been approved.  This is the next step in moving forward."  When the voice vote indicated some dissent, Templeton called for a roll-call vote and the motion carried by a vote of 18 to three, with the no votes being cast by Tammy Dillon, Kenneth Amerson, and Ronald Henry.

Next up was the budget committee report, presented by chairman Jim Rickman. "The budget committee met this afternoon, or this evening," Rickman began.  "The airport has met and requested that we take up a slight shortfall that they're going to have between now and the end of the year.  They're projecting the expenses in the amount of about $28,000 between now and June 30.  They're only projecting income through that period of about $10,000.  That's going to leave them short 18,000, and then they need some additional funds to install the [unintelligible word] fuel system.  The balance of that will be from a grant.  They've also got several maintenance issues out there, as far as tractors, mowers, that sort of thing.  That was not included in their request.  Mr. Freeland made a motion, and the airport committee approved it, that the commission amend their budget and fund them additional $30,000 this year.  I put that in the form of a motion."

When Mayor Templeton asked if there were any questions, Commissioner Ashe inquired, "Have we been knowing this for some time that there's going to be this, have this shortfall?  I mean, here we are all of a sudden with $30,000—"

Bob Sibley, representing the airport, rose to his feet and replied. "Mr. Ashe, we knew about three or four months ago that we were going to be short, but through the advice of Mr. Moore, that sits on our Airport Authority, he wanted us to go as far as we could possibly go the rest of this fiscal year until we absolutely, positively, had to have some money.  We just paid an insurance premium of $5,000 this past week, and we're at the point right now where we've just got to have it.  So we met last week and came up with the exact numbers, of exactly what we're going to have to have.  All of our expenses on one side, all of our income on the other.  And it was Mr. Moore's recommendation to the Airport Authority that we wait this long."

The vote to grant the airport's request was divided.  Sixteen commissioners voted yes, but Dillon, Jernigan, Amerson, and Stevie Clark voted "pass" and Ronald Henry voted no.

After the motion passed, Ashe addressed Mayor Templeton. "Mr. Chairman, do we need to amend the budget to that effect, to keep the auditors off the case?"

"We can do it now, or later," Templeton replied, whereupon Ashe made a motion to amend the budget accordingly, which was seconded by Knight and passed unanimously.

The balance of the commission's business was dealt with swiftly.

"Under new business," Templeton said, "you were mailed a copy of some surplus property that the library board of trustees has deemed surplus, that they would like to advertise for sale."  Ashe made a motion to declare the property surplus and give the library authority to sell it, and the motion, seconded by Richman, passed unanimously, as did a motion by Knight (seconded by Rickman) to declare two of the fire department's old pumpers surplus and solicit seal bids for them.

Turning to the next agenda item, Templeton advised the commission that "The Association of Tennessee Valley Government has sent and asked that you approve a resolution commending Tennessee Valley Authority and its contribution to our region, and I enclosed that in your packet for your consideration."  Rickman moved that the resolution be adopted and his motion, seconded by Jernigan, carried unanimously.

"For your consideration," Templeton continued, "next month the Airport Authority, this is to fill the unexpired term of Don Seeley, whose term was to end in August, 2012.  The Airport Authority has asked that Ted Moore be appointed for that position.  Unless you suspend the rules, that will be taken up at the May County Commission's meeting.  In addition to that, Mr. Paul Estes has been nominated by the McNairy County Library Authority to fill an unexpired term on the Shiloh Regional Library Board of Trustees.  That as well will be considered at the May County Commission meeting.  You all should have also found a resolution authorizing the submittal of an application to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Grant Program at your desk.  I apologize.  That was not included in your packet.  I did not get a copy of that until Friday afternoon.  It was too late to send that to you.  The matching funds would be provided by the Selmer/McNairy County Industrial Development Board.  This is a similar resolution that was passed a few years ago for the dirt work at the Midwest Woodworking site.  Commissioner Rickman, step in if I misspeak.  This is to, there's a 15-20 acre block just adjacent to that, that the IDB board would like to have a certain site work performed on that, and they are making application for this fast-track grant.  It does have to come through the county, therefore you do have to approve authorizing the resolution to make application.  And Mr. Moore is in Detroit tonight, along with some others from the state of Tennessee and could not be here, but he asked that I present that to you for your consideration tonight."

Addressing Jim Rickman, Wilburn Ashe said, "You and the Industrial Development Board are going to do the math [or map?] aren't you, yourselves?"

"Yes sir," Rickman replied, "the Selmer Industrial Development Board, what we're trying to do is just get it basically shovel-ready, or site-ready, for any industry that might want to come and locate in the industrial park.  The way it is now, it would take several months, or, probably, well, the weather, if we do it now while the weather's good, it probably won't take as long, but, depending on the time of year they decide they want to come, it would take quite a while to get that site ready for construction, and if we can go ahead and prepare that site for them so that construction can begin immediately, we think it would give us an advantage in trying to recruit some of these industries."

"I make a motion that we adopt this resolution," O.H. Freeland said, and his motion, seconded by Jernigan, passed unanimously.

After the notaries were unanimously approved (on a motion by Dillon, seconded by Anthony Smith), Mayor Templeton made several announcements. "May 1st there will be a county prayer breakfast at the Selmer Community Center at 8:00 a.m.," he began. "On May 2nd, at 10:00 a.m., Southwest Human Resource Agency Housing Development Corporation will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the property there on Sixth Street that you all donated last year for the construction of the development center houses.  They have been completed.  My understanding, the residents have moved in, and that will be May 2nd at 10:00 a.m."

And finally, "For those of you who attended the Rural Tennessee Economic Development Roundtable Discussion today with the Governor, I appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule, and hope that you found that to be worthwhile."

The meeting then adjourned on a motion by Amerson, seconded by Rickman.