New Commercial Solid Waste Level Created for Home-based

By Katelin Carroll,

Staff Reporter

New Commercial Solid Waste Level Established for Home-based Businesses

While Solid Waste has been a hot topic for the past year and a half, no one subject came up more during conversation than home-based business owners who couldn’t afford their new solid waste fees.

On Monday, May 17, the much sought-after resolution was brought before the County Commission that attempted to create a New Level One Commercial Solid Waste Fee for home-based businesses whose primary production of solid waste material is landfill/pit material or trees/brush.

The resolution is for most home-based businesses that work in the areas of excavation, demolition, construction, roofing, plumbing and electric, handy-man services, landscaping, etc. that produce very little household-type garbage. “However, these types of home-based businesses do contribute regularly to our landfill/pit and/or brush pile, and they pay a fee for doing so through our Scale System,” read the resolution.

The policies the resolution proposed is as follows: [Section 1] Effective October 1, 2021, a new Level One Commercial Solid Waste Fee shall be established for home-based businesses whose primary production of Solid Waste is landfill/pit material or trees/brush. This new Level One Commercial Solid Waste fee shall be $30/quarter ($10/month...$120/year); [Section 2] This category shall include, but not be limited to, the following types of home-based businesses: handy-man services, construction, roofing, demolition, excavating, plumbing and electric, tree service and landscaping; [Section 3] As part of their regular solid waste fee, which primarily covers the disposal of household type waste that goes into our garbage trailers, these businesses shall continue to be allowed to dispose up to 250 lbs of pit material per week or 250 lbs of trees, brush, concrete, rocks, etc. per day; [Section 4] This resolution shall supersede any previous resolutions regarding the Commercial Solid Waste Fees for these types of businesses.

However, this would mean that the Solid Waste Budget would lose approximately $8,160 in annual revenue.

The resolution was sponsored by Commissioners Patrick Halfacre and unanimously passed in a roll call vote.

Residential Solid Waste Fee Discount

Between 1994-2020 the Lewis County Government had a program in place that gave a 50 percent Residential Solid Waste Fee discount to Lewis County Residents who qualified for the Property Tax Relief Program, which includes the disabled, elderly, disabled veterans and their widows.

The program was not reimbursed by the state for any residential solid waste fee relief that the county government gave their residents.

Unfortunately, the Lewis County Residential Solid Waste Fee Relief Program had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the sudden and unexpected closure of the Decatur County Landfill, which resulted in Lewis County’s garbage disposal fee to nearly double; therefore creating a huge budgeting crisis at the Transfer Station and a shortfall in the Solid Waste Fund.

Since that time, the budget at the Transfer Station has improved, and the Solid Waste Fund is in better shape, due to small increases in Residential and Commercial Solid Waste Fees, better management at Transfer Station, and the implementation of a community-wide cardboard recycling program.

The resolution brought before the County Committee sought to re-instate the 50 percent discount at the estimated cost of $17,500 per year.

After some debate Commissioners Ronnie Brewer and Timmie Hinson moved to adopt the resolution, and the resolution was put to a roll call vote. Commissioners Robert Brewer, Larry Pigg, Wendell Kelley and Doug Jobbitt voted no. Commissioner Jerry Ashmore passed. The resolution passed with thirteen voting in favor, four voting against and one pass.

Industrial Development Board

Industrial Development Board Secretary, Rob Inman came before the County Commission to let the county know that the deal with BRS Offroad has finally been made official.

Inman said the camper company would be hiring forty employees during the first year and one hundred in the second.

Extending Saddlebrook Road

During the May 10th committee meetings, it was requested by the Highway Department Advisory Board and Highway Commissioner that a 0.7 mile extension of Saddlebrook Road be added to the county-maintained list.

Commissioners Jerry Ashmore and Brian Peery sponsored the resolution and it passed unanimously.

2019 Property Taxes Collected

The Lewis County Trustee, Mike Webb, has now delivered all uncollected 2019 County Property Taxes to the Delinquent Tax Attorney, accounting for $39,692.79 in delinquent taxes.

The resolution brought before the Commission was to release the Trustee “from the collection of all uncollected property taxes for the year 2019 and prior years,” because they had now been turned over to the Delinquent Tax Attorney. The resolution passed in a unanimous vote.

Apprentice Committee for EMA Director

Emergency Management Agency Director Danny Atkinson requested that someone of good standing within the community start training part-time under him as an Apprentice, in order to eventually have a smooth transition into that position when he retires.

A resolution came before the County Commission to establish a committee that would interview applicants for the Apprentice position and submit a recommendation to the full commission. The committee will be as follows; Commissioners Allison Tanner, Wendell Kelley, Larry Pigg, T.J. Hinson, Timmie Hinson, Austin Carroll, EMA Director Danny Atkinson, and Lewis County Mayor Jonah Keltner.

Commissioners Aren Ragsdale and Peery sponsored the Resoltuion, and the resolution passed in a unanimous vote.

Designating the Revenue from the Sports Gaming Tax

A resolution came before the County Commission to designate the “State Shared Sports Gaming Privilege Tax” for County infrastructure projects that are funded from the Debt Service fund.

Online sports betting became legal in Tennessee in November of 2020, and the county governments are being allocated a portion of the revenue from the tax. The revenue from the tax will be receipted in the General Fund and transferred to the Debt Service fund to pay for local infrastructure projects, including public buildings.

The Lewis County Government wishes to use the proceeds from the sports betting tad to help fund the renovation and addition of the Lewis County Jail, among other county infrastructure projects.

The resolution was passed in a unanimous vote.

Civil Air Patrol Trailer Becomes Surplus

A resolution came before the Commission stating that the “Old Civil Air Patrol Trailer” has not been used for several years, and it has deteriorated significantly during its abandonment, both on the inside and outside.

“The Airport Advisory Board unanimously supports the removal of this trailer from the airport’s property,” read the resolution.

It asked that the legislative body of Lewis County surplus the “Old Civil Air Patrol Trailer,” and approve its sale via an appropriate auction. Any funds generated from this sale shall be deposited into the County General Fund to help reimburse the County for what it paid for the Airport Runway Rehabilitation Project.

The resolution was sponsored by Commissioners Kyle Bobo and Pigg, and it passed in a unanimous vote.

Condemning the “Old Hassell Kelley Barn” at Industrial Park

The City of Hohenwald Building Inspector, Brad Rasbury, has assessed the barn and determined in his professional opinion that the renovations required to repair the structure and make it usable and safe would exceed 50% of the building’s worth; therefore, making it legally condemnable.

The report stated that the following would have to be corrected in order to salvage the building: displaced 4 x 4 wall needs to be jacked up and posts secured with brackets; ceiling joists repaired or replaced; all block work re-laid; remove and replace all rotten rafters and lathing; replace all missing siding and secure siding that has come loose; remove all vegetation that grew into the structure; remove and replace all electric in the building; and missing or damaged roof needs to be repaired or replaced.

“To condemn a building in the City of Hohenwald, it must be 50% or better of the building’s worth to make the necessary repairs. It is in my opinion that the renovations required would surpass the 50% mark,” read Rasbury’s report.

The resolution brought before the Commission called for its demolition and removal. It was sponsored by Commissioners T.J. Hinson and Peery, and passed unanimously in a vote.

Commissioner Pigg announced to the Commission that he had a contact who agreed to take the whole barn down, except for the footers, free of charge.