Montgomery County, TN – The Montgomery County Commission formal meeting was held on Monday, May 9th, 2022.
In honor of National Police Week, Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson read President John F. Kennedy’s proclamation proclaiming May 15th as Police Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week during which May 15th occurs as National Police Week.
Afterwards, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard Posted the Colors.
There were two presentations before the meeting.
![Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett presents Roy Manners with retirement proclamation. (Mark Haynes, Clarksville Online)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Montgomery-County-Commission-Meeting-May-9th-2022-7-695x463.jpg)
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett read a proclamation in honor of the retirement of IAAO Certified Appraiser Roy Manners. Manners retires after 27 years of service to Montgomery County. Manners official retirement date is June 30th, 2022.
“Having been a dedicated employee committed to public service, Roy is as unique as they come and his Royisms will be greatly missed,” said Mayor Durrett. “His knowledge of assessment and law has been an asset to both Montgomery County and the taxpayers.”
Next, the Mayor handed out certificates of appreciation to the participates of the Mayor’s Emerging Leaders program.
![Mayor’s Emerging Leaders with Certificates of Appreciation. (Mark Haynes, Clarksville Online)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Montgomery-County-Commission-Meeting-May-9th-2022-8-695x463.jpg)
The students taking part in the program were Isabella Allen, Miya Anderson, Sean Boykin, Colby Byard, Madelyn Coleson, Daniel Cortes, William Gee, JaNiah Harris, Morgan Hicks, Avery Janssen, Olivia Loos, Jared Meeks, Stella Myers, Gia-an Nguyen, Analiese Poe, Seth Proctor, Dev Shah, John Wallace, Lily Wiens, and Sara Whipple.
“Thank y’all and congratulations to each and everyone of you,” Mayor Durrett stated.
Killebrew is a mixed-use planned unit development located on Rossview Road in northeast Montgomery County, Tennessee. The property is less than two miles from Interstate 24 at Exit 8 and less than one mile from the city limits of Clarksville.
The mayor opened the floor for discussion and recognized Commissioner Robert Sigler, District 18th.
“I’ve sat here for nine months. I do my research. I’ve listened to Mr. Tyndall. I have looked to other Commissioners for advice and suggestions. But, we are about to vote on a very important zoning change. Allowing a change from 250 homes to 1,300 plus. Creating a wonderful new community.”
![Citizens against the rezoning of farmland for the Killebrew Development project. (Mark Haynes, Clarksville Online)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Montgomery-County-Commission-Meeting-May-9th-2022-11-695x464.jpg)
“We are building new schools to help alleviate the already overcrowding in our schools. We are exasperating this overcrowding by allowing new, large, communities. We the current citizens are feeling this pain, in our schools and the cost of housing. Current teachers and children face the uphill battle of increased class sizes, portable buildings and stretching resources. Do you add bodies to an overcrowded sinking ship. I hope not.”
“The surrounding communities of this project, which have flooded my phone, are not happy. I have never been so popular in my life. I have heard stories of road widening, traffic noise, property grab, eminent domain scares and I have met a few.”
“Others wanted me, I just ran out of time. I am truly sorry I could not meet all that called. I have had calls from the builder, from the school going into the community and I did not have the time and I am sorry.”
“Where is the affordable housing in this development. Not everyone has a college degree. Some live on fixed income. Like disabled veterans which this county has a lot of. I heard they plan to build starting homes at 1200 square feet. A 1200 square foot house in Hollywood California is 2 million dollars. That’s reasonable?”
“We are planning homes on the best farm land in Montgomery County. It’s going to happening because we, the County Commissioners, are only looking at the zoning request and not hearing, not listening to our own constituents. Build, build, build, change is good. But, it has to be managed. Ladies and gentleman, my fellow Commissioners, this is the time for that management.”
The mayor asked if there were any other discussions and recognized Commissioner Garland Johnson, District 19.
“I had the opportunity to talk with the developer of this property. It truly is a beautiful concept. It would be fabulous in a different part of the county.”
![Citizens against the rezoning of farmland for the Killebrew Development project. (Mark Haynes, Clarksville Online)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Montgomery-County-Commission-Meeting-May-9th-2022-12-695x463.jpg)
“We are engaging in a game I like to call go back to square one. So we spend hundreds of millions of dollars per school to build a new three school complex and then we pack a neighborhood right beside of it. We spend millions to widen the road, then we pack it full of cars.”
“It’s almost as if you have too much furniture in your house and you cant move around in it anymore. So you say I am going to build a bigger house so that I can have some elbow room and space to move around. But before the paint is dry, you are at the furniture store again.”
“We have heard of the widening of Rossview Road to five lanes and people speak of it as if that is the end all, be all of traffic solutions.”
“It just appears to me that we are in this continuing cycle and we have to get out of it. I have to say that I did speak to a commissioner some months ago about the developments happening around county. He said that he wished we had more criteria to go on to make our decisions more like the planning commission.”
“I understand the planning commission has set guidelines to go by. So we are not here to just rubber stamp what they do. We have criteria that we have to go by. That is what is best for the county. What is best for the people. We have an obligation to ensure the way of life they have chosen.”
With no other other discussions, the mayor called for the vote on CZ-9-2022. Once the votes were tallied, the zoning passed 15 for and 5 against.
![Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett addressing the Montgomery County Commissioners. (Mark Haynes, Clarksville Online)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Montgomery-County-Commission-Meeting-May-9th-2022-10-695x463.jpg)
The meeting moved on to the consent agenda.
All items in this portion of the agenda are considered to be routine and non-controversial by the County Commission and may be approved by one motion; however, a member of the County Commission may request that an item be removed for separate consideration.
22-5-1* Resolution to Request Unclaimed Balance of Accounts Remitted to State Treasurer Under Unclaimed Property Act
22-5-2* Resolution Approving the Montgomery County Credit/Debit Card Processing Security and Operation Policy
22-5-3* Resolution to Appropriate Funding for the Purchase of Art Using Funding from Bond Proceeds Dedicated for Such Purchase
22-5-4* Resolution of the County Commission of Montgomery County Tennessee Authorizing the Execution of a Second Amendment to Purchase Agreement Relating to the Acquisition of a Site to be Used for School Facility
22-5-5* Resolution to Enter Into an Operational Management Agreement Between Montgomery County, Tennessee, and the Montgomery County Sports Authority
Adoption: * Commission Minutes dated April 11th, 2022
* County Clerk’s Report and Notary List
* Nominating Committee Nominations
* County Mayor Appointments
Everything on the consent agenda passed in one motion, 20 for and none against.
The mayor then called for the suspension of the rules before the next resolution.
22-5-6 Resolution to Amend Various Budgets Within the Sheriff’s Office to Make Certain Operational and Capital Outlay Purchases for Fiscal Year 2022
The vote as counted with 20 for and none against.
With no other business, the meeting as adjourned.