ATWOOD, Tenn. — The Town of Atwood owes nearly $30,000 to Republic Services, its solid waste collection provider, in unpaid monthly payments dating back to November 2025, interim recorder Rita Galloway told the board at Thursday’s regular meeting, May 14.
Galloway said the town collects garbage fees from citizens and is supposed to pass those payments on to Republic Services, but that had not been happening.
“Our regular bills that are not on ACH desperately need to be put on ACH,” she told the board. “We have bills that have not been paid since November.”
Despite the balance, Galloway said Republic Services had agreed to continue collecting trash in the meantime.
“Thankfully, I have a good relationship with Republic,” she said. “They have graciously agreed to keep picking up the trash.”
City Attorney Beau Pemberton recommended the board put all recurring bills on automatic bank draft to prevent the situation from happening again.
“It makes sure that our bills are being paid on time, keeps our credit rating and credit worthiness up, and it makes it to where citizens have complete confidence that when their bills are being paid, the bills are getting paid on the city side too,” Pemberton said.
The board voted unanimously to move forward with setting up automatic drafts for all outstanding bills.
Water Bill Late Fees
The board also voted unanimously to waive late fees on the most recent round of water bills after Galloway told the board the town had fallen behind on reading meters.
Pemberton said the situation made the fees difficult to justify.
“It doesn’t seem fair to penalize the town’s customers for not having enough people on staff to deliver the water meters in a timely manner,” he said. “The late fees are discretionary — the town can charge them, but they’re not necessarily mandatory, because they don’t relate directly to the actual water being used.”
He recommended the board waive the fees on the current billing cycle and revisit the issue month by month as staffing stabilizes.
Sewage Issues
Andrew Davis raised a concern about sewage backing up into a building he owns, which was once the former S&S garment factory that he is currently renovating.
Davis said his plumber investigated and found the septic tank overflowing. After reviewing his water bills, he said he had consumed zero water over the past three months, leading him to believe the backup originated from the city side.
“I’m looking at some pretty heavy bills as far as getting drywall ripped out and framing replaced,” he said, asking the board what options existed for restitution.
Pemberton suggested Davis coordinate with Galloway to get the town’s insurance carrier involved.
Water and sewer contractor Jim Cooper told the board a separate resident had experienced a similar problem, with sewage backing up from the city’s gravity sewer line. He said he had video showing water coming back in from the city side.
Cooper recommended the board consider a regular pumping schedule for septic tanks in the system on a rotating basis every five to six years.
The board deferred action on the resident’s restitution claim pending further investigation.
Comptroller Review
Pemberton updated the board on the ongoing financial review of the town’s records, saying he has been in contact with staff at the Comptroller’s office in Nashville.
“They seem willing to come in and provide us some guidance and assistance,” Pemberton said. “They are also going to bring in our auditors to go back and look at the last audits that have been done and do a second look at what’s already been completed, to see if there’s any irregularities, any evidence of fraud, or anything else that needs to be looked at.”
He was careful to note that no specific accusations are being made.
“I cannot say conclusively if we do or if we don’t have any specific evidence of any specific act,” he said. “But everything is up for review.”
Recorder Position
Pemberton announced that the permanent city recorder position is now being advertised through MTAS, the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, which will handle applications and initial screening on the town’s behalf.
Beer Permit
Anas Salah, owner of Atwood BP, addressed the board with a request he said he has been pursuing for the better part of two years. He asked that the board, once again, considers allowing him to sell beer at his store.
In previous meetings since 2024, Salah has argued that beer sales could offset some lost revenue caused by the new Atwood-Trezevant bypass directing traffic around the town.
“This business is supporting five families,” he told the board. “Three of them are living in Atwood. Equity is a very important part of a healthy economy, and I truly don’t want it to die.”
Pemberton told Salah he had received his email and asked him to set up a time to meet directly before bringing a formal recommendation to the board.
“I can’t guarantee we can take it up at the next meeting,” Pemberton said. “We have a lot of things we’re trying to sort out right now. You have to triage what is more important. But I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, I’m saying you have to take them one step at a time.”
Fire Department Equipment
The board approved the purchase of a new set of extrication tools for the Atwood Fire Department, based on a quote of $36,313 from MES Fire. The equipment includes a spreader, cutter, additional tools and batteries.
Other Comments
Marian Herndon asked the board to restore the public comment period to five minutes, noting it had been reduced to two. She said she had contacted neighboring towns including McKenzie and Huntingdon, and all allow five minutes.
Margaret Moran raised concerns about overgrown grass and accumulating trash on several properties around town. She called for the board to appoint a health officer, as required by the town charter, to address the issue.
Tonya Hampton asked whether a resident who had been helping with water service since the suspension of the maintenance employee would be reimbursed for his time and fuel. Pemberton said if the work was documented, the town could arrange reimbursement through the recorder’s office.
Joann Long asked whether the board had any authority to remove the mayor if he was not fulfilling his duties. Pemberton said under Tennessee law, the board does not have that authority, and that removal of an elected official would require action by the district attorney through an ouster proceeding in court.
“The citizens’ most direct recourse,” Pemberton said, “is the ballot box.”
He reminded the board and the public that municipal elections are approaching. The seats currently held by Mayor Fridie Algee and Aldermen Tommy Polinski and Randy Long will be on the November ballot. Qualifying petitions will be available June 22, with a filing deadline of August 20.
The board will vote to call the election at their next meeting, which is set for Thursday, June 5.