Hollow Rock Holds Unannounced Meeting

A sinkhole near the Broad Street entrance of First Bank in Hollow Rock uncovered a meeting of the town's Mayor and quorum of Aldermen on Monday, August 11 that was not announced to the public beforehand.

CITY HALL PARKING LOT – Vehicles fill the parking lot outside Hollow Rock City Hall on August 11, when the mayor and a quorum of aldermen met without public notice to discuss the budget, the sinkhole, and other town concerns. Photo by Jesse Joseph

While gathering information about the sinkhole, which developed in June, Carroll County Observer stopped by City Hall to get a statement from Mayor Ronnie Webb.

Upon entering, the Mayor and entire board, except for Alderwoman Angela Stockdale at the time, were seated at their designated spots around the conference table where business is conducted. Stockdale arrived after Carroll County Observer left.

No other town employees were present for the meeting.

Members said that they were having a workshop to discuss the town's budget, the sinkhole, and other concerns.

Under the Tennessee Open Meetings Act (TOMA) , any gathering of a governing body with a quorum present, where public business is discussed or deliberated, is considered a meeting and must be publicly announced in advance.

The law applies regardless of whether the meeting is called a “workshop,” “study session,” or any other informal term, and regardless of whether a vote is taken.

According to T.C.A. § 8-44-102 , a quorum of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen discussing matters such as the town budget or infrastructure issues, like the Broad Street sinkhole, qualifies as a meeting that must be open to the public and preceded by adequate notice.

No public notice of the August 11 gathering was posted on the town's Facebook page, the door to City Hall, or at the Post Office. It was also not listed on any other public meeting schedule.

Sinkhole at First Bank

In June, a sinkhole developed underneath the sidewalk near the Broad Street entrance of First Bank.

SINKHOLE – Traffic cones block off the sidewalk and entrance at First Bank in Hollow Rock where a sinkhole has developed. Photo by Jesse Joseph

The hole is roughly two feet deep, and spans across several feet, leaving segments of the sidewalk unsupported. The hole threatens the bank entrance connection to Broad Street, and has been closed out of concern for potential failure.

Hollow Rock Mayor and Aldermen contend that the hole falls under Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) jurisdiction, and that they are responsible for repairing the hole.

Officials with TDOT stopped by and inspected the sinkhole. They determined that repair and remediation falls under the responsibility of the Town of Hollow Rock.

Alderman T. Richard Goodwin expressed concerns about the town attempting the job.

"We don't need to cut the first thing on that road," he said Monday. "The Town of Hollow Rock can't afford to fix it."

Alderwoman Vivian Grooms and Alderman Andy Baker expressed that the drainage infrastructure that is presumed to be the cause of the sinkhole was originally installed by TDOT.

The conflicting positions between TDOT and the Town have resulted in a stalemate over who will take responsibility for repairs.

Carroll County Observer reached out to First Bank for a statement, but at the time of this writing, their representative was unavailable for comment.

Hollow Rock Holds Unannounced Meeting

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Hollow Rock Holds Unannounced Meeting

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