TREZEVANT, Tenn. — Between the data center debate and the long-running Hillsman property discussion, Tuesday’s board meeting had plenty of other ground to cover.
Codes Enforcement
Vice Mayor Pam Joyner has been pushing for stronger property maintenance enforcement for more than a year. Tuesday night, she got the first reading of an ordinance that would give the town’s building codes official the authority to issue citations.
Joyner read the entire ordinance into the record. It authorizes codes inspector Jim Seaton to investigate suspected violations and issue municipal citations covering everything from overgrown lots and abandoned vehicles to unsafe structures and zoning violations. Citations would be filed with the municipal court, and continuing violations could be cited as separate offenses for each day they persist.
Residents showed up with specific complaints. One asked about overgrown vegetation on Highway 79 making it impossible to see oncoming traffic at an intersection. Another raised concerns about junk vehicles and neglected properties in their neighborhood.
Mayor Bobby Blaylock said the ordinance is exactly what the town has been missing.
“This should make it easier to enforce,” he said. “We have to have something like this before we can enforce it.”
The ordinance passed its first reading. A second reading is required before it takes effect.
Spending Limit
The board took up a proposal to raise the town’s competitive bidding threshold, but tabled it without a vote.
Mayor Blaylock originally proposed raising the limit to $20,000.
After discussion, the board landed closer to $15,000 as a consensus figure, with Alderman Dan Dieringer noting that $20,000 represents a significant chunk given the town’s budget constraints.
“The money’s the same in the accounts,” Dieringer said. “We haven’t raised our tax base since 1988.”
IDB member Eddie Granger, speaking as a resident, suggested leaving the limit where it is.
“This town cannot pay that kind of money going out,” he said.
Senior Home Repair Grants
Dieringer brought welcome news for elderly residents in need of home repairs. He said he connected with a nonprofit offering Emergency Repair Program grants of up to $25,000 for homeowners who are 65 or older or on disability.
The money opened up in July and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible residents must own their home and needed repairs must be verified.
“If you know of anybody in the community that would need repairs to their house, please let us know,” Dieringer said. “I can write up the report form that would assist them.”
Anyone interested can contact the town for more information.
ARPA Funds
Water operator Erik Grimes and CMFO Gabrielle Davis told the board that Trezevant has $198,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that must be spent by the end of the year. Their recommendation, based on guidance from a state advisor, is to allocate the money to water department salaries from 2022 through 2024 for state reporting purposes.
The practical effect is that it frees up equivalent funds already spent on those salaries for other projects, including a potential match for a Community Development Block Grant currently in its early stages.
Surplus Vehicles
Police Chief Mike Mulligan asked the board to declare three town vehicles surplus so they can be listed for auction on the GovDeals website. The vehicles include a 1990 Dodge Ram, a 2009 Dodge Charger, and a 2002 Crown Victoria. The board approved the resolution unanimously.
A fourth vehicle, a pickup truck, will be kept for use by the street and water departments.
City Recorder Opening
The town has an opening for city recorder and court clerk. Applications are available at City Hall and are due by August 17.
A special called meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 20 at 6:30 p.m. for the second reading of the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget amendments.