Decatur County Commission Meets March 23 to Address Hospital, 911, Fairgrounds

The Decatur County Board of Commissioners gathered Monday night at the Decatur County Courthouse on West Main Street in Decaturville for its regular monthly session, with County Attorney Geoffrey Lindsey's hospital update headline among the most closely watched items on a packed 13-point agenda. The Budget Committee convened an hour earlier at 5:00 PM before commissioners called the full meeting to order at 6:00 PM.

County Attorney Geoffrey Lindley carried three items into the meeting: a hospital update, a solid waste contract, and an attorney-client executive session tied to ongoing litigation. That case, John Doe v. David B. Rausch, names TBI Director Rausch, Decatur County Sheriff Dale King, and Neil Thompson, District Attorney General for the 24th Judicial District, as defendants. The agenda designated the session as an update, not a new filing, though no further details were publicly available before commissioners closed the doors for the executive session.

The fairgrounds drew attention on two separate agenda items. Under old business, commissioners took up a discussion of the Ag-Plex Fairground Project, which has carried over from previous sessions. New business included a separate vote on a fairground door replacement purchase request under Resolution 3-23-26I, connecting ongoing maintenance work to the larger project conversation.

The commission also considered appointing Joe Keeton to the 911 Board, and separately, Gail Story and Sarah Vise to the Decatur County Public Library Board. Parks and Recreation dominated much of the new business portion, with three items up for action: Resolution 3-23-26D, which would adopt a 10-year systemwide parks plan, a TDEC FY26 Local Park and Recreation Grant Program application under Resolution 3-23-26E, and a folding chair purchase request under Resolution 3-23-26H.

Additional new business included Resolution 3-23-26F to update the county ethics policy and seat an ethics committee member, Resolution 3-23-26G on participation in cooperative purchasing programs, an approval for a TACN site in Decatur County, and Resolution 3-23-26J authorizing Decatur County Emergency Management and Homeland Security to recoup expenses for services rendered. Three budget amendments, labeled Resolutions 3-23-26A, B, and C, appeared under the reports section alongside the sheriff's report and financial report.

The commission also approved the minutes from its February 23 regular meeting and took up surplus item approvals before adjourning.

Anyone wishing to address the commission at a future meeting can contact the Decatur County Mayor's office at 731-852-2131 or sign in at the courthouse at least 15 minutes before the meeting is called to order. Meeting guidelines are posted at decaturcountytn.gov.