By Josh Nelson
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
The Sumner County Commission’s Budget Committee passed a measure
Monday night to appropriate $215,703 to be used as matching money
for a federal grant so the runway at the Sumner County Regional Airport
in Gallatin can extend it’s runway 6,500 feet.
Airport Manager Steve Sudbury requested the funds from the
commission.
“We’re out of hangar space,” he told the committee. “We get six or
seven calls a month about corporate hangar space…there’s no place to
build a corporate hangar today.”
“(Hendersonville) Mayor (Scott) Foster has been in talks with a
corporation that has 10-12 corporate jets, and there’s no place to put
them,” he continued.
Sudbury added that more and more traffic at metropolitan airports is
being pushed to outlying airports, and he said extending the runway
would allow the airport to house larger planes such as G-4’s, which
hold 18-20 passengers.
If Sumner County doesn’t extend the runway, he said, business would
go to other areas.
“Expansion of this airport is critical to this county,” Sudbury said. “It
will put the county in prime position for growth (and) jobs.”
Commissioner Jim Vaughn of Gallatin made a motion to approve the
spending using some of the $10 million the county got from the hospital
transaction, but the move was nearly blocked by County Law Director
Leah May Dennen.
“The airport is in a snafu with the state over public records…and their
bylaws have got to be updated,” she said.
An area woman has filed complaints with the state saying that the
Airport Board had not made available to her all the public records she
had requested.
To find out more on this story get your copy of The Gallatin
Newspaper Today!
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
The Sumner County Commission’s Budget Committee passed a measure
Monday night to appropriate $215,703 to be used as matching money
for a federal grant so the runway at the Sumner County Regional Airport
in Gallatin can extend it’s runway 6,500 feet.
Airport Manager Steve Sudbury requested the funds from the
commission.
“We’re out of hangar space,” he told the committee. “We get six or
seven calls a month about corporate hangar space…there’s no place to
build a corporate hangar today.”
“(Hendersonville) Mayor (Scott) Foster has been in talks with a
corporation that has 10-12 corporate jets, and there’s no place to put
them,” he continued.
Sudbury added that more and more traffic at metropolitan airports is
being pushed to outlying airports, and he said extending the runway
would allow the airport to house larger planes such as G-4’s, which
hold 18-20 passengers.
If Sumner County doesn’t extend the runway, he said, business would
go to other areas.
“Expansion of this airport is critical to this county,” Sudbury said. “It
will put the county in prime position for growth (and) jobs.”
Commissioner Jim Vaughn of Gallatin made a motion to approve the
spending using some of the $10 million the county got from the hospital
transaction, but the move was nearly blocked by County Law Director
Leah May Dennen.
“The airport is in a snafu with the state over public records…and their
bylaws have got to be updated,” she said.
An area woman has filed complaints with the state saying that the
Airport Board had not made available to her all the public records she
had requested.
To find out more on this story get your copy of The Gallatin
Newspaper Today!
City looks to cell
phones for savings
phones for savings
| Click on the link above to e-mail Josh or call him at (615) 452-4940. |
By Josh Nelson
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
The City of Gallatin is looking for ways to save taxpayer
money, and officials think they may have found one area
where expenses can be cut – cell phones.
Mayor Jo Ann Graves told the City Council at it’s work
session last week that the city spends $48,000 a year on
cell phones.
She said that Police Chief John Tisdale came up with the
idea and asked the chief to talk to the council about the
issue.
“We had officers that had two to three communications
units,” Tisdale told the council.
So, he said he had Verizon come in to see if there were
ways to cut back on the number of communications units
and save the department money.
There were.
Verizon has a plan where calls from Verizon phones made
to other Verizon phones are free.
“Eighty-five percent of calls are to each other – in our
department,” Tisdale told the council.
“We’ve reduced overall expenses,” he continued. “Our
overall budget is less than last year.”
“There’s more power in (buying) bulk,” Tisdale went on to
say. “There are no early cancellation fees, no long term
agreement, and no activation fee.”
Graves then told the council that Verizon also offers a GPS
system for $20 a month per phone.
The city last year looked at putting GPS systems in city
vehicles. The low bid on a system that tracks vehicles
every 15 minutes came in at $48,047.
Graves added that the city could also designate some
phones as “restricted,” which she said would limit any kind
of personal use of the phones by city employees.
“If we save $5,000-$10,000 that’s pretty good when we’re
spending $48,000,” Graves said.
Councilman John Alexander asked if there were any
negatives to the idea.
“The devil is in the details, and we don’t have any details
yet,” Graves responded, adding that the city may look at
other cell phone companies to see if they can offer a better
or similar deal to the city.
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
The City of Gallatin is looking for ways to save taxpayer
money, and officials think they may have found one area
where expenses can be cut – cell phones.
Mayor Jo Ann Graves told the City Council at it’s work
session last week that the city spends $48,000 a year on
cell phones.
She said that Police Chief John Tisdale came up with the
idea and asked the chief to talk to the council about the
issue.
“We had officers that had two to three communications
units,” Tisdale told the council.
So, he said he had Verizon come in to see if there were
ways to cut back on the number of communications units
and save the department money.
There were.
Verizon has a plan where calls from Verizon phones made
to other Verizon phones are free.
“Eighty-five percent of calls are to each other – in our
department,” Tisdale told the council.
“We’ve reduced overall expenses,” he continued. “Our
overall budget is less than last year.”
“There’s more power in (buying) bulk,” Tisdale went on to
say. “There are no early cancellation fees, no long term
agreement, and no activation fee.”
Graves then told the council that Verizon also offers a GPS
system for $20 a month per phone.
The city last year looked at putting GPS systems in city
vehicles. The low bid on a system that tracks vehicles
every 15 minutes came in at $48,047.
Graves added that the city could also designate some
phones as “restricted,” which she said would limit any kind
of personal use of the phones by city employees.
“If we save $5,000-$10,000 that’s pretty good when we’re
spending $48,000,” Graves said.
Councilman John Alexander asked if there were any
negatives to the idea.
“The devil is in the details, and we don’t have any details
yet,” Graves responded, adding that the city may look at
other cell phone companies to see if they can offer a better
or similar deal to the city.
Construction costs raise
budget concerns for county
budget concerns for county
By Josh Nelson
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
Sumner County Commissioners are beginning to openly voice concern
over the shape of the upcoming county budget.
A lengthy discussion took place at the commission’s General Operations
Committee Monday night after County Commissioner Chris Hughes of
Hendersonville asked the committee to reverse course and not use a
construction management firm to oversee the construction of the new
county archives building and a community center on New Shackle Island.
The commission voted in December to require that all building projects
using county money use a construction management firm in attempt to
control costs.
The requirement led to a standoff between the County Commission and
the Board of Education that lasted several weeks. In the end, the County
Commission decided not to enforce the requirement during the first phase
of the county’s $150 million school construction program.
At the same time, the commission voted to require a construction
management firm be hired to oversee the construction of the new
archives and the building at Long Shackle Island.
Monday night, Hughes said of the requirement, “There was never a RFQ
(request for proposals) approved with the resolution (requiring a
construction management firm be hired to oversee the construction of the
two buildings), and there’s no RFQ ready.”
“I talked to one (construction management firm),” Hughes continued,
“and they said that we were 30% through on the (Long Shackle Island)
project and they basically said, ‘It was not worth our time.’”
“And there’s no money to (hire a firm),” he added
To find out more on this story pick up your copy of The Gallatin
Newspaper today!
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
Sumner County Commissioners are beginning to openly voice concern
over the shape of the upcoming county budget.
A lengthy discussion took place at the commission’s General Operations
Committee Monday night after County Commissioner Chris Hughes of
Hendersonville asked the committee to reverse course and not use a
construction management firm to oversee the construction of the new
county archives building and a community center on New Shackle Island.
The commission voted in December to require that all building projects
using county money use a construction management firm in attempt to
control costs.
The requirement led to a standoff between the County Commission and
the Board of Education that lasted several weeks. In the end, the County
Commission decided not to enforce the requirement during the first phase
of the county’s $150 million school construction program.
At the same time, the commission voted to require a construction
management firm be hired to oversee the construction of the new
archives and the building at Long Shackle Island.
Monday night, Hughes said of the requirement, “There was never a RFQ
(request for proposals) approved with the resolution (requiring a
construction management firm be hired to oversee the construction of the
two buildings), and there’s no RFQ ready.”
“I talked to one (construction management firm),” Hughes continued,
“and they said that we were 30% through on the (Long Shackle Island)
project and they basically said, ‘It was not worth our time.’”
“And there’s no money to (hire a firm),” he added
To find out more on this story pick up your copy of The Gallatin
Newspaper today!
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County to consider funding for
runway expansion at the airport
runway expansion at the airport
By Josh Nelson
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
A number of senior
citizens will have their
property taxes frozen at
their current level if
legislation passes the
County Commission
Monday night.
The Commission’s
Budget Committee
passed the measure at
their meeting this past
Monday night.
Under the legislation,
senior citizens with
incomes of $31,280
would not see any
increases in the
amount they pay in
property taxes, despite
any reappraisals or rate
increases.
If passed, senior
citizens must verify
their income with the
Sumner County Trustee’
s office to qualify for
the tax freeze. The
income must be re-
verified each year.
If passed by the
commission, seniors
would use their 2007
income to qualify for
the tax freeze on their
2008 taxes.
The income level to
qualify would be
adjusted each year by
the state Comptroller’s
Office.
The state Comptroller’s
Office estimates that
4,400 Sumner County
households would
qualify for the freeze,
but that may be a low
number because the
Comptroller’s Office
based their estimate on
the 2000 census.
County Trustee Marty
Nelson said in a
telephone interview
Tuesday that 239
Gallatin residents
would qualify for the
tax freeze, as well as
169 Hendersonville
residents, 102 Portland
residents, 45
Westmoreland
residents, 19
Goodlettsville
residents, 18 White
House residents, 11
Millersville residents,
and two Mitchellville
residents, with the
balance of residents
who could qualify
living in
unincorporated areas
of the county.
Nelson told the
committee that she
hopes eligible seniors
would sign up for the
tax freeze early in the
year.
To find out more on this
story pick up your copy
of The Gallatin
Newspaper today!
jngallatin@bellsouth.net
A number of senior
citizens will have their
property taxes frozen at
their current level if
legislation passes the
County Commission
Monday night.
The Commission’s
Budget Committee
passed the measure at
their meeting this past
Monday night.
Under the legislation,
senior citizens with
incomes of $31,280
would not see any
increases in the
amount they pay in
property taxes, despite
any reappraisals or rate
increases.
If passed, senior
citizens must verify
their income with the
Sumner County Trustee’
s office to qualify for
the tax freeze. The
income must be re-
verified each year.
If passed by the
commission, seniors
would use their 2007
income to qualify for
the tax freeze on their
2008 taxes.
The income level to
qualify would be
adjusted each year by
the state Comptroller’s
Office.
The state Comptroller’s
Office estimates that
4,400 Sumner County
households would
qualify for the freeze,
but that may be a low
number because the
Comptroller’s Office
based their estimate on
the 2000 census.
County Trustee Marty
Nelson said in a
telephone interview
Tuesday that 239
Gallatin residents
would qualify for the
tax freeze, as well as
169 Hendersonville
residents, 102 Portland
residents, 45
Westmoreland
residents, 19
Goodlettsville
residents, 18 White
House residents, 11
Millersville residents,
and two Mitchellville
residents, with the
balance of residents
who could qualify
living in
unincorporated areas
of the county.
Nelson told the
committee that she
hopes eligible seniors
would sign up for the
tax freeze early in the
year.
To find out more on this
story pick up your copy
of The Gallatin
Newspaper today!
Tax freeze
for seniors
for seniors