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Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series on the Hamblen County Committee meeting held on Monday Jan. 9.

The Hamblen County Commission voted in committee Monday night to approve an $88,894 change order and negotiate further to purchase Oak Tree Plaza which is owned by Encore Theatrical Company for the county’s new Health Department.

The Justice Center and Public Safety Committee heard updates from Tony Petitt, BurWil Construction project manager, regarding the new justice center and approved of the ninth change order.

“If you missed it we had a very wet December,” Petitt said. “However, we managed to get a lot of work done. Our job is 36% complete and 20% of that is stored materials to fight inflation costs.

“Good news is we are finally completely done with micro piles, the foundation is 98% complete, the concrete sheer walls are 50% complete and completion is May 2024 and that is because of the micro piles delay.”

Petitt presented the $88,894 change order to the committee with $48,827 coming from FC-005 Review Comments on updated drawings.

“The first one was issues about the drawings and the architects updated those but that zeroed out and that change order is to get the drawings into the contract documents, but again it is no cost to us,” Pettit said. “As soon as we got the job the State of Tennessee’s Permit Reviewer looked at some items and the architects changed project managers on the job and this was brought up in February of last year that these updated drawings were issued and changed and we never caught back up so some of these items have been initiated by the state as they review bid documents and made comments and now the contractor is catching up and pricing these changes.”

The project updated the rated wall assembly corridor which will be in front of the shell courtroom that cost $8,963. This job consisted of fire rating the top and bottom of the walls, changing door hardware and caulking the doors.

The $48,827 PCO from the permit reviewer requested the fire rating of shafts and additional fire dampers and the electronics to go with the dampers.

The State of Tennessee requested the fire rating of the storm drain pipe that goes from the roof that goes to through street which costs $7,158.

$21,947 is to change the required height of the parapet at the inmates’ recreation areas.

“Is this something that should have been looked at a long time ago? What is precipitating this change?” Commission Chairman Chris Cutshaw asked.

“This project was in review by the state before it went to bid and the state had some comments after it came from the bid and the state has the last say in the project and so the state instigated these changes,” Petitt sad.

Commissioner Edna Greene asked if the committee should expect more changed from the State regarding this project.

“In my experience, you won’t expect any more from the reviewer until the end of the project and you will find they will come in and they will find an exit sign and it may be hidden by something and they will request you to move it or have another,” Petitt said.

The committee approved Change Order 9 and the commission will vote on the order at its meeting.

As the Finance Committee held its meeting it discussed several projects including purchasing the Oak Tree Plaza, the former Food City on Buffalo Trail.

County Mayor Bill Brittain presented an agreement between the county and Microvote General Corporation for the new voting machines that was voted on by the commission.

Brittain also presented a contract between the county and Perdue, Brandon and Capital Recovery Systems that will aid in collecting fees for the Hamblen County Circuit Court.

“This is the collection agency recommended by Teresa West to do fines and fees collection that her collection program cannot collect,” Brittain said. “She compared another one for costs of services and this is what they do and have ways of getting information and running people down who owe money.”

Commissioner Rodney Long asked if there would be a cost to the county for the collection agency.

“The county will tack on additional 20% fee to the individual and that fee will go to agency. The agency will not be paid until the fine is paid,” Brittain said.

Brittain presented the option of purchasing the Oak Tree Plaza, which is owned by Encore Theatrical Company, for the new health department.

As requirements for the new health department it needs to have 2 acres, the building needs to be 12-14K SQFT, it must have space for a drive thru and a community meeting room.

After looking at several locations Brittain believes the Oak Tree Plaza is the best option for the new facility.

Brittain also informed the committee that the new facility could be used for the county’s rescue squad and to create a new impound lot for the sheriff’s office.

Hamblen County Sherriff Chad Mullins told the committee that the current impound lot is being leased to the county by the city and has had several safety issues.

“Since we have had the impound lot, it has been broken into four times and we have had to add cameras to the lot to maintain security so a new lot is needed.”

Commissioners Greene and Long asked Brittan if the current road would affect towing companies or ambulances.

“The rescue squad has voiced their thoughts on that and they do believe that would be an issue in the future and I expect the same for towing companies, but first and foremost this is for the health department those additions are optional.”

The committee voted to approve the proposal to further negotiate to purchase the Oak Tree Plaza for a new location for the health department.