PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Decatur County Fairgrounds Steering Committee has scheduled a meeting for Monday, March 20, 2023, at 5:00 PM at the Decatur County Fairgrounds old exhibit barn site. The Decatur County Government does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, or national origin; additionally, the Decatur County Courthouse is handicap accessible. The Decatur County Government, when necessary, will make reasonable accommodations for people who have disabilities. Any person with a disability should contact the Decatur County Mayor’s office before any meeting if additional help is needed.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Decatur County Commission has scheduled a special called meeting for Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 6:00 PM at the Decatur County Courthouse. The purpose of the meeting will be to consider purchasing property located on West Highland Street, Decaturville, TN 38329. There will be a commission work session immediately following the special called meeting. The Decatur County Government does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, or national origin; additionally, the Decatur County Courthouse is handicap accessible. The Decatur County Government, when necessary, will make reasonable accommodations for people who have disabilities. Any person with a disability should contact the Decatur County Mayor’s office before any meeting if additional help is needed.
The following meetings have been scheduled at the Decatur County Courthouse.
- Solid Waste Committee will meet Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 6:00 PM.
- There will be a Special Called commission meeting at the Decatur County Courthouse on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 6:00 PM to discuss the property purchase on West Highland Street, Decaturville, TN 38329.
- There will be a work session immediately following the Special Called meeting on Thursday, March 23, 2023.
- The Budget Committee will meet Monday, March 27, 2023, at 5:30 PM.
- The Beer Board will meet Monday, March 27, 2023, at 5:45 PM, pending background check receipt.
- The monthly commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 27, 2023, at 6:00 PM.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT – The 24th Judicial District Community Corrections Advisory Board will hold a meeting on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 2:00 PM at the Decatur County Community Corrections Office, 9 West Main St. Decaturville, TN.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Decatur County has applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding through the Tennessee Emergency Management (TEMA). As a sub-recipient.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and to provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.
Applicant: Decatur County
Project Title: Decatur County Community Safe Room
Location of Proposed Work:
Name of Structure: See Table
Address of Structure: See Table, Decatur County, TN
A map showing the location of all properties is available by contacting (POINT-OF-CONTACT listed below)
Facility Address Latitude /Longitude Date of Construction
Decatur County 1925 US 641, 36.622553 -88.119428
Community Safe Room Parsons, TN 38363
Proposed Work and Purpose: Decatur County proposes to construct a stand-alone, above-ground community saferoom using reinforced concrete walls and internal steel frames in accordance with the FEMA 361 and ICC 500 standards to withstand up to 250 mph winds at the Decatur County Fairgrounds. The new building will be approximately 3,417 gross new square feet, 40 x 80 feet. There will be two external entries measuring 8 feet high and 6 feet wide that have been tested specifically to FEMA P-361 and ICC 500. A generator will be included in this project with an enclosure to withstand 250 mph wind and flying debris also. This saferoom will provide a safe space for emergency responders, officials, and residents within close proximity. This community safe room will provide immediate life safety protection in the target area of impact of extreme wind or tornado where it is necessary for the limited population that must remain in the impact area for a limited time period that a tornado or extreme wind event is occurring. The community safe room will also allow emergency operations staff to remain close together to respond quickly after the storm passes over. The overall mitigation goal is to have a community shelter to be structurally independent for the safety of the emergency staff, officials, and residents in the area and will double as a multi-purpose building that will contain a space for assembly and multi-use activities by the public such as meeting groups, local civic organizations, and public assemblies, etc.
Project Alternatives:
Alternative #1 (no action alternative): Decatur County firmly believes that if no action is taken, injuries will occur and lives will be lost. Our community currently does not have a safe room they can turn to in the event of severe weather. Unfortunately, according to the National Risk Index, our county is in a relatively high-risk area for tornadoes, and is a fact we cannot change. However, by preparing for the safety of our citizens now, we may affect the outcome in the future. The option of taking no action is an idea that Decatur County is not willing to consider. We are committed to providing a safe room for our organization staff and surrounding individuals and residents; tny assistance FEMA can provide will ensure our successful construction.
Alternative #2: Reducing Size of the Community Safe Room. If the entire community area and attached rooms/toilets cannot serve as the community safe room, Decatur County will discuss internally to determine which room in the facility will fit to serve as the community safe room. We plan to have other rooms in our facility that will have the potential to serve as a safe room (i.e. break room, hall, and small group meeting room)
PUBLIC COMMENTS: Any individual, group, or agency disagreeing with the proposed projects and is wishing to
comment on these projects may submit written comments to Decatur County, contact information
below. All comments received by March 31, 2023 will be reviewed by the County, and forwarded on to
the State and FEMA.
POINT-OF-CONTACT:
Mr. Andrew Sparks, EMA Director
22 West Main St,
Decaturville, TN 38329
Tele: 731-852-2131
DECATUR COUNTY, TENNESSEE COMMISSION MEETING PUBLIC COMMENT GUIDELINES
The Decatur County Commission has developed the following guidelines to provide time for members of the general public to orally address the County Commission during its monthly commission meeting.
GUIDELINES
- The agenda of every regularly scheduled meeting of the Decatur County Commission shall contain an item for receipt of comments by the general public on matters relevant to the business of Decatur County services, programs, projects and activities.
- Time allotted on the agenda for public comments will be no longer than 15
- Speakers shall be allotted a maximum of 3 minutes for their presentation. Time will be monitored by the Clerk or a person designated by the Chairman.
- A person wishing to address the Commission at a regularly scheduled meeting must sign-in no later than fifteen minutes prior to the meeting. A sheet will be located outside the meeting room for the speaker to provide name, address, telephone number and the subject of their remarks. Request for public comment may also be made by contacting the County Mayor Administrative Assistant, prior to the meeting date.
- Once the Public Comments session has begun, the Chairman will call the individual speaker forward. At that time the speaker will introduce themselves and their topic. When the speaker has completed their statement, or time has expired, they will return to their seat with no further debate, dialogue or comment.
- Should a group be present to support a particular issue, they must select one speaker to represent the group.
- Should a speaker have documents or written comments for the Commissioners to review, they will provide nineteen copies to be distributed prior to the meeting.
- No signs, banners, flags, placards, or other disruptive displays will be allowed inside the meeting room.
- The purpose of the Public Comment is to allow members of the community an opportunity to express their Comments should be directed to the Commission Chairman. The Commission will not respond to questions or comments during the Public Comments session. If the public comment is concerning an agenda item and a Commissioner wishes to comment, they may do so when the item comes up on the agenda.
- The Chairman may, on their own motion or the motion of any Commissioner, rule any public speaker out of order if the comments are inappropriate or unreasonably repetitious. Further, the Commission may disqualify a person for a reasonable period from future appearances during the public comments section of Commission meetings if that person’s comments have been inappropriate (i.e. incoherent, abusive, irrelevant, ).
- During the regular meeting, no one may address the Commission unless requested to speak on an agenda item by the Commission and recognized by the Chairman.
Approved 11/28/2022