Metro Council to weigh jail financing, four rezonings

Jail renovation, four property rezonings, and possible return of Lewis McGee Road to private ownership lead agenda

3:45 p.m. July 15, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Metro Council members will consider a $983,498 borrowing plan for the county jail renovation Monday, along with four rezoning requests.

The agenda also includes a request involving Lewis McGee Road, a proposed cease-and-desist form for zoning violations, and three notary appointments.

A public hearing will begin at 6:20 p.m. at the American Legion. The regular council meeting follows at 6:30 p.m., with time set aside for public comment.

The largest financial item is a resolution authorizing the county to borrow up to $983,498 through general obligation capital outlay notes.

The money would pay for the renovation and improvement of the county jail, equipment for the facility, and related legal, administrative, fiscal, and engineering costs.

Under the proposed resolution, the debt could run for up to 12 years at an interest rate of no more than 4.5%. The notes would be backed by the county’s taxing authority.

Four banks submitted interest-rate quotes. FirstBank offered the lowest rate at 4.01%, followed by Citizens Tri-County Bank at 4.69%. West Tennessee Bank and Magnolia Bank each quoted 4.85%.

A repayment schedule based on FirstBank’s rate projects the county would pay approximately $1.26 million through 2038. That includes the $983,498 principal and about $274,545 in interest. Most annual payments would fall between $104,000 and $105,000.

Three rezonings face first reading

Council members will consider three new rezoning requests on first reading.

• Kaycee and Steven Edwards are seeking to rezone 2.5 acres on Woosley Road from A-1, Agriculture-Forestry, to R-2, Residential District-Rural Center.

• A second request would rezone 2.35 acres along Highway 55 from A-1 to C-1, Commercial District-Highway. The property is owned by Rodney and Jennifer Ervin.

The site plan, labeled “Lynchburg Storage,” shows rows of storage units with access from the highway.

• The third first-reading request involves 23.25 acres at 3152 Tanyard Hill Rd. Property owner Joseph Denby is seeking to change the land from A-1 to R-2.

A fourth rezoning request returns under old business for a second reading.

• Simmjo LLC and Joey Simmons are seeking to rezone 4.97 acres on Pleasant Hill Road from A-1 to R-2. The property consists of two tracts measuring 2.84 acres and 2.13 acres.

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the change June 2.

Family seeks return of public road

Council members will also discuss a request involving the road at 77 Lewis McGee Rd.

In a letter to the county, Dale McGee asked that the road be transferred from public to private ownership and renamed “77 Richard McGee Road.”

McGee wrote that his father, Richard McGee, originally made the road public so the county could maintain it and a school bus could serve three occupied homes.

Only one occupied rental home remains, he said. Another house has been demolished, and the family plans to remove the remaining unused structure.

McGee said the family owns the land surrounding the road and school buses no longer use it. Returning the road to private ownership would allow the family to post signs and restrict trespassing and other unauthorized activity, according to the letter.

Any formal abandonment, transfer, or change in the road’s legal status could require additional action beyond Monday’s discussion.

Cease-and-desist form proposed

Another agenda item is a proposed Planning and Zoning Commission notice intended to address work or activity that violates local regulations.

The cease-and-desist form includes spaces to identify the alleged violation, cite the applicable zoning ordinance or subdivision regulation, set a deadline for corrective action, and establish possible daily penalties.

The form also warns that failure to comply could result in permit revocation, a lawsuit seeking an injunction, civil fines, attorney fees, and court costs.

Council members will also consider the appointments of Marta Jo McBee, Mary W. Beard, and Kaitlyn Carter-Geralds as notaries public. The council will also receive the June building permit report.

The public hearing begins at 6:20 p.m. Monday at the American Legion, followed by the regular Metro Council meeting at 6:30 p.m.