Three Seek First District County Commission Seat

January 22, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Someone may be appointed Monday night to fill a vacancy on the county commission in the 1st district.

The regular monthly meeting of the county commission will be Monday night, January 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the county complex auditorium.

Three people, Tom Chandler, Waylon Kyle, and Shaee Flatt, want the position formerly held by Dennis Slager.

In November, Slager gave notice that he was resigning. A position he had held since being elected in 2018. He gave no reason for his decision.

Last month the county commission voted to accept Slager’s resignation although it wasn’t legally required and to move forward with filling the position after a notice of the vacancy had been published in the newspaper.

Although Chandler, Kyle, and Flatt have been the only ones so far to respond to the notice, others can place their name in consideration up until the next regular monthly county commission meeting Monday night.

Anyone on the commission may place a name in nomination but the nominee must receive seven votes to get the appointment. The person selected to fill the seat will serve until Slager’s term expires on August 31, 2022.

In his letter to the county mayor and commission, Kyle, who currently serves as 1st district constable, wrote “I, James Waylon Kyle, am interested in the vacant position of county commissioner. I am a DeKalb County native and have lived in the first district all my life and would like to serve the people of the first district.”

Chandler wrote “Please consider this my official expression of interest in being the replacement candidate for the District 1 County Commission seat vacated by Dennis Slager. As you are aware, I ran for election in the District 1 County Commission race in 2018 and lost a seat by just 5 votes”.

“My wife and I have owned a farm in DeKalb County for almost 30 years and have resided here for 20 years. I am a Mason (Center Hill Lodge #77) and a member of the Scottish Rite and the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association. My wife and I are members of the Order of the Eastern Star (Smithville Chapter #374) and my wife is treasurer of the FCE of Alexandria”.

“I want to apply my 30+ years of professional experience in budgeting, business development, creating jobs and implementing large projects, while controlling costs, for the direct benefit of District 1 and DeKalb County.”

In his letter, Flatt wrote “ I am writing to ask that you give serious consideration to my request to fill the office of Commissioner for the First District left vacant when Mr. Dennis Slager resigned.”

“This month marks three years since my wife and I decided to move from Mt. Juliet to Alexandria. We have two small children who have made friends here and have known no other home. My wife and I agree that we want to make Alexandria and DeKalb County our permanent home. After talking with family, friends, and other members of the community, I decided to seek the office of Commissioner”.

“As someone who went to school for journalism and ended up working three years as the Managing Editor of the Chronicle of Mt. Juliet, I spent many nights at county commission and city council meetings as well as numerous other similar meetings. I developed an appreciation and fondness for local government as the institution most committed to solving the problems and issues that emerge in the community whether that is education, emergency services, safety and security, or whatever the people themselves think will be important in enhancing the quality of life for them and the County”.

“After leaving the Chronicle, I worked a few years at Wilson Bank and Trust before finally settling into a career as a Special Education teacher and football coach at my alma mater, Mt. Juliet High School. I have always placed a great emphasis on investing in the youth in any community and being able to mentor, lead, and shepherd teenagers through such a critical time in their lives, This is something I deeply value. I feel extremely blessed to be in the position I am in and would love to be able to pursue those interests in DeKalb County”.

“I look forward to meeting and talking with each of you and hope to be granted the opportunity to work alongside you on behalf of the citizens of the First District and DeKalb County,” said Flatt.

January 22, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County has a chance to get a grant to purchase another new or used fire truck.

During Thursday night’s committee of the whole meeting of the county commission, County Mayor Tim Stribling said he was informed this past week by a USDA Rural Development representative that DeKalb County is eligible to apply for a $250,000 USDA Community Facility Grant. Under this grant match program, USDA funds 55% or $137,500 while the county would be responsible for a 45% local match or $112,500 . This is a reimbursable grant meaning the county would have to pay up front and then be reimbursed 55% of the cost. Although USDA prefers the county buy a new fire truck with the grant money it could purchase a used one. Stribling said due to the census, USDA requires that the truck be placed in the western portion of the county which has two stations at Liberty and Temperance Hall.

Stribling said if the county commission wants to apply for the grant it must act Monday night during the next regular monthly meeting because the application must be filed by mid February.

Under the same grant program, the county was approved for two grants in 2017 totaling $88,800 with a local match to fund three used fire trucks which are now in the fleet including a 1996 Ferrara International Model truck for the Temperance Hall Community Fire Hall, a 1992 Pierce model fire truck for the Cookeville Highway Fire Station which was purchased from the City of Smithville, and a 1993 E-One International model fire truck for the Four Seasons Fire Hall.

Two months ago the county commission voted 11-3 to spend up to $250,000 from the capital projects account of the county budget to buy two other used fire trucks to replace homemade trucks which had been in the fleet for several years and could no longer pass inspection. Those trucks have now been purchased.

The county has also replaced a fire truck which was totaled in a recent crash on Allen Ferry Road from insurance coverage.

January 21, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

No jury trials or in-person court proceedings except for emergency matters can take place in DeKalb County or anywhere else in Tennessee at least through March 31 due to COVID 19.

The Tennessee Supreme Court announced last Friday, January 15 that it has extended its no jury, no in-person proceedings order, except when exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis.

Although many litigants have become frustrated because of the delays in getting their cases before the courts, DeKalb County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II and Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin said Wednesday that judges and court clerks have no choice but to comply with the Supreme Court’s order.

“ Back in December, the Supreme Court of Tennessee extended the state of emergency for the judicial branch and that particular order said there would be no in-court proceedings at least through January 31, 2021 except for emergency matters. That particular order listed the various exceptions where a court could conduct an in-court proceeding and those are basically emergency type matters. For example bond hearings on persons who are incarcerated. plea agreements for incarcerated people; orders of protection; Department of Children Services emergency matters like the removal of children. For things like that you can have in-person court and we are doing that although most of those types of hearings I have held by Zoom which has certainly been better than in-person. Last week, January 15 the Supreme Court filed an order that left the state of emergency in effect and the suspension of in-court proceedings until at least April 1. There will be no in-court proceedings through March 31 and that is not just the General Sessions and Juvenile Courts but Circuit Court and Chancery Court and this order applies across the state of Tennessee, not just DeKalb County or our judicial district,” said Judge Cook.

“My heart goes out to all of those that have been affected by this order and I want nothing more than to be able to help them during this time but I have to obey the Tennessee Supreme Court Order. I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding during this difficult time and just know that I am and will work diligently to get your cases before the Judges as quickly as possible when the court system reopens,” said Circuit Court Clerk Martin.

“If anyone has a case set to be heard during this time (through March 31) you need to call my office toward the end of March and hopefully get your new court date. If you were scheduled to appear before Judge Tiffany Gipson on February 1 at 11:00 a.m. your new court date is May 3 at 11:00 a.m. My office is open and available to everyone during this time. If anyone has a need to come to the courthouse you need to call when you get here so that someone can meet you at the door and this is for all offices in the courthouse; the numbers are posted on each door,” added Martin.

“I know it is so frustrating to litigants whether you have a civil case or criminal case to not be able to get the case heard and sometimes our Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin and Clerk and Master Debra Malone get the brunt of the public criticism but they are frustrated like we all are. They are not responsible. This Supreme Court order is the reason that the cases are not being heard and I can tell you none of the judges are going to violate that order. We will work around it as best we can and with Zoom. Hopefully, April 1 the courts will open back up for in-person proceedings,” said Judge Cook.

The judge said he sympathizes with victims of crime and others with civil and criminal cases that need to be heard as well as landlords concerned about eviction or detainer actions.

“The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) last year put down a nationwide moratorium on detainer actions along with the Supreme Court. The thinking was that this was no time to put somebody out on the sidewalk (eviction) because of the financial strain COVID has been on so many people although I understand it is also a financial strain on landlords because many of them owe on their rental property and the banks are looking for payment every month and if the renters are not paying its putting a real burden on them,” he said.

“For those landlords who have rental property that consists of single family homes or residential property, there can be no detainer actions heard at all, whether by in-person or Zoom, or any other way until at least April 1. Tenants are still obligated under the Supreme Court order to continue paying rent but there currently can’t be any detainer action and consequently no writs of possession where the sheriff comes out and actually moves someone out. That only applies to rental property that is used for residential purposes. That does not apply to business rental property,” Judge Cook said.

When in-person court proceedings eventually resume, Judge Cook said it will take some time to work through the backlog of cases.

“We are handling as much as we can through Zoom and what few limited in-person hearings we are able to do but this affects not just the General Sessions and Juvenile Courts but the Circuit and Chancery Courts which in the 13th Judicial District covers seven counties including DeKalb so unfortunately for those waiting on car wreck cases, divorce cases, custody cases and things like that it may be many months after the courts open back up before those cases can ever get back on the docket. I just want everybody to know we have no control over it. I do not. Our other judges do not. The clerks do not. We just have to honor what the Supreme Court says,” said Judge Cook.

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