001Will will stand for a moment of silence. A moment of silence first. Thank you for that. Um, next we got the pledge of allegiance and we've got Harlem Paige is going to come lead us for 4. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. So, uh, that brings us to the public input. Who we got? >> We have three people tonight. First person is Marian Knight from Danbridge speaking on the moment of silence. >> All right. Remind everybody you got three minutes and state your name and address. >> Marian Knight, West Main Street, Dandridge. I'm speaking on the moment of silence. Why is it okay for every other board and
002commission to start with a prayer even with children in the room except this one? The first amendment says Congress shall make no law establishing a religion or prohibiting street exercise. You are not making laws about religion. It is merely the start of a meeting. How does prayer taint that? No one is forced to pray or believe. They don't even need to listen. In 1962, there was a Supreme Court decision saying that school prayer was a violation of the First Amendment by endorsing state religion. But Supreme Court decisions may have negated that argument. For over 60 years, prayer has been removed from schools. Whether they wanted to or not, adults in schools have had to behave as people with no place for a higher being in their lives. What about their freedom? Are we teaching children
003that God has no place in our nation? This is a bad example for our kids and destructive to our society. This nation exists because of God-given rights. Why would we deny that? The time of no prayer is over. How about if we try bringing God back into the lives of our children? How about if we start right now with a prayer to start this meeting? I would like to offer that prayer tonight. And I hope someone will step up at every meeting to do the same until you change your policy. Dear Lord, thank you for courage and for the school board. They are good people. Please open their hearts and guide them to start their meetings with prayer. Then guide them to start the school day with prayer to restore hope and love and acceptance
004even when people disagree. Please grant us the courage to fulfill your will. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen. >> It saddens me that we've fallen so far that prayer is controversial. It's time for a change. So, please start your meetings with prayer like other boards. And if a daily prayer in school stops even one child from thinking their only option is to hurt someone because they disagree. It's something you should consider adding regardless of the risk we face to start doing it. Thank you. >> Next is and he's going to be he's from New Market speaking about the egg. >> All right. >> Good evening folks. My name is Brian Morgan and I'm currently serving as Jefferson County Farm Bureau President and I also serve as vice president of Jefferson
005County Soil Conservation District. I've served in the county on the livestock association board of directors and I chaired the Jefferson County Agricultural Committee for four years just a few years back. I'm a proud to say I'm an FFA alumnus and my wife and I, we own and operate a cow calf operation in New Market. We've been blessed to have three daughters, two of which have already graduated from Jeff High School. The third is currently a junior there. And all three been very active in FFA. The oldest girl is a teacher, culinary art teacher at Clinton High School and her and her husband and cattle farm in New Market as well. Her middle daughter will graduate graduate University of Tennessee in December with a business degree emphasis on foods. And the youngest, she's the junior, she's
006serving as FFA secretary right now for the chapter and she's really interested in horiculture and cattle. To say that my family's been benefited from Jefferson County FFA would be an understatement. We've truly been blessed by the organization and its advisors. They've each had a huge impact on their children and we are very thankful for all the work and effort that they put in. It's easy to see that they are passionate about their jobs, these teenagers, and I'm very excited for the opportunity for the agricultural livestock center on the high school campus. Uh I want to go on to say that u our county did a survey last year and you all probably aware of that and coming in at the top of the list was the preservation of agriculture in this county and I think
007that speaks for itself. So if you've noticed in the news agriculture is under attack from several different angles. Land loss of development age of the current farmers and the lack of younger generation pursuing that path. A shortage of large animal veterinarians, especially in rural areas, just name few. Certain things are being done to try to combat this, but we've yet to find a silver bullet. Governor Lee signed the Farmland Preservation Act into law in 2025, and they're looking at some possible tuition forgiveness for veterinarians if they're willing to go back into rural areas. But these things can't completely solve the problems. If we have the opportunity to educate and inspire our youth when it comes to agriculture, we will all benefit from that. Whether they choose to make it a career or by vocation, I
008believe that this is exactly what that agricultural lifestyle's going to do. I want to uh want to thank each of you for your consideration this and I encourage each one of you to vote yes for this. I'd like to thank you for what you're doing, serving. I know you do a lot of your time and I appreciate you allow me to speak to you now. God bless you all. >> Thank you. >> Next is Jason Bales from New Market speaking on Evening. I appreciate this opportunity to share my thoughts on this important issue. My name again is Jason Bales. The father of a current sophomore. She's also in FFA at the high school. I also have a middle schooler in JMS that guiding him into that field as well. Right. There's a lot of good
009opportunities there for FFA. And I'm a fifth generation farmer in Jefferson County. So, a lot of ties to the high school growing up here and having the opportunities to see how we have developed as a county. Jefferson County has deep agricultural roots. This farming is not just a business here. It's a way of living. It's the way our lives are shaped for communities. Has been for generations. So, every year, you know, similar to what Brian was saying, we lose more and more farmland to development. According to the American Farmland Trust, Tennessee's lost thousands of acres of farmland in just the past few years. And when that land's gone, we just we can't come back from it. This is why an agricultural center at Chester County High School is very important to me, my family. Not
010every student grows up on a farm. In fact, most don't anymore. You know, agriculture still affects every single one of us. And whether they realize it or not, the food that we have on our plate, the clothes that we wear, even the fuel in our vehicles start with agriculture. So an a center would give our students that hands-on opportunity to connect with that reality. It would let them see where their food comes from. It would help them show where crops are grown, how they're grown, how animals are raised. And then even more, it would help the farmers show them how we protect the land, how we work it. It will teach them about sustainability, technology, conservation, the very things that we will need to understand to be good stewards in this county's forward progress and
011future. This center wouldn't just benefit the farm families, it benefit every student by building career skills that we need, offering multiplebased learning opportunities and showing them the importance of preserving our farmland. It also helped bridge that gap between the rural and non-rural students. Give them an opportunity to see what it's like to be on a farm. And really, we want to develop that into a shared goal of how do we keep Jefferson County strong, productive, and continuing to connect to our roots. Our students are the future farmers. They're our business leaders, and they're going to be our decision makers in Jefferson County. If we want them to value agriculture, we need them to understand what it takes to feed the world. We want to give them those tools and the space to learn that. An
012a center is the next step in that mission. So I plead I hope that all of you will vote yes for that. Thank you for considering this important investment in all our kids, the community, and our future county. Thank you. >> Thank you. That's it. Appreciate everybody coming out to speak. Um, so that brings us to changes to the agenda and we've got some additions here. Um, I think you'll see that there is another trip that you have here to approve that'll bring that up to five different field trips. And there is what we're going to call the B leash that has been put in front of you. There's one that was in your packet and then there's the one that's here that has a change on the um front down there about um automatically
013renew unless the board of education takes action. Um, so Doug is wanting that and added and then an oversight by myself that Doug brought up to add the five-year planning committee to the committee appointments um as we we got to appoint one person to serve on that from here. So is there any objections to this these all being added to the agenda? That be unanimous consent then. So once again, we'll be adding a field trip number five there on field trip and then at the fair lease which is number three. The one that's in your packet will be A and the one that was handed to you will be B. and then put a bullet point under committee appointments for the fiveyear committee. So is there a motion to approve the agenda? >> Doug has
014moved to approve the agenda. Is there second? >> All is seconded. All those in favor show by raising your right hand. There be seven zero against motion passes. Okay. So then that takes us down to the uh consent agenda items which you'll see there there's the approval of the minutes um cross country team FFA national convention beta club national uh or their state convention yearbook and then the field trip for the ROC. So, is there a move to approve the consent agenda items? >> Got Dawn has moved to approve the consent agenda items or second. All those in favor show by raising your hand. All right. 740 against those items are approved. brings us down then to committee reports policy committee and I'll turn this over to policy chairman here Mr. Doug >> okay well
015Nashville strikes again um there are a number of policies that we approved at our last business meeting on first reading that we have since after we approved that gotten further guidance from the attorneys and legislators in Nashville. So we have to revise those. So those uh in addition to a uh revision that TSBA has suggested that we make to our uh use of turn personal communication devices and electronic devices. Um the opinion of the policy committee is uh the policy on the changes to the uh uh policy 6.312 which is the cell phone policy. We'd like that this to be a first reading and have a second reading at the next meeting since it's a revision policy that we put together ourselves. So, uh, and then the next ones are all have to do with
016charter schools. And because we approved that on, uh, first and final reading the last time, uh, we would like to do that also this time on first and final reading when do we get there? So uh what I will do is we will first consider our use of per personal communication devices and electronic devices uh policy 6.312. Uh the changes here have only been additions but they what we have done or what uh TSBA recommended us to do is in addition to our policy to give exceptions to that policy. So, for example, in the yellow out area under students, it says a student may however be permitted to utilize a wireless communication device under the following circumstances. Then it'll list the following circumstances. The policy committee felt that that was all very reasonable. There was
017nothing unusual about that. Um, then on page two, there was a yellow area that has to do with In the event of an emergency or possible emergency occurring at school, parents, guardians shall be alerted by the one call system and the district website, which we in fact do. We just did not have that in our policy. So, uh, Mr. Chairman, uh, upon the recommendation of the policy committee, uh, I move that we, uh, approve the reissues policy 6.312 as presented. All right, the motion's been motion's been made to approve policy 6.312 and this is on first street >> on first grade not to not first and final we will approve this again on next. All right. So on first reading here only um it does need second to come from the committee. Any discussion? All
018right. Hearing none. All those in favor of approving on first reading policy 6.312 show by raising right hand. M740 against. >> Okay. The next policies we uh again would like to lump these all together. policy 1.901, 1.903, 1.905, and 1.906. These all deal with charter schools, regulations, uh, restrictions, revisions, etc. Uh, at this point, they really do not directly affect us because we have no charter schools in our area. However, down the road, if there become a charter school does be come into our area, these would uh these would be pertinent. Um and uh these are redoss again of policies passed and adopted by the board uh on first and final reading last months. Uh since then, we've received these additional mandatory wording that must be added. It's not up to debate. This is again
019as it was last month already law. So we are just uh approving these uh on first and final that I will ask on first and final reading uh to be in compliance with existing law. Um the policy committee unanimously recommends passage and adoption of these policies as a grouping on first and final reading. So Mr. Mr. Chairman, I ask for unanimous consent to suspend the rules to adopt policies 1.901, 1.903, 1.905, and 1.906. >> Is there any objection to suspending the rules on this to pass these on first and final read? All right, those unanimous consent. >> Mr. Mr. Chairman, I then uh ask that the set policies um be adopted on first and final reading. >> Okay. So, we have this come from the committee. So, does need a second. Any discussion on those?
020All right. All those in favor of passing 1.901 1.903 1.905 1.906 on first and final reading show by raising your right hand. All right passes seven nothing. All right. So we don't have anything on second reading. We don't have any reports. I don't believe we still got to meet later on. So >> Mr. May I say something about policy? We do not have another policy committee this year. Our next policy committee is in January next year until unless board members uh request one. So we will not have another scheduled policy meeting uh until January of 2026. Thank you for that. All right. So then that brings us down to the new business. We've got the committee appointments. Now the parliamentarian by her uh rules has to be um elected. So we will start there with
021parliamentarian since that's b since that's bullet number one. Um is there any nominations for parliamentarian? >> Mr. Chairman I nominate Josh Cameron for parliamentary. >> Are there any other nominations? Any other nominations? All right. All those in favor of Josh Cameron as far raising your right hand. All those opposed. All right. Motion that passes six to one. Now we got policy committee. The rest of these are appointed. So, um we got um previously on the policy committee was Doug, Danny, and Dawn. Um Doug, do you care to still chair that committee? >> Yeah, we got Doug on there. Danny, Danny Gre Dawn. All right. So, Doug, Danny, and Don on policy committee there. Thank you all for that. Um, let's see. We got delegates to the TSBA convention for November not to exceed four board
022members. So, who all wants to volunteer to be a TSBA convention delegate? Who's going? I guess we got Doug down here. Paul D. >> All right. Don't on that one. All right. Got those in. All right. Next one be Tennessee Legislative Network. And Don, I think you've been doing that one, haven't you? Do you want to keep? >> Yeah. >> All right. I appreciate this. I know I get their emails a lot. So, there's a lot going on in that Tennessee Legislative Network Committee stuff. So, appreciate Don volunteering, serving for that. Next one. Building the maintenance committee. Um, this was one that we just got started last year, I guess. Um, Paul, you care? >> All right. Coach, you still up for being on there? >> Sure. >> Thank you, sir. Did >> I get
023to talk? >> Yeah, you Hey, listen. You can talk all you want. >> All right. Then we got the uh joint committee. Um I'm on that one. Doug, you want to keep serving on that? Paul, you want to keep on? That's right. and everybody else is welcome to come. I think we've our four have we had four or three meetings so far. >> We had this will be our fourth coming up this one. >> We've been the only ones that's had everybody there the whole time. So we we can be proud of that. Um now something I'm and maybe Tommy can tell us a little bit about this insurance advisory committee. We need one board member for that. what exactly goes into that? >> Um hopefully that will not be a that's if we run
024into some um insurance um needs to modify, but I don't see that happening. We're fixing to enter into a another um agreement in January. There'll be a rate increase, but unless something drastic happens, I don't see that being a need. Okay, >> I serve on that this past year. >> I think so. >> You want to keep Thank you, sir, for that one. >> So, Danny will be that and then the fiveyear committee which we add or which we added into here. We got a board member on there. Doug's been on there. You care serving for that one. And then um Tommy has his folks himself on there for that. So Doug's going to keep serving on the fiveear committee. I think that takes care of committees. All right. Thank y'all for that. I know
025it's it can be busy, but appreciate everybody doing that. So then that brings us to the uh JCHS a building. I guess before we get going. Yes, sir. If >> I make a motion. >> Yes. half had it. I move to allocate 391,373 from the from uh 141 fund balance toward the construction of an a building on the campus of Jefferson County High School. Well, now I'm going by the document laying here in front of me. balance 391 373. >> Am I right? >> You are correct. >> Said 430. Glad nothing was 4:30. >> Yes, you are correct. >> I'm correct in that. Okay. >> So, you got you care around. >> Yeah, sure. >> Good luck. I'm reading. I'll second. >> Well, we got a second on that then. The move is allocate $391,373
026from 141 fund balance toward the construction of a building on campus jerk high school that's been made by coach and seconded by Danny. Is there any discussion? >> Yes. >> I can go first. I uh uh look at this document in front of it. There's some other dollar amounts there. The total cost I think is 643 9008 and 10 cents. That was just compounds. And I don't know if other motions need to be made for the 161600 or the 90,9 351. >> So can you >> my motion is just for the Okay. >> Yes. So, uh, within that funding plan, there are unencumbered, uh, funds that if you move this project forward, that'll be cleared up in budget amendments, um, after this to equal the amount of $643,9810. So, uh, in those budget amendments, it
027lists items such as the culinary project that came in. and we used some some grant funding. There was $55,000 or so left in that project. Um there was some u projects that was I believe um remember was there a guttering project? Um >> so we moving money around in this year's budget. So that's correct. >> We pass these budget amendments that taste the rest. That's my request. >> You are correct. >> Yeah. Yes. >> Uh yesterday several of us had an opportunity to tour the CTE program at the high school. >> Okay. And uh kind of repeating myself from yesterday, I guess. Uh I was really amazed at uh at what uh what I was seeing what was going on and hands on stuff equipment and not just in a book and taking notes and
028broke memory you can get a test kind of thing and there was stuff going on and in that uh when I talked yesterday I tell you how old I am I was there when the school opened in 1975 5. I was 28 years old 50 years ago. And when I went when I went there yesterday, 50 years later, I would not have imagined the uh the vocational or CTE, whatever you want to call it, what was going on. you know, it's just the technologies available and the teachings going on and the amount of kids that that serve and I think this building uh this pavilion or a building will augment that process. And like I've always said before to people, farmers are born, they're not made. People are just born to farm. I've got a
029brother-in-law. That's all he wants to do is farm and cut hay. I know it's hard work. I done it growing up. That's why I'm not a farmer. But there are some that do. And I think we need to provide every opportunity possible for this segment of the population, the student population high school to further advance uh their learning curve. And I'm finished. I'm done. U I think we had asked Mr. Martin last time if he kind of come up with a figure of what it would cost to fully address this out if he we could allow him to come up. So because I >> I talked to Mr. Martin and he got a all in right now of $29,000 and this right here will uh be able to uh this plan will put $25,000 in
030there and I'm sure somewhere if there's $4,000 additional we can find it somewhere. >> That's there's a there's a retiree in December and he may donate that $4,000 maybe. in the room. >> What was the name of that? >> Yeah, we can uh we can also so they included into this a complete cattle working facility. 16,000 extra panels and gates for create ammo pins. 3500 automatic waterers 2,000 large animal scales for weighing $2,000 um fully enclosed facility for five hogs sheep goat pens 10 by five with gates $6,000 so as Thomas said about $29,500 for that. >> Yes sir. Uh, as you know, I I was one of the people last uh meeting that uh voted to delay discussion of this or voting on this until this meeting. Um, that was not because I don't
031think we need it. I absolutely do. Uh, but I wanted to check with the state to see if monies were there for grants that we could offset some of the cost. They're not. I checked with uh Senator Seal's office. I checked with Senator Farmer's office. Um, they're just not there. So that being said, I'm satisfied that, you know, his price right that we need to do what we need to do. So I will be yes on this. Anyone else got anything? All right. And we'll vote um on the move to allocate $391,000 391,373 from 141 fund balance toward construction of a building on campus judge county high school. All those in favor of this show by raising your right hand. All right. 74 against zero. And I brought my special FFA gabble. Motion passes. >>
032All right. So then that brings us to uh the fair lease. And like I said, the one that was in your packet, we're going to call it A. And then the one that was laying on the table, we're going to call it B. Um, I'm get mine out here and actually label it so I can say it. >> Mr. Chair. >> Yes, sir. >> I would like to move to consider lease agreement B uh between the board and the Jefferson Association for approval. >> All right. Is there a second on that motion? >> I'll second. Let's see. Let me get down. >> All right. You got any? >> Sure. Um what we have is uh the from discussions with the fair association. Their major concern is that they do not really have when they have
033to come back every year. uh they need certainty to be able to book carnival rides, rodeos, things like this at events uh because I guess there's a great demand for it. So what they asked was some kind of mechanism where they could get some kind of certainty so that they could look to the future and assure their vendors that you know there was going to be a fair next year so they would commit to it. They suggested that um we do a um three-year lease is either a two-year lease or threeyear extension or a three-year lease with a 2-year extension, something of that nature. Uh I believe Dr. Arnold checked with our client, can you maybe explain what >> Yeah. So, uh, anytime we start doing multi-year leases, it draws the county into, uh, some
034type of financial requirement that would resolve that would result in them having to do a resolution, us having to, uh, take out some type of um, financial hit with the county. Um, and it would be easiest and cleanest just to do a one year with automatic renewal unless you take action to do something else. >> And and I believe that you know that way we can we can at this meeting if it's if we so choose approve a one-year lease with an automatic extension. And as you'll see on in the uh where it says to use the lease furnaces said lease will automatically renew annually unless the Jefferson County Board of Education takes it to not renew. So I mean if there's some reason if there's something in the lease that once it's in place
035we decide we want to change we don't have to renew it. We can change it and then and then renew it. But I think giving them some kind of a certainty that unless something unless for example something happens on their end and the fair association expands or sat hunts on our ends and we want to change something that they're automatically going to be able to use the property again the next year I think give us some certainty. Other things that uh are changed in here from our existing lease would be um uh we would get their signage. Right now, we don't allow them to put signage up uh until 10 days before their event. This would change that from 10 to 15 days. And it would change the um cancellation the cancellation from 120 days
036to 180 days. So it go from um 4 months to 6 months. Uh those everything else is pretty much the same as we have in our existing lease. They did ask for some other things. I didn't quite understand why they were asking for it. Um I thought it would might be a good idea to have Association come up and explain it. Maybe if if if that makes sense, we want to include that in here with an amendment. If not, then we don't have to. But Mr. Chairman, I'd like to call up representative of the fair association. Is anybody here from prayer? >> I just have a couple questions. >> All right. >> Question. One of the things I noticed in here is you asked that the utilities over there be changed into the uh fair
037associate in the name of the fair association rather than our name. Could you explain what the why you'd like that what what the reason you want that would be? >> Okay. The reason why that we would like for to have it changed back into our name because it used to be that way and we could just pay the bills each month and you know just keep up the payments on the bills. Now, with it set up the way it is, everything goes to a spreadsheet for all of your stuff. And then I have to call the electric company, find out each payment from them with the numbers that I have, and then the next month I pay for the month before. But this way, we could go ahead and pay it just like you would
038if you were living in a house. You pay the bill, right? clean it. You don't wait. And that way, because that's the way it used to be. We used to have all the utilities in our name and we just paid it monthly just like you would if you were, you know, renting a house or renting an apartment or whatever or leasing an apartment. We just automatically took care of all the utilities. And we would like to have that back the way it was. So that because some months we won't have a whole lot but some months, you know, if we have something over there, then we're going to, you know, have a a different amount and we'd like to know, you know, what we're going to have to pay. >> Dr. Arnold, do for any
039reason I'm learning, we wouldn't want that to happen. It >> doesn't matter to me. Um, you know, I would just ask that if they have anything that is not, you know, associated with the normal fair that they come through same type of facilities use agreement as anything so that we know what's going on. >> Okay. >> And I have one other thing. You handed out a list of um proposed events for the coming year. Could you go into that a little bit and why you want >> These are just some of the ideas that we were thrown around as a board of things that we would like to do and it's for the community. It's not for the fair necessarily. It's just community involvement and it's just for us to do things so that the
040community knows that we're not there just for fair. We're there to help with other community activities. Uh we'd like to raise awareness of the FFA and the 4 and all that kind of stuff. We you know some of the things that we are wanting to do pertain to FFA and 4 and like Josh was there when we had our Century Farm dinner and you know we invited every Century Farm person or that you know was in the community. We had 15 farms RSVP. we had four farms show up. So here we had all this stuff and you know we didn't have the farms to show up for it but that's just part of it. But we do that to make awareness of those type things because we want to to show the century farm owners
041that we're proud of what they do and we're pr proud of that heritage that we have with them and you know the FFA we can do all kinds of things with them and I've talked to M to Mr. Martin about doing things and you know there's a lot of things that we would like to do. There is a lot of things that you know like our breakfast with Santa or you know something at Christmas time we would like to do that as have the kids come make stockings see Santa have their pictures made with Santa but it's not necessarily that we're trying to make a lot of money. We're just trying to make you know do things for the community like we used to because we used to do stuff like that saying the reason
042you're doing this would not be to make money. No, no, no. It's not to make money because more than likely we'll lose money on some of the things that we do, but it's to bring, you know, more awareness to the community that we're there for them, not just for ourselves. >> Um, trying to think if there was anything else I need to ask you. >> Yeah, please go ahead. >> I have a question concerned over the insurance. I'm not in favor of putting anything in the fire's name. We as a school board have that insurance. They we we have insurance. They have insurance. Um so there is u they have liability insurance whenever they carry it. So they'll have to carry that longer. >> Would they have it to hold? I have already checked to
043make sure I can get it for all year and I can. >> If you don't have insurance and you're still going to have these activities, who would be who would be responsible for it? >> We will have insurance for the entire year. >> But if you don't, who would be responsible for it? >> We wouldn't do it if we didn't have insurance. >> You wouldn't have anything. >> If we don't have insurance, we don't do anything. That's one of my main things. I make sure that there is insurance. >> Mr. I have questions. >> You talk about a lot of things. Sounds great. Uh but the only event that will be charged entrance fee and parking would be the first. >> Yes. Yes. >> All the other events >> everything else is done >> off
044the community and all that good stuff. >> Yes. >> Just want to clarify that. >> Any other questions? You gave us a a list of I take the six things that are on here. I think it goes up through May. >> Yeah. >> These are just the things you guys are putting on. >> Well, if we can if you can. >> Yeah. I mean, these are some of the things that we would like. >> Yeah. You'd like to do these aren't vendors. This is what you guys want to do. >> This is just us. Do you foresee yourselves like um having vendors come in at any point trying to rent the property to put on anything? >> No. What we would be doing, we would be doing for the community. We wouldn't be having vendors
045come in. And if we did have any if anything else happened, we always discuss it with Tommy before we have anybody else over there because they have still have to go through you guys if they're going to do anything because we don't just have the only thing that has ever been over at the fairgrounds is Carson Newman has had um used the barn to build floats for their homecoming parade. That's the only other thing that's ever happened over there other than doing stuff. So when you guys have the fair, I know one year I went there, I think you charge for parking. You guys in the past, different years there's been different ways to be somebody coming to the fair. Um like this year was free parking, you paid to enter into the fair, right?
046Is that do you have a set way you're going to start doing that? Is it kind of just been like >> Well, this year it worked out really well having the free parking and uh we will probably continue to do it. >> They just charge at the gate to come in >> and that's it. Yeah. The only other thing that people have to pay for if they come to the other than the gate admission is they would have to pay for pony rides because they be charged for the pony rides. But everything else is included. >> And how much is it to get into the fair? And of course the carnival does charge for their armbands. >> But that's that's the carnival themselves. Do you guys get a cut out of that? >> We get
047a little bit. We get like 4%. >> Right. How much is it to get into the fair? >> It was $10 per person. >> Okay. Uh I have a question. Do we not middle Jeff? should get some money off the parking. >> They get they get money from the fair association. $1,800 to each school uh is paid to $1,800. >> That's guaranteed no matter whether they charge parking or whatever. >> That's just what we get. >> It doesn't have anything to do with whether it's parking or whether it's >> that's just what >> one time you kind of >> Yeah. As long as they get >> one. >> Okay. How many you >> about how many vendors do you typically get for the fair? >> It just depends. >> Uh some of them have some
048of them sell stuff, some of them do not. And the ones who do not sell. And like if it's a a like a agriculture person, they don't pay anything to come and set up, you know, like a beekeeper comes and sets up, they don't have to pay anything. If anybody selling like produce comes, they don't have to pay for anything. It's only people who they're make, you know, selling like jewelry or this that or the other. It's the only ones that actually pay for anything. And most of the ones that we do have like um the hospitals, the the u you know nursing homes, people like that that just want to hand out their literature. They they set up for $250 a week, which is $50 a night. And you know, we that money just
049goes toward our insurance and our expenses and stuff like that. >> Okay. Um and so this proposed events I know this is only proposed this hypothetical. So if we go ahead and if we were to if this were to be approved um this would at least help you guys bring in more revenue in addition to awareness. Not much because most like I said most of this stuff we're not going to we're either going to break even or we're going to lose money on it simply because we supply all the materials like if we have breakfast with Santa or something and we have the stuff for the kids to make ornaments and stockings and all we buy that stuff ourselves. So and then of course we have to pay for the insurance we have to pay
050for the the electric and all of the utilities. So in turn, we're not if we do make any money, it's not going to mean very much. >> Could I make mention that these events, this is not part of what we're voting on. >> No, if they want if they want to do this, there's a provision in the lease that they have to come and get approval from us to do it. So this is not part of what we're voting on. This is just something that she passed out the last meeting. I wanted to clarify exactly what it was. So this is really not motion at all. >> That's just some of the ideas that we would like to incorporate. Of course, it's too late this year to do very many of them, but this is
051just some of the things that we would like to do. We did have an Easter egg hunt last year because it was right after Easter came, right after our lease started, and we had like 300 and something kids, which turned out to be very good. Um, we as a board bought all the eggs and all the candy and everything and there was no charge. The kids loved it. They had them all. We did have a few little vendors set up that was there but they weren't, you know, they didn't give us anything to be there. Uh, but it turned out to be a very good thing for the community and we did raise a lot of awareness for the community by having that income. >> All right. Um, I just have two more questions. Um,
052how I can only imagine the undertaking takes the safer. >> Oh, yeah. >> I go to them every year. How soon in advance do you have to get on a schedule with I know it's James game that we've been using to >> We sign a contract between January when we go to conviction. >> Okay. Um the other question that I have is roughly do you have an estimate of how many people come through the gates? >> I didn't bring the total. >> I'm not I'm not looking for an exact. I mean >> obviously it's more than a thousand people. >> Um >> you know what that was? >> Is it consistent each year like last year and this year? Last year we were down and we were we were down a little bit from the
053year before. Uh but it was the week that it was because it was the Fourth of July week. A lot of people were out of town on vacation. So we know that that was one of the contributing factors to that. But we were down like a little over a thousand people like maybe 1500 people from year to four. And we keep up with it from year to year because I keep a gate book of exactly how many people come in each night. It's in the car. >> We are we are we on schedule to keep doing it the same week? >> Oh yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. It will be the same week this year. Next year it will fall back like one year one week later simply because of the way the carnival schedule
054works. So next year it'll be the like the second week of July instead of the first. >> Okay. >> Which will make it a little bit better. >> All right. Anything else? >> I just question the electricity being put in their name. It's not in this plan B. >> I'm going to make an amendment right now to do that. >> Okay. >> Want to go ahead with that? >> Okay. Uh, I move to amend uh the motion on the floor for approve lease agreement to include the following wording to replace the last two sentences in the section entitled rent and utilities in lease B. The wording would be the following wording to replace the last two sentences would be all utilities used on the premises shall be placed in the name of the Jefferson County
055Fair Association and tenant fair association shall be responsible for timely payment of all utility charges there. Second to that. All right. Paul has seconded the amendment on the utilities. So I'll read that again just to move to amend the motion on the floor um to approve the lease agreement B to include the following wording to replace the last two sentences which is they're already highlighted here. Um in section entitled rents and utilities, all utilities used on the premises shall be placed in the name of Jurish County Fair Association and the tenant shall be responsible for timely payment of all utility charges. Is there any discussion on the amendment? All right, hearing none, we'll vote on the amendment. All those in favor of the amendment so by raising your right hand. All right. F740 against. So
056we're back to the main motion which now is going to be just a second. uh move to consider the lease agreement between the board and jerking fire association and include the following wording to replace last two sentences um in section entitled rent utilities all utilities used in the premises shall be placed in the name of jerk fire association and tenant shall be responsible for timely payment of all utility charges >> I'd like to make an amendment >> and I don't know where it goes in this but I'd also like to include that all school employees with proper ID get in the fair free plus one only for entry is there second to that >> amen that amendment to Write that down so we can >> Can you repeat it? >> Yeah, you need to repeat
057it. >> That all school employees with proper ID get free entry into the fair plus one. Any discussion on that Mr. Chairman? Yes, >> I think that's going a little bit too far because they're asking to make money. We're not give asking them to give us money. Of course, they're going to have to pay $3600 to the schools anyway. And for you all school employees, teachers, kids, and everybody's what you're saying. >> Is a kid a school employee? >> Sir, >> is a child a school employee? >> School. They go in there with their mother and daddy. >> A school employee. school. >> I I can I can I'm talking about if you're cafeter, if you're a bus driver, if you're a teacher, >> Yes, sir. >> If you're an administrator, you're going to take
058I don't go to the fair just by myself. I take a child. I don't usually go without my wife and we sit around on the bench. I don't go there without spending probably from$100 to $200 how to pay for armbands and food and anything else we do. And I just think that it being on school property, I mean, I I already don't think paper teachers enough. And I mean, I just think that it's just something a little extra nice to do to our school employees since school grounds to begin with. Mr. >> Ma'am, I got a question. Y'all are walking a thin line on >> Yeah. >> breaking even. >> Yeah. Most everything. Well, let me just give you a little tip here. >> This year alone, we paid out $7,341 in agriculture premiums. That
059was what we paid out for the kids to come and bring their cows, bring their entries. That's what we paid to them. for their entries. Uh we don't just make money to be making money. We put a lot of that back into the kids. We gave a scholarship to the FFA FFA uh one of the FFA girls um LA. She got a $1,000 scholarship this year. Uh we give a scholarship to um our Ferris fair each year. They each get $1,000. We had five scholarships that we tried to give away. Couldn't give them away for nothing. Tried every way in the world to get them to just send in an essay so we could, you know, grant these scholarships. We had two entries is all we had. And uh we were going to um give
060both scholarships away, but one of the the guys that we were going to give it to, he never came over. And all we require is that they come over and put in volunteer hours during fair and he he didn't he would come and help the fair. So he won't be able to get his but and then we we do other donations as well. We give donations to the fire department, to the rescue squad, and other associations like that. It's not just for us. We try our best to do things for the community as well. And it takes a lot of money. It takes a lot of money for insurance. It takes a lot of money for advertising. It takes a lot of money for the events we put on. I mean, the reason why we
061quit doing rodeos is because It's $95,000 each time you do a rodeo. You can't afford that kind of thing if you're not making money in. And rather than cut our throats and not be able to pay the kids their premiums, we don't we choose not to do the higher expensive entertainment. And that's what we're trying to do because we want to make sure that we have that money set aside to pay those premiums to those kids and to the adults that come in and inter. >> Paul, could I clarify something? Let's say uh a cafeteria worker comes in and under your plan she has she's bringing her husband and three kids. How many free tickets are you proposing that they receive? >> It just be her and her husband. her husband, not all the kids
062and everybody else. >> I'm I'm going to have to oppose this amendment just just me because I mean I know it's it might seem like fiddly squat to some of us, not to me, but that's a lot of money for you all that could potentially cuz I know when they do free stuff for teachers, teacher shows up. So every time they got something free over in Smokies and I'm able to go, I'm going. So I think this take a a hit to y'all's pocket. Anyone else? Don't >> Thank you for clearing up those figures. >> I appreciate that. >> Anything else on this amendment? All right. So, uh, all those in favor of the amendment to allow a school employee plus one free admission. All those in favor show by raising your right hand. All
063those opposed that be six. So, that amendment then fails. So then that brings us back to the motion that was amended to include the utilities. Is there any more discussion on that? >> I have turn uh I don't really have anything against the U renewal automatic, but I do think that the board needs to know that that's happening. you know, so somebody may, you know, have an objection, but it slipped by, >> you know, and they didn't have the chance to do something. So, uh that might be put in a policy or something that the school board be uh would be informed x amount of time before >> the the contractors renew >> just you know sometimes you forget things are happening >> and uh that makes sense. Yeah, >> but it I would not
064in the in the contract but in our own board policy just to keep the board in that that's coming up. >> Yeah, just like any other report. >> Yeah, that's coming up and >> our fiscal years is October 1st through September 30th, >> right? >> For our taxes. So if we can do it kind of said it said anything that automatically goes on but we can >> y'all work on a pause. Okay. >> All right. Anything else on >> um this is actually a question I guess for Tommy. Are we we are paying property tax on >> we don't pay property tax. We don't pay property tax as a government. >> Okay. And we do pay insurance on that property, right? >> Everything Everything you own is insured. >> Okay. >> Under the same policy.
065>> Yes. We have one policy through Tennessee risk management for so let's say something happens over there um and uh it falls back on us also. we get named in the suit, then our our coverage will kick in. >> And is it based on across all of Jefferson County or like per location? How does that work? >> There's a there's a spreadsheet that is it has everything. So, just think of every school. If a school burns down, the insurance company has to know. So, it's valued. Everything is listed. No different than your home. uh the building, the contents, uh people, uh things, whatever is ensured within that uh policy. >> And how many buildings are on the fairground property? >> On the fairground specifically, >> uh there's big livestock there. Six, >> five. Only five.
066>> There's a restroom. the announcers >> announcers >> uh exhibit barn uh double wide and the livestock barn. >> I was counting the pavilion. >> Well, that's the livestock. >> The uh over there on the far right behind the exhibit bar. >> The stage. >> Oh, the stage. I don't really even think about it as being a building because it's all open. >> The structure. >> Yeah, structure. that >> six structures and we pay insurance on all six of those >> that's included in our insurance as well. >> Okay. And included in ours >> it's depreciated down I mean >> it's nothing to what long story short we got into something on a restroom that was at White Pine during the construction. Do you remember that, George? They were searching for it. It was showed
067up on insurance. I sent them a picture of it. It is basically a glorified outhouse that actually connected to a sewer line and water wrapped in metal. She said, "Are you serious?" I said, "This is it?" She said, "Never mind." But uh every every structure we own that is considered a building is insured >> only in East Tennessee. >> I know it took me a long long time to find that. All right. >> So if we wasn't that in their names, the utilities in the fire association's name >> and what building was left out or something, it would fall back on the school system. Right. [Music] I'm not in favor. >> If if something burns down, is that what you're saying? So if something burn So the fair is to have us listed as on
068their policy. So if if a building burns down, the checks coming to the board and then the board has a choice. >> Coming to us as a board. >> Yes. It comes >> we have a choice to pay them. >> Yes. To to build it back or whatever. That's that's the board's choice. So, um, no different than if you, you know, own a house and you rent a house to somebody, the the renter can't get insurance on that piece of property because they don't own it. They can only get renters's insurance on the contents. >> More discussion. All right. So, move to chair and approve lease agreement between the board Um and Jire Association. Um and the lease agreement or lease agreement B to be um include all the utilities on premises shall be placed
069in the name of J County Fire Association. Tenant shall be responsible for timely payment of all utility charges. All those in favor of that show by raising your right hand. All those opposed. All right. So the motion then for the to approve the the fair lease passes one. >> Okay. >> Any more questions? >> I think we're good there. That takes us to the school board meeting schedule 2026, which be the last thing in your new business there. Is there a motion to approve the school board meeting schedule for 2026? >> Danny has made a move. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All second. Any discussion on that one? All right. Hearing none. All those in favor? >> Sure. >> Yes. >> Trying to give him an opportunity to say notice that uh >>
070I noticed that our last meeting is June 25th. It's usually a special call. We have the June meeting and then our next meeting isn't until the end of August, which is actually September. We actually take July and August off. Correct. Is there a reason why we missed two months? I I get July probably vacation people gone. We have no meeting in August. >> We have a meeting in August this year. >> At the end at the end, but it's actually September. Ever since I've been on here since long been like ever you u you know you're always as a board you're always able to call a special call meeting if business arises. So as you end um the fiscal year and you start a new year, there's not a lot of need for u amendments,
071there's not a lot of trips, there's not a lot of business that gets conducted. Um, you know, if you look at our August going into September meeting, it was not heavy. But I'm not saying that we might not have to have a special call in August to address an issue with Talba or Jefferson Elementary School if that need arises. Uh, and that would just be a simple thing between Josh and I if the need arises or how that can get called into a special call meeting. Um, we've always had a a meeting for budget amendments at the end of June. And to answer your question you asked me, I don't recall meeting in July other than if it was necessary. Like I said, Not a lot going on. I mean, I don't care to meet.
072>> It's just a matter of would there be anything on the agenda, you know, but I mean, like you said, we can have a call meeting. >> I think there's 24 right now um scheduled um meetings counting the retreat on here. Um and then you go ahead and add in policy committees and fiveyear plans and maintenance and um you know you start getting up there in near 35 to 40. So All right. Any more discussion on this? All right. Hear none. We'll vote. All those in favor of approving the school board meeting schedule for 2026 show by raising your right hand. All right. Seven board zero again. Motion passes. And that brings us to the budget amendments. There are four on the docket here. Um general fund 141 number four items one through five which
073is page one. Is there a move on this? >> Make a motion to accept >> bill. Motion second. >> Second. Any discussion on that? I think you'll notice that some of this includes the livestock structure stuff. >> So that's several of those there. All right. All those in favor of approving uh general fund 141 number four items 135 amendment show by raise your right hand passes 70 then we got general fund 141 number five items one through two is there a motion on this move >> has moved is there second >> bill has Any discussion on budget amendment number five there? All right. Hearing none, we'll vote. All those in favor approving general fund 141, number five, items one through two. Show raising right hand. 740 against. Next one's federal fund 142 number two items
074one through three. Is there a move on this amendment? >> So move there second. Any discussion on this budget amendment? All right. All those in favor of approving federal fund 142 number two items one through three budget amendment show or raise your right hand zero against and then lastly capital project fund 177 number two is the very last one here. Is there a move on this? So >> move is there or second? I'll second. Any discussion on this meeting? I do have a question. Uh on item two there uh where it has building improvements to move committed funds to an expansion line 26. Uh we talked about so many capital projects. Are these projects that it and it has paving and roof repair. Are these projects are we doing this money in case we need
075the money or are these projects that we've committed to and need money for because we have committed. >> So basically we've just ended last year and then this year. So they were in an expenditure line the end of year then they go into reserve and then we have to bring them back into an expenditure line. Uh, but we do not currently have I don't think we currently have anything committed on these projects. >> Okay. >> That I'm aware of. >> No. >> So, we're just bringing a vacuum bag out in case we need it. >> Yeah. We always looking at um paving projects. >> So, okay. >> Yeah. You ask question. >> I don't have anything. >> Anything else? >> All right. All those in favor of the motion to approve capital projects fund 177
076number two item 134 button show by raise your right hand passes that brings us down to school commissioner input. Anyone? Yes. >> I would like to place on the agenda uh for the work session and for a vote to revisit the um perfection HVAC replacement unit for Jeff Smith for next next month. >> All right. Any other items for input for commissioner input? You want to say anything about this? >> You don't care. >> So, we had a meeting today on Jefferson Elementary School starting to talk a little bit about what it's going to look like. Um, but one thing I wanted to draw to your attention that Blankenship gave us today on the second page top you see the schedule. Uh and that right now we're in schematic design 75 days schematic design and
077and we hope to have that complete in two weeks and to you in November for a vote uh consideration of that if I can get it out to you in time. Um so then it moves into design development and then it moves into construction documents. If you look construction documents ends into May into June, then we have to bid it out. So, uh we really need to start working to develop a plan so that we don't miss some in the summer. U so we're having conversations working on that, but I want you to know it is very tight. Um, you know, it seems like we started this in in plenty of time, which we did. Uh, you know, we started that in in um July and uh and started moving forward with um contracts and
078those things and it's just eats up a lot of time. So, this was from Blankenship to to get us to project start. And then whenever you bid it out and you hire a contractor, their start date's not the next day. Um, so we may get creative and start um bidding out packages such as a baitment package where whenever the kids walk out the next day, we've got an abatement crew in there. That's that pro that section of it bid out. So, um, you're going to start hearing me talk a lot about this. I'm going to start sending you information on Jefferson Elementary School. U, but This is what we're looking at right now as far as what was given to us today going to meet. >> All right. Thank you for that. Um any other
079show where we are in >> So basically the pictures. Did y'all get those pictures? Couldn't tell if they went through or not. That's about where we're at. So, shortly after I sent you those pictures of the base laid down in gravel, we had the rain that moved in. Not a lot happened after that. Um, they started back this week. So, they'll be digging footers, laying out the footers and pouring footers, and then you'll start seeing concrete block coming out of the ground in the next 30 days. >> Thank you. >> Anything else? Announcements? October 14th, joint committee meeting Patriot Academy 6:30. Anybody else got anything? >> I'd like to say I went to New Market during the principal for the day. I really enjoyed it. Uh I know that uh she's not here tonight, but
080the kids loved her so much. I never every kid would come up was giving her a hug, but one thing she told every kid before they walked away, I love you. That means a lot. It really does. You know, I just want to let Miss Rogers know. She does a great job. >> All right. Um, we're going to make a Anybody want to make a move to adjourn there? >> Danny, is there a second? >> Paul on second. all those shows. I raise your right hand to leave. Um, we want the FFA advisors and the you ladies to come up here. We want to get a picture to celebrate the Yes, that includes you, Mr. Maples. I seen pictures of you on the Facebook and stuff. So, I know you take people got pictures of
081you. So, >> we're wearing a Hawaiian flarity shirt.