Overton Commissioner Concerned About Agendas

Members of the Overton County Commission want to start receiving meeting agendas more in advance.

That from County Commissioner Donna Savage who said they often get the agenda for a meeting only a few days before it takes place. Savage said for their most recent meeting she got the agenda several days in advance and then got an updated agenda with new items on it the morning of the meeting.

“We’ve got to do our homework too,” Savage said. “We need to go through this. We have questions like crazy and that’s what I’m saying. And it’s hard to do that. That’s a pretty thick packet to have to go through and I got it about 8:30 this morning.”

County Executive Steven Barlow said they often cannot finish the agenda until later in the week before a commission meeting because of committee meetings that will add items to the agenda. The commissioners approved a motion to add the subject as an item to be discussed at their next meeting.

“If we have a committee meeting on a Thursday prior to the Monday court, it’s hard to get you a packet or it won’t be on the agenda,” Barlow said. “And a lot of times you’ll want what went through the committee meetings on the agenda. So we get the agenda to you just as quick as we can get it to you. I mean, you can set a timeline and it won’t be finished if we’re still having committee meetings.”

Barlow said the goal for those in his office is to get the agenda to the commissioners a week before an upcoming meeting.

“I’m not trying to be difficult,” Savage said. “But I’ve never got mine a week before.”

Savage said they could get an agenda earlier as she requested and then make an addendum to add any last minute items as needed.

“I’m not saying they’re not doing their job, Steven (Barlow),” Savage said. “I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that I would like the agenda a little bit earlier so I can do my homework.”

Savage said she was told by Tennessee County Commissioners Association Executive Director Charlie Curtiss that commissioners can set the precedence as to when agendas are to be delivered to them. Savage initially asked to suspend the rules and add the item to the agenda during Monday’s meeting but agreed to postpone it after some discussion.