John Coffelt, Editor

A series of requests for annexations that have been delayed since before September were either postponed or failed outright during a special called Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting on Nov. 19.

Requests for annexation for two plats on Murfreesboro Highway and one on Sissom Lane were originally on the agenda for a meeting in September. Months later, following several meetings that failed to make quorum or were canceled, the requests were on the agenda for the special call meeting.

Alderman James Threet and Donny Parsley were absent, leaving only four members present. Four yes votes are required for an item to pass.

Alderman Ryan French called for the annexations to not be delayed despite an unofficial yet precedence policy that the board only hears these types of items with a full board.

“I’m not sure when we’re going to have a full board anytime soon,” he said. “I’d at least like to open the floor for these property owners to be able to speak on their own behalf rather than us continue to put this off.”

French noted that these items had gone through the Planning Commission before coming to the board.

“I think it’s silly that the board is holding this up when it isn’t tied to any development,” French said in reference to the Gilley annex request for 99 acres on the Murfreesboro Highway. “A political statement is being made here tied to the development. This vote is not tied to development.” 

Alderman Julie Anderson had concerns about annexing due to the processes the board is following. She criticized the city’s plans of service for not providing dates for when the services will be provided and for not publishing recent annexation reports as required by law.

Anderson said in a statement made following the meeting, “We as a city are failing at planning and have inadequate infrastructure to support enlarging our footprint.”

“These (annex reports) are supposed to be in a newspaper every six months updating the public on past annexations and our progress on delivering services like water and sewer,” she continued.  “Our ‘plan of services’ consists of a stack of letters and isn’t a real plan. No dates on when we expect to deliver water and sewer. The law requires that we provide them in a reasonable timeframe. We are currently in the process of addressing infrastructure inadequacies and when we have a timeline and cost for those fixes my position will change.”

Mayor Joey Hobbs said following the meeting that on day one annexed property receives 95% of city services.

“The day somebody’s annexed the services that are supplied immediately are police, fire, public works, codes, finance and recreation,” Hobbs said.

Hobbs specified that the Gilley property already has city water. City sewer is the only service that would not be available.

“The way that works is Gilley has to connect to the closest sewer line at his expense, and run it to his property,” Hobbs said. “That’s when the conversation starts about sewer availability to him.”

Hobbs called Anderson’s comments at the meeting uninformed.

“All these things are provided immediately, and nine times out of ten its vacant property,” he said. “Her argument doesn’t hold water. You’re coming into there predetermined with a bunch of stuff that doesn’t matter.”       

Vice Mayor Mark Messick during the Nov. 19 meeting suggested Anderson (with the implication to include one or both of the absent aldermen) were not doing their jobs as aldermen. 

“I don’t mind anybody voting anyway on anything as long as they know what they’re voting for and how it impacts other people,” Mesick said. “Somehow I don’t feel like it’s coming from the other side.”

Through a bit of procedural process, Messick countered a motion that French made to vote on the annexes. Both French’s and Messick’s motions failed, opening the door for the items to be voted on.

The resolutions to adopt plans of service for the annex of 1.97 acres owned by Manchester Villas LLC failed due to lack of second.  The resolution to annex the property also failed due to lack of second.

The resolutions to adopt a plan of service for the Gilley property failed due to lack of second, while the annex garnered a second and failed 3-1 with Alderman Thomas Crosslin offering the only yes vote. Messick said his vote was so that he could bring the matter up again at a future meeting. 

The request for annex of 10.37 acres on Sissom Lane owned by Donald Parker likewise failed with the same vote.  

Plans of service are documents provide to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen written by each department head addressing that department’s ability to provide services to a potential annex. Most of the letters provided in recent years are very similar in content. For the Gilley Property, timelines state immediate services from fire, public works and finance. Parks and Recreation’s plan added that if the property were developed it would require additional park land, equipment and staff. Manchester City Schools likewise said that if the property is developed then it would not be possible to predict the number of schools needed but said that schools would be needed and that would take about three years.

Sewer connections have been delayed, according to the Water and Sewer plan of service. That connection approval would be granted by the state and “not possible for the city to predict when the state may act on an approval request.”     

Gilley says no development

Local businessman and School Board Member Robert Gilley said during the meeting that he has no current plans to develop the 99 acres of farmland that he has requested to be annexed.

“I’ve been hit at the right time, and this is a good opportunity,” he said. “I believe that if Manchester does grow and their infrastructure is more stable and more intact to support development (north of Manchester on Highway 41). I’m trying to broaden my opportunities as a taxpayer by joining the city to enlighten the market.”   

Gilley said while he questions some of the process of development towards Interstate 105, he does want to see development along that corridor.

Gilley also recognized that he would likely not see the services like city sewer in the immediate future if his property were annexed.   

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.