Monday, August 22, 2011 6:30 pm

While it doesn't require an Act of Congress to get a Cannon County Commission committee to meet, it apparently does require a resolution.

At Tuesday night's special session of the Cannon County Commission, to be held at the courthouse beginning at 7 p.m., one of the agenda items is a resolution to require meetings of the Cannon County Homeland Security Committee ("HSC").

The resolution reads as follows:

"WHEREAS, this County Legislative Body, same being the County Commission, has previously acted to designate current members of the HSC; and,

WHEREAS, for unknown reasons, the HSC has failed to meet; and,

WHEREAS, the failure of the HSC to meet obstructs and limits the ability of Cannon County to act upon matters relating to Homeland Security funding, the allocation of equipment, and eligibility for grants that could save local fiscal resources and advance public safety in Cannon County;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THIS COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BODY, IN SESSION ASSEMBLED:

That we do hereby require that the HSC hold quarterly public meetings with adequate public notice of the date, time, and location of each meeting to be provided by the County Executive, and notice hereby given to each HSC member; and, further, that the first meeting be held before October 1, 2011, and subsequent meetings to be held quarterly and the same meeting schedule to apply in following years; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the absence of the EMA (Emergency Management Agency) Director to attend any HSC meeting shall not limit the HSC from taking action deemed in the best interest of the County. In the event of the EMA Director's absence, all duties and authority of that office may be exercised by such other person as the County Executive may designate, which delegation of authority shall continue until the County Executive restores the authority of the EMA Director, in writing; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THIS RESOLUTION WILL TAKE EFFECT FROM AND AFTER ITS PASSAGE, THE PUBLIC WELFARE REQUIRING IT."

Faye Morse serves as Cannon County's EMA Director. The director receives no compensation.

The agency brought in $26,693 during the 2009-2010 fiscal year to the county via federal money through state grants. In 2010-2011 the grant amount totaled $495,302. According to the county budget $239,305 was spent on "Other Supplies and Materials" and $256,278 on "Motor Vehicles" during the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

The proposed budget for the current fiscal year (2011-2012) lists no revenue or expenses for Homeland Security,

The Cannon Courier has not yet been able to determine if there are any other county commission resolutions requiring one of its committees to meet. According to County Executive Mike Gannon, to his knowledge there are none.

Current members of the HSC are listed below:

Faye Morse
32 Gassaway School Road
Liberty, TN  37095
(615) 563-5455
ccema@dtccom.net

John Naylor
3961 Murfreesboro Road
Readyville, TN  37149
(615) 563-5521

Grady George, Jr.
2362 Short Mountain Road
Woodbury, TN  37190
(615) 563-4627

Jim Bush
187 Rogers Road
Bradyville, TN  37026
(615) 765-5885

Darrell Young
246 Chumbley Road        
Woodbury, TN  37190
683-1756 (pager)

Dr. Leon Reuhland
205 S. McCrary Street
Woodbury, TN  37190
(615) 563-2981

Mike Gannon
4782 McMinnville Hwy.    
Woodbury, TN  37190
(615) 563-5141
cannonex@dtccom.net

Howard Blair, Jr.
939 Blair Road
McMinnville, TN  37110
(615) 563-2564

Alan Paschal
234 Riverview Drive
Woodbury, TN  37190
(615) 563-6609

Kirk Bush
492 Dickens Hill Road
Bradyville, TN  37026
(615) 765-5093

Allen Morse
32 Gassaway School Road    
Liberty, TN  37095
(615) 563-5455

Wayne Hancock
97 J. Hancock Road
Woodbury, TN  37190
(615) 563-8726

Tim Bell    
439 Iconium Road
Woodbury, TN  37190
(615) 563-6148