Photo: County Mayor Randy Geiger presents proclamation honoring County Clerk Donna Craig. Treva Kelleher photo.
Paris, Tenn.–Meeting for its regular January meeting Tuesday night, the Henry County Commission formally accepted the $500,000 Historic Development grant awarded earlier and acquired real estate at 311 E. Wood St. in Paris that formerly was owned by the Henry County Medical Center.
County Mayor Randy Geiger presented a proclamation from Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton to County Clerk Donna Craig in acknowledgment of her being named State Clerk of the Year and County Official of the Year.
As was reported earlier, the grant was awarded to the county from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to perform renovations to the courthouse. The resolution states it is in the best interest of the county’s citizens that the county government accept the grant but that it is understood that the grant will not fully fund the renovations and that the commission will be required to appropriate and allocate funds later to pay the costs which exceed the grant. The grant is a 70-30 match.
The resolution authorizes Geiger to hire professionals to determine the scope of the renovations and is authorized to solicit bids for work associated with the renovations. The county will be studying the grant contract further.
In other business:
–The county acquired the real estate once owned by HCMC at 311 E. Wood St. The new owners, West Tennessee Healthcare Henry County is willing to release said real estate and convey it to the Henry County government. Total cost is $130,000.
–Upon a presentation by County Property Assessor Scott Morrison, the county authorized a continuous five-year reappraisal cycle. Tennessee law establishes a general six year reappraisal for updating and equalizing property values for each county and the six-year reappraisal program consists of an on-site review of each parcel of real property over a five-year period.
–Commissioners appointed citizens and commissioners to various boards and committees, including Airport Committee, Nominating Committee,Budget Committee, Beer Board, Buildings and Grounds, and 911 Board. David Webb was re-appointed County Historian and Dr. Scott Portis was appointed Medical Examiner, with Dr. Terry Harrison and Dr. Paul Evans as Assistant Medical Examiners.