The county has not yet received an official notice but has learned that the state has established a fair market value of $7,200 for the Cherry Hill Community Center property on Cookeville Highway.
County Mayor Tim Stribling briefed the county commission on the matter Thursday night during an all committees meeting at the courthouse. The issue is expected to be discussed again during the regular monthly meeting of the county commission Monday night, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the courthouse.
The excess land committee of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Right of Way Division met in January and granted approval for the sale of the land clearing the way for the county’s outright ownership of the Cherry Hill Community Center property.
Although the state deeded the 0.24 acre site to DeKalb County in August, 1981, a restriction currently requires the county to use the property for public purposes. After taking control of the site in the 1980’s the county constructed the Cherry Hill Community Center there. In recent years community interest in the center has waned and the building is now in need of repairs. Members of the county commission have expressed an interest in either disposing of the property or leasing it.
In order to have the “public use” deed restriction removed and for the county to assume total control of the property, the county commission several months ago authorized County Mayor Stribling to file with the Tennessee Department of Transportation an application for “Conveyance of Interest of Surplus TDOT Right of Way”.
County Mayor Stribling explained that this process requests the state to ascertain the fair market value of the property should the county decide to purchase it.
“The committee has determined that the public use restriction can be released if fair market value is paid by the county. After all necessary approvals have been obtained you will be issued and executed a release of all restrictions,” according to a letter to the county from TDOT’s Right of Way Division.
“If we do buy the property at fair market value then that restriction for public use will be removed from the deed,” said County Mayor Stribling.
The county is not required to buy the property from the state.
In other business Monday night, the county commission will consider reappointing Genrose Davis, Jane Ramsey, and Bobby White to new three year terms on the DeKalb County Library Board. The commission will also act on a continuing budget and tax rate resolution to keep county government operating passed June 30 until the new budget is adopted for the 2017-18 fiscal year next month.
Trustee Sean Driver is also expected to give a report to the commission on property tax collections. As of Thursday, June 22, the DeKalb County Trustee’s Office had collected 96.43% of the $8.8 million in 2016 county property taxes to be collected for the year. That includes property, residential, commercial, personal, and public utility taxes.
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