County needs to submit its growth plan on time
There’s no shortage of confusion when it comes to Warren County’s Public Chapter 1101 plan. But there’s quickly becoming a shortage of time.
When it comes to 1101, officials from Morrison, McMinnville and the county have been operating in slow motion. No one has been in a hurry to develop a 20-year growth plan as mandated by the state.
Their reluctance seems somewhat reasonable. Mention 1101 to someone and see what kind of reaction you get: Confusion? Yes. Interest? It depends upon who you talk to. A big, fat yawn? Definitely.
But the time has come to speed things up. The July deadline is just around the corner and Warren County remains one of only three Tennessee counties which has not submitted its growth plan – despite having an extra year to develop one. Why is that not surprising?
Agreeing on an acceptable growth plan has been nothing short of a nightmare. Part of that has to do with Morrison and McMinnville fighting over the same land near McMinnville Country Club. And part of that has to do with officials not fully understanding 1101.
And part of it has to do with a comedy of errors:
• There appears to be two different 1101 maps being studied by Morrison and McMinnville officials.
• Morrison initially submitted a growth plan that would have the city growing over 13 times its size in the next 20 years.
• Several Morrison and McMinnville officials don’t seem to care whether a growth plan is submitted at all.
Admittedly, there has been much confusion. And much of that confusion was expected as officials wade through uncharted waters. But it’s time for the bickering to stop and for a decision to be reached.
It would be nice to think our officials could decide this matter on their own. Warren countians have long said they want local problems dealt with on the local level. The idea of interference from Nashville has always been viewed as outsiders telling us how to handle our business.
But the process appears headed straight for mediation and if that process doesn’t work, arbitration appears to be the next step, according to one state planner. If that happens, someone from out of town will most likely decide how McMinnville, Morrison and the rest of our county can grow for 20 years.
So what’s the incentive to have an 1101 plan filed by the state deadline? It all comes back to ever-valuable grant money. Simply put, if Warren County doesn’t file its 1101 plan in time, the county might not be eligible for a substantial amount of state money.
Even with that possibility looming overhead, some officials don’t seem to care. That’s a pretty far-sighted attitude. Even though the potential loss of grant money seems to be the only teeth in the 1101 law, if you add it up, it turns out to be a substantial amount.
According to Michelle Price of the Economic Development District, over the last five years, $2.4 million in grant money has been received by Warren County and various municipalities. That money was used for everything from extending water lines to providing money for ambulances and improved housing.
Some officials have said this money can be obtained from other sources if necessary. But what sources? Warren County taxpayers? It would make more sense economically to pass an 1101 plan and continue the county’s very successful grant writing program without the interruption a drawn-out arbitration process could cause.
Whether it’s by mediation, arbitration or local cooperation is up to our elected officials to decide. It would be best to see local cooperation first.