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Knowledgebase is a database of templates, ordinances, resolutions, legal opinions, survey results, and job descriptions to help you lead your Tennessee municipality.
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Recently Added
| Competitive Bid Thresholds in Selected Cities and Towns in Tennessee A number of selected municipalities in east and middle Tennessee were surveyed regarding their dollar amount threshold for competitive bids. |
| Satellite Television Provider and Requirement to Purchase Business License or Pay Business Taxes MTAS Legal Consultant Stephanie Allen O'Hara responded to a request for information regarding the necessity of a business license. |
| Assessing the Liquor Privilege Tax on Limited Service Restaurants MTAS Legal Consultant Elisha Hodge responded to a request for information regarding assessing a liquor privilege tax on limited service restaurants. |
| Incentives for Certifications for Selected Municipalities in East Tennessee The MTAS Research and Information Center asked East Tennessee municipalities what incentives they give their employees for certifications in selected fields. |
| Model Procurement Code Amendment for Purchases Through Competitive Sealed Proposals MTAS and the Tennessee State Comptroller are required by state law (T.C.A.12-3-1207(d)) to "develop a model procurement code that may be adopted by any municipality to guide the governing body and purchasing agent in making purchases through requests for competitive sealed proposals. The model procurement code shall contain provisions allowing an aggrieved respondent to protest the intended award to another respondent if the protest is filed within seven (7) calendar days after the intended award is announced. The protest shall be filed with and decided by the municipal governing body." This model ordinance, developed by MTAS in conjunction with the Comptroller's Office and updated in response to Private Acts of 2022, Chapter No. 779 (effective April 8, 2022), satisfies this statutory requirement. |
| Water & Sewer Tap or Connection Fees in Selected Tennessee Cities Twelve Tennessee municipalities responded to a request for information regarding residential water and sewer tap fees. |
| Sewer Line Repairs on Private Property MTAS Legal Consultant Stephanie O'Hara responded to a request for information regarding a private citizen's responsibility to repair sewer lines on private property. |
| Central Purchasing Agent Required to Increase Bid Threshold MTAS Legal Consultant Stephanie O'Hara responded to a request for information regarding increasing the bid threshold in the community to $25,000. |
| Regulation of Portable Basketball Hoops in Roadway MTAS Legal Consultant Stephanie O'Hara replied to a Tennessee town's request for information regarding prohibiting portable basketball hoops in the municipality roadways. |
| Use of Municipal Seal in Election Campaign MTAS Legal Consultant Stephanie O'Hara responded to a request for information regarding whether or not a candidate for office may use the municipality's official seal in a campaign. |
| Salary and Benefits for Elected Officials in Selected West Tennessee Municipalities Seven cities responded to a request for information from the Research and Information Center regarding the annual salary and other benefits afforded to the elected officials in their municipalities. |
| Municipality Paying Attorney Fees for Private Residents Who Sued the Municipality MTAS was asked to provide an opinion on the matter of a town using public funds to pay for attorney's fees for private residents who successfully challenged the passage of an ordinance related to a rezoning request. |
| Application of "Fresh Start Act" to 9-Year Old Beer Permit Case MTAS Legal Consultant Elisha Hodge responded to a request for information regarding whether or not the "Fresh Start Act" applies to applicant for a beer permit following a case decided 9 years ago. |
| Responsibility for Selecting and Hiring City Attorney in a Manager Commission Charter Type City MTAS Legal Consultant Elisha Hodge responded to a request for information regarding who has the responsibility of selecting and hiring a town attorney in a manager commission form of government. |
| City of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee Strategic Plan 2021 This strategic plan is an update to a prior version facilitated and prepared by MTAS. The updated document demonstrates the success of the strategic planning process and that the city achieved nearly complete implementation of the plan and its initiatives. |
| Regulation of Mailboxes in Rights-of-Way Since the preparation of the memorandum by Sid Hemsley, MTAS Senior Law Consultant in July 2003 (see attachment below), the United States Postal Service (USPS) has prepared and published design standards and guides for the construction and installation of mailboxes that include free-standing mailboxes, wall-mounted mailboxes, and centralized mailboxes. |
| Contraction of City Limits MTAS Legal Consultant Elisha Hodge responded to a request for information regarding the contraction or deannexation of property within a Tennessee town's geographical boundaries. |
| Planning Commission Requiring Dedication of Property for Roads to Serve Subdivisions MTAS Legal Consultant Melissa Ashburn responded to a Tennessee city regarding regulations requiring land for road development and 2022 Public Chapter 1128. |
| Sevier County Right of Way Utility Permit Application In order to obtain a permit, the application must be picked up at 139 County Garage Road, Sevierville, Tennessee. |
| ADA Coordinator Position in Selected Tennessee Cities and Towns Twelve Tennessee cities and towns responded to a request for information regarding the role of an ADA Coordinator in their municipalities. |
| Summary of 2022 Public Acts This document summarizes the year's public acts that have the most impact on municipal operations in Tennessee. |
| Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Control Study Former MTAS Management Consultant Pat Hardy and CTAS Consultant Rick Hall worked together on a study of animal control and animal shelters in both Carter County and Elizabethton, Tennessee. Both the city and county were seeking information on how to handle animal control and shelter responsibilities more efficiently. |
| Municipality Liability for Damages Caused by Failing Drainage Systems MTAS Legal Consultant Melissa Ashburn responded to a Tennessee city's request for information regarding a municipality's responsibility to homeowners in the event of failed drainage system damage. |
| MTAS Signing Bonuses and Referral Incentives Survey The MTAS Research and Information Center conducted a survey to find out how Tennessee municipalities handle signing bonuses and referral incentives and thirteen cities responded to the request for information. |
| Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Fire Resource Information The author of this document explains the number of all electric and hybrid vehicles are on the road with the number of them expected to increase. The listed resources are provided to assist fire departments and other first responders with their local training program on electric and hybrid vehicle fires. |
| Mayor's Employment and Potential Conflict of Interest MTAS was asked whether the mayor is precluded from doing landscaping work for private property owners on private property located within the town as part of the mayor's outside employment. |
| Natural Gas Basics This guide provides basic information concerning natural gas as it relates to a municipal gas system or local distribution customer (LDC). It is not intended to be an all-inclusive detailed discussion on natural gas. |
| Woodland Mills Renewable Energy Resolution The City of Woodland Mills adopted a resolution in January 2022 creating the Woodland Mills Community Pilot Resiliency Program with MTAS and TREEDC. |
| Ordinance to Amend the Town of Somerville Municipal Code Regarding Brown Bagging Alcoholic Beverages Management Consultant Rick Whitehead authored this ordinance for the Town of Somerville regarding alcoholic beverages. |
| Facebook Posting Sufficiency for Notice of Public Meeting MTAS Legal Consultant Melissa Ashburn replied to a request for information regarding pending legislation on public meeting notices. Ashburn goes on to explain that a Facebook posting is not sufficient alone to satisfy open meeting requirements. |