By Gary Nelson / gnelson@crossville-chronicle.com
An amendment to accept a federal drug control grant was approved by the Cumberland County Budget Committee on behalf of General Sessions Judge Larry Warner.
Commissioners serving on the committee approved accepting $114,264 in revenue for the grant and $12,500 of revenue for drug court fees for a total of $126,764.
Judge Warner applied for the grant earlier this year and was awarded the grant for a drug court program that will be administered through the Tennessee Community Services Agency. Some matching funds from the county will be generated through the Cumberland County court system.
The committee also approved an amendment for $43,294 in order to accept a Homeland Security grant for the county through the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency (Civil Defense).
The federal grant, which is 100 percent funding and requires no local matching money, is provided to enhance statewide communications, improve information sharing and gathering and to enhance citizen outreach and preparedness capabilities.
The funds will be used to purchase communication equipment, computer laptops (notebooks) for patrol units and CERT Kits for a citizen preparedness capability training program.
The amendment was made after 4th District Commissioner David Gibson motioned to approve and 2nd District Commissioner Nancy Hyder supported the motion. It was unanimously approved.
The budget committee also approved amendments of $1.1 million to accept capital outlay notes for landfill closure costs and $577,000 for a $250,000 donation to Roane State Community College for the business incubator and $327,000 for furniture and fixtures at the Cumberland County Justice Center.
The notes were previously authorized by the county commission, but are required to be funneled into the right lines of the county's fiscal year 2009-'10 budget.
