Site Selection Committee Meeting — May 27, 2026

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Video recording (YouTube)  —  Meeting began 4:00 p.m., City of Lebanon Administration Building

Committee Introduction and Purpose

This was the first public meeting of the Site Selection Committee. Chair Jeff Baines opened by reading from the authorizing resolution: the committee's purpose is to independently review, evaluate, and rank all viable sites for the new wastewater treatment plant. The committee is advisory only — it has no authority to spend money, acquire property, or negotiate with anyone. Final decisions rest with city council. The goal is to identify at least three viable sites, ranked in order of preference, and return a preliminary report to council within 45 days and a final recommendation within 90 days.

Committee members present: Jeff Baines (chair), Jody Vance, Caleb Thorne, Regina Santana, Tom Clemmons, Phil Morehead, Joey Carmack; Steve Jones (engineer/consultant, non-voting). Dave Dixon and Randy Lane had not yet attended. A vice chair and secretary were also identified. (An earlier version of this line listed “Jeff Bangs” and “Bill Bines” as separate attendees — both were transcription garbles of Jeff Baines.)

Scoring Matrix Adopted

Jody Vance presented a preliminary five-criterion scoring matrix for committee adoption. The criteria (in alphabetical order, not priority order):

• Community impact — business, property, or residential impacts
• Environmental impact and permitting — flood plain, endangered species, permitting difficulty
• Existing infrastructure — roads, utilities (power, gas, water)
• Size of the property — sufficient acreage for phased construction and buffer
• Service efficiency — proximity to growth areas and the existing force mains

Each criterion carries an importance factor of 1–3 (set once by each committee member, applied uniformly to all sites), and each site is scored 1–5 per criterion. The weighted score is the product of the two. The matrix was described as a preliminary shortlisting tool; a more detailed second-stage matrix would be developed for the final candidates.

The committee adopted the matrix by motion and vote before beginning site review, specifically to establish criteria before examining individual sites.

Engineer Site Presentations

Steve Jones (engineer/consultant) reviewed each of the 15 candidate sites, providing acreage, percentage of flood plain, and estimated force main connection distance (at approximately $1,000/linear foot for a 36-inch pipe; two pipes are needed to close the loop, so off-force-main distance drives cost at roughly $4,000/ft of property offset).

A minimum of 60 buildable acres (excluding flood plain) was established as the threshold for a viable site — enough for the initial facility, a future expansion phase, and a 100-foot buffer on all sides. Current plant capacity is 10 MGD; the new facility is designed for 20 MGD Phase 1, expandable to 40–50 MGD.

The engineer noted that Sites 14 and 15 would require treatment to occur in two locations — some at the existing plant and some at the new site — given their proximity to and size relative to the current facility.

Additional Sites Discussed

Several committee members and members of the public suggested sites beyond the original 15:

• A Corps of Engineers property near the river (referenced as studied in the 1970s) was raised. The engineer noted it is very small and largely in flood plain. The committee agreed to consider it.
• The old landfill site was mentioned; the chair noted it could be explained quickly why it wouldn't work.
• The TRW site was mentioned by a committee member.
• A committee member noted there were other sites not on the current list worth examining.

The resolution allows the committee to consider sites beyond those initially identified. New sites were to be sent to the engineer by the following week to allow time for preparation before the next meeting.

Key Technical Discussion

• Force main pipe cost: ~$1,000/linear foot for 36-inch; two pipes required (inflow and return), making off-main distance extremely cost-sensitive. An 8,300-ft offset could add tens of millions to the project.
• Moving downstream (toward the river) reduces pumping head and increases hydraulic capacity from existing pipes; sites near the river are inherently more efficient from a conveyance standpoint.
• Grading cost: ~$30/cubic yard to blast and haul rock off site; cut-and-fill within a site is far less expensive.
• Minimum 60 buildable acres (net of flood plain); larger sites allow greater vegetative buffer.
• Water reuse discussed briefly as a future benefit for irrigation; engineer noted it doesn’t reduce design capacity since peak flows occur during rain events when irrigation isn’t needed.
• Property appraisal values (tax assessor) are acknowledged as below market; actual acquisition cost would be based on independent appraisal.

Public Comment Highlights

• Ken Nelson Jr., 801 Horn Springs Grove — Speaking for county residents: “We drive through the city to get home every day. And we feel pretty well crapped on.” Argued the city created the problem through its own growth decisions and should not place the solution in the county.
• John Hornak, 93 North Denny Road — Identified the committee’s tool as a “Pugh Matrix” and as a Six Sigma Black Belt noted that the committee was “a long way from being ready to actually go through the matrix because you have to have all the criteria understood and each of the sites understood by everybody here before you can even think about ranking it.” Submitted a petition from North Denny Road area residents.
• Charles Smith — Attributed the wastewater crisis to 19 years of deliberate inaction by city leadership. Cited $55 million spent on other city projects while the plant deteriorated. Suggested the land behind Cracker Barrel and a site in “Five Oaks” as alternatives.
• Christina Puzza Smith, 986 Thomas Road — Called for measurable metrics and formal environmental impact studies by licensed professionals; raised watershed impact from site grading; noted she is running for County Mayor.
• Brenda Vicente, 1120 Berea Church Road — Urged the committee to consider the human factor alongside topography. “These are county homes, county families, county investments.” Asked that any site placing the plant adjacent to residences be removed immediately. Referenced Rockwood and TRW as sites not adjacent to homes.
• Todd Roark, representing Tich Chaikumnerd and Mann Road / Berea Church Road residents — Presented property value data (peer-reviewed hedonic price models: 5–10% permanent decrease within 1–2 miles; 14% for adjacent properties per a 2010 Journal of Real Estate Research study). For a $440,000 Mann Road home, $22,000–$88,000 in lost equity; for lakefront homes at $1–$2 million, up to $200,000. Also raised traffic impacts, groundwater contamination risk (karst limestone), and odor/flooding/bypass risk. Filed public record at the meeting.
• Jason Denton, 5051 Coles Ferry Pike; attorney, farmer, Berea Church attendee — As an eminent domain attorney, warned of potential litigation if the committee did not follow transparent procedures and give proper public notice. Named three in-city sites with willing sellers and called on the committee to use them.
• Philip Donnell, 914 Maple Hill Road — The existing force main runs across his property (~4,400 ft). Reported that approximately 18 years prior, a former mayor had already obtained Army Corps of Engineers approval for a plant site at the river terminus of the force main. Urged the committee to add that site as a candidate.
• Angela Trice Green, daughter of John R. and Alice Trice, formerly 3370 Coles Ferry Pike — Her parents purchased the farm in 1965 and lived there 60 years. Both died April 2 of this year, nine hours apart, eight weeks before this meeting. She is the only living child; her son plans to make the farm his home. Was “literally shocked” to learn the property was on the candidate list while still in mourning. (This property is Site 9, which is ~71% flood plain.)
• Christy Chastain, 4464 Colbury Pike — Requested the committee add “working farms and century farms” as a standalone scoring criterion. Criticized the matrix’s term “structure on the property” as dehumanizing: “That’s a home. That’s a business.” Named Cracker Barrel as a city-located alternative.
• Randy Hutto, Wilson County Mayor — Stated he was present because unincorporated county residents asked him to represent them. Relayed that the Rockwood property owner had personally told him the property was an opportunity and that the owner was looking to relocate near the interstate. Requested that if the plant is sited in the county, it be enclosed and not visible from outside.
• Derek Johnson, 106 Chapman Drive — Proposed a 126-acre assemblage: 50+ acres of Rockwood plus ~44 acres of an adjacent New York-based company reportedly in bankruptcy, plus buffer parcels along Alhambra Drive and Carver Lane. “The best option that I’ve yet heard.” Characterized this as “a forever decision.”

The meeting room was at or near capacity; overflow attendees were outside the building. Applause followed most public speakers. The committee emphasized throughout that only tax parcel numbers — not owner names — would be used in the formal evaluation process.

Next Steps

• Committee members to study the scoring matrix and submit any additional sites they wished to have considered to the engineer by early the following week.
• Engineer to refine force main distance figures and prepare information packets on any newly added sites.
• Next meeting scheduled for approximately one week later (June 2, 2026) with the goal of beginning to eliminate sites using the adopted matrix.