County has four months to decide Sessions Court issue
Anderson County officials have less than four months to decide what to do about the General Sessions Division II Court in Oak Ridge: Renew the county’s lease on the Oak Ridge Utility District Building contract where the courthouse is currently located and keep it where it is, or relocate it to another site in Oak Ridge, or in Clinton where the General Sessions Court Division I is currently located.
With Anderson County’s 18-month lease to house the General Sessions Division II Court in the Oak Ridge Utility District Building on Bus Terminal Road due to expire on June 30, the future of the General Sessions Court is once again a topic of discussion among Anderson County officials.
Monday night Anderson County Commissioners discussed the future of the building, cost estimates for renovating the Daniel Arthur Building in Oak Ridge as a potential site, and re-negotiating the terms of the lease with Vintage Development, the company that owns the Oak Ridge Utility District Building.
Commission first passed - unanimously - a motion made by Dist. 1 Commissioner Tracy Wandell to re-negotiate the lease with Vintage at a lower rate of $4,500 a month in rent for up to 36 months.
Wandell said that would buy officials more time to come up with an alternate plan, but to proceed with the bidding process on the Daniel Arthur Building as a potential location.
Commissioners voted 13 - 0 to approve Wandell’s motion to re-negotiate the lease with Vintage.
Commissioners Mark Alderson, Chuck Fritts, and Robert McKamey were absent.