2026-10-01 JCC Meeting

The Jefferson County Commission meeting was held October 1, 2026. The commission approved the consent agenda without objection, including accounts payable, manual checks, payroll, and requisitions; specific totals were not stated. It unanimously approved a data-based EMS deployment change effective November 1: relocating one 24-hour ambulance from Citizens to Middleway and a 12-hour peak-period unit from Independent to Blue Ridge Mountain, contingent on lease agreements. A related lease arrangement for ambulance placement was also addressed, and commissioners said the funding for the lease agreements would return for discussion at a future meeting. Budget adjustments were unanimously approved after revisions to the presentation format to meet state auditor requirements. No new contract award or vendor selection was identified. The planning department noted that a prior $100,000 request for an outside consultant had not been approved; staff described using interns and in-house work instead.

The commission unanimously approved sending a letter opposing three proposed transmission-line projects to the relevant Public Service Commission dockets by certified mail. It also approved sending proposed data-center development guardrails to the governor, with edits, and distributing them to state and county officials and associations. Commissioners directed the county administrator to arrange a data-center tour by year-end, with no more than two commissioners attending at a time. Other business included a unanimous appointment to the Parks and Recreation Board and discussion of forming a subcommittee to recommend conflict-of-interest standards for county boards and committees.