Co Com R 267 260824 Agenda Review

Knox County agenda-review session, conducted as a discussion-only and non-voting meeting on November 4, 2026. Commissioners reviewed a proposed ground lease of approximately 120 acres on Rutledge Pike from Stock and Stock Farm for a regional agricultural education and expo center. The proposed initial term is 20 years, with three 10-year renewal options by mutual agreement; state funding and other revenue are being explored, and staff agreed to clarify a financing-contingency/cancellation provision before the item returns for a vote. The session also covered proposed bonds for the county’s 2025 and 2026 capital plans, expected to be issued in 2027 and 2028, and a North Waterfront tax-increment-financing plan intended to support public infrastructure. The TIF plan’s proposed maximum debt cap was described as approximately $85 million, with a rough estimate of about $3 million annually; these figures were characterized as preliminary. No votes were taken.

Other agenda items included an amendment to the AJ building development agreement extending the construction start deadline to December 31; the developer said financing, tax credits, equity investors, and a demolition permit were in place, with completion projected roughly 18 months after construction begins. Commissioners also discussed a planned RFP and eventual transfer or sale of the Fairview Technology Center property, appraised at about $1.65–$1.7 million, to support moving its business-incubator operations to a new facility; staff said this would not add cost. An MOU would permit exploration of converting the city-owned Shot Road golf course to rectangular fields and a par-3 course. Finally, staff discussed uncertainty under a new state law about allocating off-site road and other infrastructure costs between developers and local government, noting that legal and city consultations were planned. No contract awards or procurement approvals occurred during this session.