Charles Baum
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Motlow State Community College presented a request Thursday, which was approved for the full commission, for $200,000 toward expanding its Smyrna campus to the Budget and Finance Committee.
Motlow President MaryLou Apple and Director of Advancement Jan Rogers previously presented their request to the Health and Education Committee in January, which was met with overwhelming support.
Motlow needs more than $397,000 to add an additional 35,000-square-foot building. The school currently operates out of one building that serves 2,000 students seven days a week.
“One of the major reasons we need this building is so that our nursing students can get their full Registered Nurse degree here in Smyrna,” Rogers said. “Right now, they’re having to go to McMinnville or the Moore County campus for classes and labs.”
Though Motlow needs more than $397,000 to do the expansion, Apple and Rogers are only requesting a portion from Rutherford County. Another $200,000 was requested from Murfreesboro to round out the total cost, however Murfreesboro has not yet responded to the request.
Rogers explained the school will still need to fundraise approximately $800,000 to complete the interior of the building.
The amount requested between Rutherford County and Murfreesboro will only get the shell of the building, Rogers told the committee.
Commissioner Charles Baum (Dist.14) supported Motlow and made a request to help Middle Tennessee State University with funds for a new science building it will soon be working on.
“Supporting these capital projects helps the county," said Baum, who also serves as chair of the economics department in the Jenning A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University. "It attracts students to the region and students will be spending money on our local economy. If the students stay here from MTSU or Motlow, they will represent a more skilled, more educated labor force, which makes them more employable, their incomes a little higher, and it will attract employers to the region."
Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess responded to Baum’s request to help MTSU saying, ”I’ve already been thinking about that.”
The committee approved Motlow’s request to provide $100,000 this fiscal year and a matching amount in the next fiscal year.
The request will move to the County Commission for final approval.
County looks at direct deposit
Rutherford County may implement a direct deposit policy for county employees as benefits could greatly outweigh costs.
The Budget and Finance Committee discussed creating a mandatory policy that all county employees obtain direct deposit for receiving pay.
Finance Director Lisa Nolen presented the argument for a direct deposit policy, which she said had been considered in the past, but feedback from employees suggested some individuals could not obtain a bank account.
Nolen argued Suntrust, a bank located nationwide, presented an opportunity that would provide a pay card for employees who do not have a bank account resulting in the same benefits as employees receiving direct deposit and ultimately provides a bank account at no cost to the employee.
“So we can direct deposit to that pay card and the employee who does not have a bank account now has a bank account,” Nolen said.
The pay card would be almost identical to a debit card. The card can be used anywhere debit cards are accepted and if the employee wishes to have cash, they can withdraw their funds inside the bank at no charge, however using an automatic teller machine would result in fee.
“So what we’re proposing is all new employees be required to get direct deposit and over the course of a year, get everybody else moved over to this,” Nolen said.
She also argued elected officials be required to have direct deposit. |
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