by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Jan. 26 meeting, the Sewanee Community Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the Jackson Law, a Tennessee rule assigning decisions about landfills to the local governing body. The Council also reviewed changes to the Dog Control Policy and heard an update on the University apartments.

Sewanee resident Kiki Beavers explained “the Jackson Law gives counties and cities the right to make local decisions about landfill development in their district and within one mile of their borders.” If the local governing body adopts the Jackson Law and decides not to allow a landfill, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation cannot grant the landfill a permit. However, to adopt the Jackson Law, a municipality must be incorporated. “Unincorporated communities like Sewanee don’t have a legislative body with the power to adopt the Jackson Law and instead must work with their county commissioners to advocate for the county government to adopt the law,” Beavers said. The Sewanee Council considers the 37375 area code to be the boundaries of Sewanee and that area lies in both Franklin and Marion counties. Neither Franklin or Marion County have adopted the Jackson Law.

Statewide, 20 cities and 50 counties have passed the Jackson Law. “The places that don’t have Jackson Law protection are the ones that tend to be the first ones looked at when it comes to new landfills,” said Adam Hughes, east Tennessee organizer with Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM). “We do need landfills, but to have a local governing body be able to say this is a place that it’s appropriate and this is a place that it is inappropriate is a power that is really important for all local governing bodies to have.” The South Cumberland Plateau is particularly vulnerable as a potential landfill site. “Prime places for putting landfills is in spent quarries, and we have multiple spent quarries,” said Lucy Keeble with United to Protect the Plateau. Area resident and SOCM representative Shari Lydy pointed to a recent effort in Murfreesboro to expand a municipal landfill to take out of state waste from all over the southeast. “The Jackson Law gives each local government, whether it’s a municipality or a county, the decision-making power, the right to accept or reject. There’s no downside,” Keeble insisted. In urging the Sewanee Council to pass a resolution endorsing the Jackson Law, Beavers said, “It’s a good conversation starter to engage our county commissions to start talking about this.”

Taking up the long-discussed dog policy issue, Provost Scott Wilson said, “Since the last meeting we’ve finished the dog policy that was in draft form and posted it to the University website.” To view the policy, see “Policies and Forms” on the “Leases and Community Relations” page. Wilson highlighted significant changes. The revised policy stipulates the police “will” enforce, rather than “may” enforce certain aspects of the policy. The revision also takes out language telling people harassed or attacked by a dog to contact the owner. The revised policy “takes the onus off the person who is dealing with a dog who is attacking them or is a nuisance,” Wilson stressed. The policy goes on to note there are financial and criminal penalties according to state law and gives links to the relevant Tennessee code.

The University apartment project is “officially underway,” said David Shipps, Vice President for Economic Development and Community Relations. Some land clearing and logging have been done and will continue in March with the official groundbreaking set for April. Shipps anticipates the 48 apartments would be ready for occupancy by late summer or early fall 2027.

The council elected Evelyn Patton to serve as the council representative on the agenda committee. Council member Laura Willis’s term on the committee expired in December.