Trousdale trustees transfer temporary‑use permit oversight to Codes & Zoning after ordinance review

The Trousdale County trustees voted to route oversight of temporary‑use permits to the county’s Codes & Zoning office after staff said the county’s consolidated ordinances already include detailed temporary‑use regulations.

Rosalie, a county staff member who reviewed the code consolidation, told trustees the ordinance already covers seasonal farm sales, tent meetings, festivals, carnivals and other temporary uses and specifies required site plans, parking and liability coverage. “It’s detailed out for what zone is allowed for various uses,” she said, noting Hartsville’s rules routed requests differently in the past.

Commissioners debated whether Parks & Recreation or Public Works should keep handling smaller, routine rentals and whether larger events should move to Codes & Zoning to ensure consistent inspections and liability standards. The chair asked for a motion; a commissioner moved to transfer the temporary‑use permit process to Codes & Zoning and the mayor seconded. The board approved the transfer by voice vote.

Rosalie said the framework allows the county to treat similar events consistently — for example, by requiring a site plan and specific parking provisions — and suggested tailoring some provisions to distinguish small community rentals from large festivals.

What this means: Larger events and those needing inspections or complex parking/site plans will now be processed and inspected through Codes & Zoning. Parks & Recreation will likely continue to handle small routine rentals, but the codes office will set a consistent standard for larger events.

Next steps: Codes & Zoning will develop or adapt forms and inspection checklists and the county will confirm fee and BZA (Board of Zoning Appeals) referral thresholds at the next codes meeting.