Trousdale subcommittee agrees to move city burn permits to state forestry website, effective Oct. 1

Trousdale County's Codes & Zoning Subcommittee voted to rescind the city-level burn-permit regulations and have the Tennessee Department of Forestry host and administer burn permits for the city on the department's online burn-safety portal, the panel said. The subcommittee approved language staff supplied and set the rescission to take effect Oct. 1, matching the county's October–May permit season.

The change follows staff briefings and an email from the Department of Forestry explaining that, if the commission chooses to rescind the city's burn-permit language, the state will place city permit information and the state's permitting tool on its website and assume the administrative role the county had been performing for city limits. Committee members said the arrangement will reduce local administrative burdens and clarify enforcement and fee responsibilities by consolidating permit issuance on the state site.

The subcommittee reviewed a draft ordinance prepared by county staffer Amy and discussed timing. Members noted the October effective date is intended to avoid a mid-season transition during the active burn season and align the new arrangement with the state’s October–May window for required permits. Staff emphasized local officials (the mayor, the municipal administration director, or the county official) can still request a temporary burn ban through the Department of Forestry if local conditions warrant it.

The committee held a brief voice vote to approve taking the city regulations off the books and directing staff to proceed with the rescindment with an Oct. 1 effective date. The record shows a voice vote and procedural agreement but no roll-call tally was recorded in the subcommittee transcript.

Next steps: staff will forward the approved ordinance language for formal processing and notify the Department of Forestry and affected local offices about the transition timeline. The county will continue to coordinate with emergency services on implementing temporary restrictions when forestry-ordered county bans are required.

Authorities referenced in discussion included the Tennessee Department of Forestry’s burn-safety program and the proposed county ordinance prepared by staff. The transcript did not record statutory citations or a numbered ordinance in the subcommittee discussion.