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Changes result in $3.5M cash balance
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Lisa Hobbs
Updated: Aug 12, 2017, 6:22 PM
Published: Aug 12, 2017, 7:22 PM

McMinnville officials made last-minute changes to the proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18 which could result in the Warren County Chamber of Commerce receiving $75,000 and the city receiving a grant writer.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen met Tuesday night to receive its first look at the budget and changes were made.
On July 25, Chamber president Mandy Eller made a presentation to city officials about the city’s proposed Tourism Development Board. She requested a $75,000 administrative fee for the extra duties in providing services to plan, direct, and coordinate tourism-related endeavors.
“I would like for the city to consider paying us an administration fee that would cover our cost,” said Eller. “It would pay us for the work we would do.”
Vice Mayor Ben Newman motioned to include $75,000. However, those funds will only be allocated if the city decides to leave the Tourism Board under the Chamber’s management.
“I don’t know which way is better, as we are sitting here right now, but I would like to see something in the budget,” said Newman.
His motion passed 6-1. Alderman Mike Neal voted against it.
Alderman Everett Brock made a motion to include $50,000 for a grant writer. Hiring a grant writer has been an ongoing discussion.
“For several years, we’ve been talking about a grant writer but we’ve never really moved forward with it,” said Mayor Jimmy Haley in April. “We’ve used Upper Cumberland Development on several grants, successful grants, and when I was at the Rural Development Conference in Nashville a week or so ago, they discussed the importance of grant writing and how many grants are actually out there.”
A grant writer would seek opportunities for funding that would help with departmental projects and future expansion, such as the indoor pool. Most of the city’s departments have individuals who are skilled at applying for smaller grants. This individual would be expected to seek larger grants.
The motion passed unanimously.
Alderman Steve Harvey made a motion to include $15,000 for a Three Star Strategic Plan. Warren County is a Three Star Community. As part of that distinction, a plan is required. Those funds will be reimbursed, if a grant is obtained.
The motion passed unanimously.
Officials unanimously voted to accept the amended budget for fiscal year 2017-18. With those changes, the projected cash balance on June 30, 2018 will be in excess of $3.5 million.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community