Sumner County commissioners voted to add members of the prior Brown House ad hoc committee to the newly proposed group, following sustained public comment urging continuity in the preservation effort.

The vote came after residents, including a Hendersonville resident who called the donation “a wonderful gift,” urged commissioners to move quickly to preserve and use the Brown House as a local educational and historic resource. Martin Clark, a neighbor, told the committee the house “can be a tremendous resource in Sumner County and Middle Tennessee.”

Commissioner Smith moved to include members of the previous ad hoc committee alongside the newly named participants; the motion drew a lengthy debate about the committee’s size and whether adding more government representatives would politicize the effort. Proponents said bringing prior participants back would maintain institutional knowledge and speed progress; opponents said a smaller, less government-heavy panel would be more manageable and less political.

After discussion and an amendment to add the prior members, the committee chair called the question and the amendment was approved. The committee’s membership as amended will include the previously listed county commissioners and school- and citizen-representatives; specific names discussed during the meeting included Kathy Stewart (school board representative), Jim Latimer, Stephen King (school district representative), and several commissioners. The motion to expand the committee carried and the amended composition will be forwarded for implementation.

Committee members said the ad hoc group will focus on advancing the Brown House preservation work already under way, including the request for qualifications (RFQ) that the chairman said will open next Thursday. The chairman also noted efforts to pursue grant dollars and to cap spending on the project to avoid unexpected budget escalation.

The record shows substantial public interest in the project: commissioners referenced five to eight speakers in recent meetings who urged preservation and oversight. Commissioners said they expect the ad hoc committee to reconcile cost-saving ideas — such as using county crews for non-specialized work — with historic-preservation requirements.

The committee did not adopt a new dollar appropriation in this vote; it approved the committee composition and instructed staff to proceed with the RFQ and follow-up tasks.