Some Overton County offices will soon be seeing a nepotism policy put in place that will affect hiring and supervision of family members.

According to Overton County Executive Ron Cyrus, he is working on implementing a policy for the offices that fall under his office, including veterans services, emergency management services and solid waste.

“Based on all the problems at the Upper Cumberland Development District and Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, I’m going to implement a nepotism policy for the offices that fall under my office,” Cyrus said. “It is my hope that others will follow suit.”

Cyrus said he is putting the finishing touches on the policy. It will affect hiring and direct supervision of personnel. Family members may be able to work within a department, but one cannot fall under direct supervision of another. He also said there would likely be a grandfather clause for any existing family members.

Cyrus said he is going to recommend other offices to follow his example.

“We need to get out of the mind set of policies and do what’s right,” he said. “That’s (politics) what got the country into the shape it is in.”

A county-wide nepotism policy narrowly failed approval by county commissioners some time back.

Cyrus said he intends to put the policy into effect beginning July 1.

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The hits, and bills, apparently keep coming for the Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) and taxpayers that fund the agency.

It was recently announced legal fees regarding the Living the Dream investigation are in excess of $200,000. And that’s with a huge discount granted by the board’s attorneys.

The board of directors quickly hired the Nashville firm of Walker, Tipps and Malone when questions about Living the Dream, a senior assisted living facility in Putnum County, arose. Now board members, and taxpayers, have been hit with the large bill.

“Once the investigation was complete enough, Mr. Walker addressed the board, and the bill wound up being $280,000,” said Overton County Executive and UCDD board member Ron Cyrus. “I didn’t have any idea the attorney’s fees would be that high.”

The firm offered a $70,000 discount, and Cyrus estimates expenses to be higher once all items are final. That is in addition to other attorney’s fees already incurred.

State auditors are still looking into finances for the project, according to Cyrus. The Enterprise has gathered information that so far all legal services for the investigation total $294,583.05.

“What I hate to see is when you spend $200,000, that’s money being taken away from our local communities that can provide services there,” he said.

Cyrus also believes a lot of the problem stems from nepotism, or the hiring of family members, within the organization.

“The lack of a nepotism policy is a direct result of the problems today,” he said

Cyrus said the former executive director, Wendy Askins, had six of her family members on the payroll, and she had the ultimate say in hiring. He said 13 different family members, related in some fashion, are working at the agency today.

“People need to meet the qualifications for the job and be hired for that reason and that reason only,” Cyrus added.

Next up for the organization is hiring a new executive director. The board put into place co-directors when Askins was released. Acting as co-directors are Earl Carwile and Ashley Pealer. It is now known if board members will consider hiring a current employee of the agency or not as the new executive director, but the attorney involved in the investigation has made a recommendation to the board on hiring.

“The attorney made the recommendation to hire from outside of the agency,” Cyrus said.

The board was scheduled to meet this week and begin the process to search for a new director.

Also important to Cyrus is a strong nepotism policy for the agency.

“I really believe there needs to be a strong nepotism policy at both UCDD and the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency. If not, we are setting ourselves up for another issue similar to this a few years down the road.”