Commission Jumps Into the Lake Project

The Hardeman County Commission unanimously voted on March 15 to retain the services of Laura Benz, who will begin the permitting process to bring a recreational lake to Hardeman County.
Benz, the principal at Laura Wahoske Benz, LLC of Atlanta, is noted for her success in environmental and reservoir permitting projects, met with the commission for three hours on March 14. There was no discussion prior to the vote on the 15th.
The lake project has been endorsed by the Executive Committee of the Hardeman County Chamber of Commerce.
Hardeman County Mayor Jimmy Sain, who spearheaded the move to hire Benz, says she is 8 for 8 in getting permitting of this type.
“This is the biggest thing we have done in years, perhaps in the history of the county,” said Hardeman County Mayor Jimmy Sain. “This could impact the county with more than 400,000 visitors and visitor expenditures of more than $22,000,000.”
The county is also seeking money from the state of Tennessee with the permitting fee, which could go as high as $250,000 when fees for engineering, ecological services and studies that would be required by the Environmental Protection Agency and by the US Corps of Engineers.
A letter asking for the funding was sent to Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Randy Boyd in late February, signed by all sixteen county commissioners.