Detective Kat Cooper, left, holds the hand of her mother Linda, right, and speaks with her wife, Krista, at a Collegedale Commission workshop Monday. City officials discussed extending benefits to same-sex partners. Cooper has been with the Collegedale Police Department for over 11 years, and she and Krista were married in Maryland in May.WHAT’S NEXT
The board of commissioners will meet Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 4910 Swinyar Drive.
Collegedale, poised to become the first Tennessee city to extend health benefits to employees’ same-sex partners, may broaden who is eligible for those benefits even further.
City Commissioner Katie Lamb said the city should consider providing health insurance to employees and their partners — whether they are partners through a civil union or even common law marriage.
She said a common law married employee should not be denied access to family insurance.
“I just don’t see the point in discriminating against anybody,” Lamb said.