Hamilton County school board member Chip Baker visited Red Bank City Hall on Tuesday, assuming he was "going to update the new crew" of elected officials on final plans for building a new middle school.
Instead, he got an 11th-hour surprise.
With two years and $225,000 in taxpayer funds already spent, a majority of the Red Bank Board of Commissioners -- all holding office since at least 2008 -- has decided to change course and "explore other options" on the middle school's proposed location.
Vice Mayor Greg Jones opened the meeting, saying the city should take "a new look" at former Bi-Lo and Food Lion buildings on the north end of Red Bank. But Red Bank hasn't taken any steps toward buying either building.
"Can I get some clarification?" Baker asked. "Is this Plan B or is this a desire to change what's been put in place for two years?"
No one seated at the crowded wooden table -- Jones, Hamilton County Superintendent Jim Scales, Red Bank Mayor Monty Millard and the other three Red Bank commissioners -- had a clear answer.
School officials stressed that plans already exist for replacing the outdated building on Dayton Boulevard that has served the city since 1937.
Gary Waters, Hamilton County assistant superintendent of auxiliary services, said preliminary replacement efforts are nearly finished, pending a land-swap approval from the U.S. Department of Interior that would place the new middle school behind Red Bank High School's campus, a plan engineered by Millard's political rival, former Red Bank Mayor Joe Glasscock.
The property swap is necessary since the proposed site is land that must be used for recreational purposes, according to federal regulations.
Pending Department of Interior approval, Red Bank would trade "similar" city acreage to a youth softball organization for the 14 acres behind Red Bank High School the organization now uses as softball fields. The new middle school would be built on those 14 acres.
"The plans are at 80 or 85 percent completion," Waters said at the meeting. "Probably construction will start at the end of April."
State authorities have approved the swap, and Hamilton County already has invested $225,000 in "unrecoverable" civil engineering, surveying and environmental funds to examine the land near the high school, Waters said.
Waters said he didn't think the Department of Interior would decline the land swap.
But at different times during Tuesday's meeting, Jones, Millard, Commissioner Floy Pierce and Commissioner John Roberts each suggested "keeping our options open."
When Baker asked commissioners to clarify their remarks, Commissioner John Roberts quickly answered Baker's question with his own question.
"Would you consider making this Plan A?" Roberts said, referring to the grocery-store-property idea.
Baker, while telling the commissioners "I work for you," never gave them a concrete response. Waters voiced his opposition to stopping two years of work on the high school site. He described the $225,000 as a "tremendous investment" for the county.
Still, the Red Bank Board of Commissioners can vote to throw it away even if the federal government gives the land swap the go-ahead. Asked which plan they currently support, Millard and Jones identified the land swap.
But Millard declined to say whether he'd actually vote for the idea of a middle school near the high school.
"I support [the land swap] at this point," Millard said. "But I want to have a public hearing and give the people a chance to speak. I'm about openness."
Contact Chris Carroll at ccarroll@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6610.