What you need to know about Franklin

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Brentwood

City of Brentwood 5211 Maryland Way Brentwood, TN 37027 (615) 371-0060; www.brentwood-tn.gov

History

The City of Brentwood was incorporated on April 15, 1969, but its history goes back much farther.

The first known residents of Brentwood were prehistoric Native Americans from the Mississippian-period who built mounds with ceremonial buildings. Such early villages have been found in the Meadowlake subdivision, at the library site on Concord Road, and at Primm Historic Park where the largest of the mounds is still visible today.

Brentwood’s first European settlers – planters and farmers – arrived in the late 1700s. Situated halfway between Nashville and Franklin, the area prospered and by the Civil War, the area was one of the richest in the state. During the war, many of the large plantation homes served as hospitals for Confederate and Union forces. The war, however, left its scar on the economy, and many homes and plantations fell to ruin.

In the 1920s, Brentwood rebounded.. With the construction of Interstate 65 in the 1960s, Brentwood grew and prospered, and by the 1990s the area was prospering again. Today, more than 42,000 people call the city home.

Government

The city operates under a council/manager form of government. The seven-member Board of Commissioners enacts laws known as ordinances and sets policies and takes other formal actions through resolutions. The Commission adopts the Capital Improvements Program and Annual Budget each year. Non-partisan city elections are held in May every two years, with the at-large commissioners serving staggered four-year-terms. The May 7, 2021, election will see four members seated.

After each city election, the commission elects one of its members to serve a two-year term as mayor and another to serve as vice mayor. The board also nominates and elects citizen members of volunteer boards and commissions.

City Manager Kirk Bednar oversees the city’s day-to-day operations and ensures that the policies and programs approved by the Board of Commissioners are implemented.

Most Brentwood residents live in Williamson County government’s Districts 6 and 8, with each district electing two county commissioners and one Williamson County School board representative. The city falls in State Legislative Districts 61 and 63, State Senate District 23, and U.S. Congressional District 7.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R) is a Brentwood resident.

Departments and services

Garbage: Solid waste collection is handled by private collectors. Brentwood residents can contact companies directly for information about rates and scheduling. A list of local providers can be found on the city’s website.

Crime prevention and pub-

lic safety: The Brentwood Police Department, led by Chief Jeff Hughes and Assistant Chief Tommy Walsh, is internationally accredited.

Fire and rescue: The internationally accredited Brentwood Fire & Rescue Department employs more than 65 personnel, led by Chief Brian Goss and Asst. Chief David Windrow. Its four stations, staffed 24/7, are geographically located to service the entire city.

Public Works: The city’s Public Works Department provides brush removal, pothole, curb and gutter repairs, pavement markings, right-of-way mowing, small drainage repairs and snow and ice removal among other services on a year-round basis. It conducts an annual streets inspection for resurfacing needs. During the last three Saturdays in April and October of each year, the department places dumpsters in city parks for citizens to drop off large, unwanted items for free.

Brentwood Library: Every Brentwood resident or property-owner has free borrowing privileges at the city’s nationally recognized John P. Holt Brentwood Library, which also serves as a de facto community center. A library card gives residents access to more than 165,000 books and other materials, including audiobooks, DVDs, music CDs and online resources, as well as newspapers, magazines and free WiFi.

Trails and greenways: East of I-65, the city has miles of paved multi-purpose trails that connect many of the city’s parks, schools and amenities, including Crockett Park, Tower Park, Smith Park, Primm Park, the Brentwood YMCA, the John P. Holt Brentwood Library, the FiftyForward Martin Center and the county’s Indoor Sports Complex and Joe Reagan Soccer Complex. West of I-65, multi-purpose trails can be found in Granny White Park, Powell Park, Wikle Park, Deerwood Arboretum, and Maryland Way Park.

City Parks: The city’s 14 parks and greenways comprise almost 1,000 acres of property dedicated to social, cultural, historic, athletic and nature-oriented activities for all ages. The 164-acre Crockett Park is home to the city’s free Summer Concert Series, a community playground, baseball, softball, football and soccer fields, tennis courts, a Frisbee golf course and Williamson County’s Joe Reagan Indoor Soccer Complex. The 400-acre Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, 1825 Wilson Pike, opened in 2014 and is home to historic Ravenswood Mansion and six miles of rugged hiking. Brentwood Bark Park, the city’s dog park, is located in Tower Park. The Williamson County Indoor Sports Complex has indoor swimming pools, indoor tennis courts, a fitness center and group fitness classes.

Education: Williamson County Schools provides public K-12 education at multiple Brentwood campuses: Brentwood and Ravenwood high schools; Brentwood, Woodland and Sunset middle schools, and Scales, Lipscomb, Edmondson, Jordan, Kenrose, Crockett and Sunset elementary schools. Private Brentwood Academy serves students in grades 6-12.

PHOTO: MATT MASTERS

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