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Circuit Court Division II Judge David Duggan wants to hire a part-time director for Drug Court. The Blount County Budget Committee recommended approving his request.

The Blount County Budget Committee unanimously recommended on Tuesday transferring $31,000 within the Drug Court budget to fund a part-time director through June 30. The position would be funded by using money from the training and tuition line items as well as savings from making the Drug Court secretary position part-time after the current secretary retires at the end of January. The full County Commission will have to approve the transfer.

The Blount County Drug Court, located on the third floor of the justice center, provides supervision and substance abuse treatment for adult nonviolent offenders as a means to break the cycle of crime and addiction. Duggan previously told The Daily Times that finding funding to hire a director was one of his priorities.

In other business, the Budget Committee recommended approval of an offer from the Tennessee Department of Transportation to replace a bridge over Baker's Creek on Brick Mill Road and to reconstruct the intersection of Brick Mill Road and Old Niles Ferry Pike at no cost to the county.

"What they require from the county is a resolution accepting those projects," Highway Superintendent Bill Dunlap said Monday. "They will not rebuild the intersection until we give them the OK."

TDOT intends to improve the intersection for safety reasons.

"It's a three-way intersection down there," County Mayor Jerry Cunningham said. "It's very dangerous."