The Bedford County Courthouse and Property Committee voted to forward a five-year artwork and property-usage agreement with the University of Tennessee Extension to the full commission after discussing a proposal to paint a large mural on the side of the county-owned agricultural building.

Miss Matthew, the UT Extension representative, told the committee the mural is intended to “increase visibility of the extension office.” She said UT would cover the project’s cost and that the five‑year term would allow the university’s artist to return for touch-ups and maintenance. “UT is gonna really … care about their logo and their image and their visibility on that,” Matthew said, adding the work typically uses high-quality materials.

Committee members and executive staff said they supported the project but urged care about precedent. An executive branch representative said the county has treated similar signs as occupancy-related signage and that a multiyear commitment “triggers beyond our normal exchange between finance and executive branch,” which is why the request was reviewed by the committee. The executive representative said the mural made sense at the Extension office because UT occupies that space, but cautioned the county should consider policy for other requests.

The committee approved the agreement on a voice/roll-call vote and the chair said the motion carried. Members also voted to place a separate item on next month’s agenda to consider long-term signage and mural rules so staff and commissioners can evaluate how multiyear agreements should be handled in the future.

Ms. Matthew later emphasized the university’s ongoing investment in education, including adult education, agriculture programming and 4‑H youth development, as context for the mural request.

The agreement as presented covers a five-year placement and, according to staff, UT will pay the costs; no county funding was proposed. The committee did not specify a dollar amount in the meeting record. The item will go to the full commission for final action and the committee directed staff to prepare a signage/mural policy discussion for the next meeting.