Newly-elected Kingston Springs Commissioner Lauren Hill steps down

During the Town of Kingston Springs Board of Commissioners Special Called Business Meeting on May 28, newly-elected Commissioner Lauren Hill announced that she will be stepping down from her role after nearly six months. 

Hill ran unopposed for a four-year term on the Board of Commissioners and was sworn in on Dec. 19, 2024. She stated that she is leaving her leadership role because she is moving out of town. Hill also served as the chair of the Planning Commission. 

Mayor Todd Verhoven appointed Planning Commission member Bob Stohler to fill Hill’s now vacant seat on the board. Stohler was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2012. He served as the Vice Mayor of Kingston Springs from 2014 to 2018, when he lost his reelection campaign. He was appointed to the Board again in 2021 by former Mayor Tony Gross when a commissioner seat became vacant. 

Stohler will serve as a Kingston Springs commissioner until 2026, when his seat will be up for a vote on the ballot. 

The Wastewater Board – made up of the Board of Commissioners – also held a meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss the town’s sale of the Kingston Springs Wastewater System. 

The town is currently amidst an active lawsuit by Tennessee Riverkeeper – filed in the U.S. District Court in October 2024 – which alleges that Kingston Springs' leaders have done nothing to limit unacceptable levels of toxic sewage being dumped into the Harpeth River, including E. coli and chlorine.  

Selling the town’s wastewater system to a private company is one option the Board of Commissioners is considering to help solve its sewage problem. 

According to City Manager John Lawless, the board is still in an investigative stage and decided during the meeting that they would like additional information from the company that has shown interest in acquiring the system. 

Once that information is gathered, Lawless said the Wastewater Board will have a follow up meeting to review the additional information. If selling still remains an option at that point, the Board will conduct community meetings – or “town halls” – to discuss and hear any concerns from constituents.