Tuesday's work session on the proposed
Crossville shooting sports park gave many the opportunity to speak on
the matter including those with the state funding agency Tennessee
Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and those who both support and
oppose the proposed location of the park.
Kenneth Carey addresses his participation in the project
Even those who are opposed to the
Albert Frye location say they want to see the park located in
Cumberland County, just not be located anywhere near their homes or
property.
Members of the audience including supporters and those opposed
to the shooting sports park listen to
TWRA commission member Jim Bledsoe
Crossville Mayor James Mayberry called
the work session to give more of the public a chance to speak on the
matter as public comments were not allowed at the special called
meeting that may have killed the project, at least on the city's
Albert Frye Road property. The first speaker was Jim Bledsoe, an
outgoing member of the TWRA board of commissioners who has sought the
project during the last 2 years of his term.
Meeting opened by Mayor Mayberry and comments by Jim Bledsoe
Bledsoe said that the proposed property
was strategically picked because of its accessibility and proximity
to I-40. "We have several shooting facilities across the state,”
said Bledsoe, “This was going to be our middle Tennessee focus
area.” Bledsoe explained that the property has been tied to the
project since the beginning and is used as match for the grant. A
local match of 25 percent is required for the federal grant. “This
piece of property is essential for the project,” added Bledsoe,
“Without it you'll have to start all over again. You'll have to go
through a whole new grant writing process, back to ground zero.”
Additionally, if the project isn't started by June 30, the funds will
have to re-budgeted into TWRA's next budget and that is not
guaranteed.
Cumberland County Mayor Kenneth
Carey told Jim Young Reporter he has been promoting the project, as a private individual not promoting it in his
capacity as mayor. Carey made those comments in a meeting earlier Tuesday in his office. That differentiation has not always been clear.
At the council meeting Carey said that as a
board member he will not receive any pay for his work on the project
and he categorically denied there was any job he would take with the
operation in the future.
Kenneth Carey remarks and other speakers including Roy South
Local resident Roy South spoke saying
that he had operated a shooting club for about 10 years in Putnam Co.
and it was a popular attraction that even brought in visitors from 8
other countries during its operation.
Another local resident, Randall Kidwell
spoke about the lack of zoning and that he lived very near the
Crossville Raceway but he would rather keep the ability to do what he
wanted with his property rather then have others tell him. Kidwell
said that he was concerned that the small group of people fighting
the project were able to shut it down adding that even if someone
wanted to put in a daisy farm someone would object to it.
Comments by Randall Kidwell
Additional speakers at the council work
session included Wade Davenport, Tom Pelfry and Harold Stryker.
While the turn out was a bit smaller,
the discussion was every bit as lively for a work session on the
proposed Crossville Shooting Sports Park held at city hall Tuesday
evening.
It appeared few minds were changed by
the discussion that included statements from the Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency and Cumberland Co. Mayor Kenneth Carey who promoted
the project, according to his statements, not as Co. mayor but as a
private citizen interested in promoting a strong youth shooting
program. Carey said that he had been a youth shooting coach and knew
the benefits of the program.
Cumberland County Mayor Kenneth Carey addresses the council
on the Shooting Sports Park
TWRA's Jim Bledsoe also addressed the matter of the $2.2 million grant
being tied to the current property and any changes could possibly
send the funds to another county.
But the opposition remained to the
project location. Several of those who spoke against the project
said they supported such a shooting sports park, just not where is it
proposed on city property off of Albert Frye Road just north of I-40.
There appear to be between 5 and 7 residences along Albert Frye
Road. Additional homes on Chestnut Hill Road near I-40 have also
complained about possible sound issues.
Cabin that is adjacent to the city property proposed for the
SHooting Park. The city property starts at the tree line.
While no decision can be made at a city
council work session, a proposal to hold a demonstration shooting on
the site for property owners in the area to hear the effects of
gunfire on the site was discussed and set for Saturday morning April
1, at 10 AM.
The next time that a meeting on the
topic might be held is on April 4, the date of the council's next
regular work session.
We will have more to report on the
meeting including videos of some of the comments coming.
The email below was sent from Assistant Director of TWRA Barry Sumners to Kenneth Carey on March 21, 2017. This outlines some of the potential problems with a possible change in the location of the proposed Shooting Sports Park.
We talked to Mr. Carey this morning and he said that he was not representing the county when he spoke to Crossville city council in past meetings. There has been some confusion over that situation and if the county was involved in the project. It turns out that the county is not part of the project and Carey has been acting, not as county mayor but as an interested individual. He explained that a group of parents and gun sports supporters came to him seeking help as they knew he had dome some coaching as well and Carey said he agreed to "try and help them."
Kenneth Carey
Carey said he would be at the council Tuesday meeting and try and straighten out any confusion if he gets the opportunity to speak.
He also said that there was no truth to rumors he would get a job out of the project after he left office and he would address that as well.
Carey continued to say as he had previously that he hoped the project could possibly attract some gun manufacturers or other related industry to the community because of the shooting park.
The following email was sent to Carey at his official County email address.
Hello Mayor Carey,
I wanted to summarize our conversation earlier today regarding the possibility of moving the site for the Crossville range.
We received federal grant approval after submitting documents that support constructing the project at the Frye Rd. site. This included an evaluation of the impact on endangered species and approval from the State Historic Preservation Office.
If the location is changed we could re-apply to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (after securing the required compliance documents) and request that we be allowed to construct the range at a different site. Doing so would introduce a lot of uncertainty since we don’t know if a different site would comply with the federal requirements. It is quite possible that we would not find an approvable site and funding would revert.
Our standard contract language includes a clause titled “subject to funds availability” and TWRA is counting on the federal funds being available to construct the range.
Another related factor is that we have negotiated an agreement with the federal government to use the value of the Frye Rd. property as matching funds (see attachment), based on an appraisal of the site. A different site would of course have a different value and we would also have to start that process again.
I understand that there is some opposition to construction the range at the current site. If the location is changed, TWRA will work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to try to make funding available for a different site.
With a city council work session set for Tuesday afternoon at 5 PM at Crossville city hall on the proposed Crossville Shooting Sports Park, we asked the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for a statement concerning the project that seemed to go quietly along for 18 months but became controversial in just the last several weeks.
The park project has been discussed for over a year and a half and the site between I-40 and Albert Frye Road has been the proposed location for most of that time. It is unclear if the county will lose the park to another county in middle Tennessee if the proposed site is not used but a long list of requirements because of the use of federal funds have already been done and the site meets all the requirements. One report indicates the cost of those studies was around $25,000.
In a special called meeting March 21, a majority of city council members reversed their action in February and voted to rescind approval of a contract that would have sold the 146 acres to the nonprofit Crossville Shooting Park, Inc. for one dollar. That vote reversed action in February approving the contract and sale after a number of property owners and area residents complained about the project being located near them and the fact that they had not been informed ahead of time about the proposed project. TWRA's statement from the Crossville regional office says,“With the number of sportsmen and women in the area that enjoy the shooting sports, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) sees the addition of a shooting sports facility as a tremendous opportunity for the citizens of Cumberland County and beyond. This center will provide TWRA additional opportunities to serve the community with not only boating and hunter education classes, but many other educational sessions for adults and youth. Funding for this project was provided directly from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and not TWRA subsidies. TWRA is chiefly funded through the sales of hunting and fishing licenses.”
TWRA has committed $2.2 million from US Fish and Wildlife for the development and construction of the shooting park that would be operated by a nonprofit organization that has been formed. The funds for the project come from federal Pittman-Robertson funding generate by excise tax on ammunition and granted to states for conservation efforts, hunter's education and shooting projects and programs.
Crossville Mayor James Mayberry called for the work session saying the meeting will discuss some of the issues that have cropped up in the matter of the proposed Crossville Shooting Sports Park listed in the meeting call as "confusion, misinformation and clarification.”
Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms may produce localized
flooding over parts of eastern Middle Tennessee tonight.
Early tonight, a slow moving band of showers and isolated
thunderstorms was located between Interstate 65 and the
Cumberland Plateau. Doppler radar indicated that some spots
received about a third of an inch of rain during the
evening hours...and some areas could receive an additional one
half to three quarters of an inch overnight. Localized rain
totals over an inch are possible tonight...especially over the
southeast...around Shelbyville, Manchester, Altamont and
McMinnville. Some isolated spots further north, toward Cookeville
and Gainesboro could see similar rain amounts.
These rains may cause water to pond in low lying areas, especially
in urban locations. If you are out driving tonight, you should
avoid areas where water covers the road. If you come upon a
flooded area, turn around and take an alternate route to your
destination.
A second lawsuit has now been filed
against the City of Crossville in federal court. This lawsuit filed
by J. R. Blankenship for the violation of his first amendment rights
also names former city councilman Jesse Kerley and Ivy Gardner as
individuals.
The suit stems from the charges of
distributing unsigned fliers that resulted in a citation to
Crossville city court alleging a violation of a city ordinance that
led to a $1500 fine levied against Blankenship by city judge Ivy
Gardner. The suit points out that such a charge was determined to be
a violation of the first amendment in a case decided before the US
Supreme Court in 1960. Crossville's ordinance was approved sometime
after the 1960 decision.
J. R. Blankenship expressing his opinions in mid 2016
The flier that lead to Blankenship's charges
Jesse Kerley
Ivy Gardner
The 18 page complaint begins by
outlining a series of events that lead to the filing of the suit.
The story begins with an incident that took place January 2015 at a
convenience store involving a dog tied up outside the store and in
distress according to Blankenship. Blankenship discussed the dog's
situation with the store clerk who, it turned out, owned the dog.
The clerk took offense at Blankenship's observation and the ensuing
argument lead to a 911 call to police by Blankenship. According to
the suit, “the police officer rudely accosted Mr. Blankenship as
being the aggressor.”
Blankenship wrote a letter of complaint
about the incident to each member of the council in March of 2015 and
attended council meetings but his complaint was never addressed.
Blankenship addressed his complaint at a March 2016 council meeting
and was again ignored according to the complaint. The lawsuit
states, “Frustrated that the council ignored his complaint, Mr.
Blankenship published a flier in which he offered a $500 reward for
photos of any elected or appointed Crossville official doing wrong”
The complaint alleges that then
councilman Jesse Kerley sought to have Mr. Blankenship cited under
the unconstitutional ordinance and claims that then police chief
Rodney Shoap was ordered to do so. The complaint cites Shoap's
federal lawsuit that says “on multiple occasions, Kerley demanded
that (Shoap), without sufficient evidence or probable cause arrest
James Blankenship.” Following an investigation into the flier,
Blankenship was cited to city court under the unsigned flier
ordinance.
An initial court date on the citation
was set for May 10, 2016 was continued to June 28 at Blankenship's
request and on June 2 while the case was pending before city judge
Ivy Gardner, Gardner appeared in General Sessions Court as an
individual seeking a restraining order against Blankenship for “a
pattern of conduct to harass and unnecessarily alarm” Gardner. The
suit sates that at the time Blankenship did believe he had ever seen
or met Gardner and that he believes Gardner's complaint against him
was made at the suggestion of Mr. Kerley.
The suit states that the action of
Gardner was to retaliate against Blankenship for expressing his free
speech and free press rights and to intimidate him. The action is
also described in the suit as a “conspiracy with defendant Kerley.”
The suit also states that Blankenship believes that Kerley spoke to
Gardner between March 24 and June 28 concerning a significant fine
for Blankenship.
The suit states that Gardner is not
being sued for any of her actions as city judge but only for actions
she took as an individual outside of her courtroom.
Blankenship appealed the fine as
excessive and that the city's ordinance was unconstitutional that
violated his right to free speech. The fine and conviction were
dismissed with prejudice by the Circuit Court on November 17, 2016.
It should also be noted that since this action took place the city
has takne action to remove the unconstitutional ordinance from its
books.
Blankenship also appealed the
restraining order given to Gardner and filed interrogatories and
requests to produce documents to provide information to support her
claims of his harassment. Those discovery requests were never
answered. Two weeks before a hearing on the appeal was scheduled,
Ms. Gardner filed a motion and order of non-suit withdrawing her
complaint against Blankenship.
The suit reads, “The issuance of the
citation, persecution and conviction of Mr. Blankenship for an
unconstitutional and unenforceable Crossville city ordinance caused
Mr. Blankenship embarrassment, anxiety, time and money. Defendant
Crossville is therefore liable to Mr. Blankenship for the violation
of his civil rights under color of law.”
“The first amendment right to
criticize public officials is well established and supported by case
law and it is also well established that a public official's
retaliation against an individual exercising his or her first
amendment rights is a violation,” says the lawsuit.
Blankenship's suit is requesting a
“declaratory and injunctive relief to declare the earlier actions
illegal and enjoin defendants and their agents from otherwise
retaliating against him for exercising his first amendment rights
either by arresting him or threatening to arrest him and specifically
so that he may publish fliers and circular them in Crossville, even
if critical of public officials.”
Damages listed in the suit include
legal and court costs, embarrassment, mental anguish and anxiety,
fear of future reprisal, being deprived of his right to exercise
First Amendment freedoms of speech and press and attorney and
litigation costs of these proceedings. The suit asks that a jury
award damages to compensate his harm in a reasonable amount.
The suit asks for punitive damages
against Mr. Kerley “because his actions were malicious and done
with intent to intimidate and harm Mr. Blankenship.”
The law suit is filed on behalf of Mr.
Blankenship by attorneys Edmund J. Schmidt III and Joseph H.
Johnston, both of Nashville.
Because of public interest, Crossville Mayor James Mayberry is calling for the work session on Tuesday March 28 at 5 PM. He said the meeting will discuss some of the issues that have cropped up in the matter of the proposed Crossville Shooting Sports Park listed in the meeting call as "confusion, misinformation and clarification.
Crossville Mayor James Mayberry
Representatives of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency are expected to be at the meeting. Mayberry said that a representative was at the called meeting and wanted to address the issue but no public comments are allowed at a called meeting. TWRA is providing the 2.2 million dollars in federal funding to construct the park and a great deal of work and some money has already been spent on the Albert Frye Road site.
The park has been discussed for over a year and a half and the site between I-40 and Albert Frye Road has been the proposed location for most of that time. It is unclear if the county will lose the park to another county if the proposed site is not used but that information may be clarified at the Tuesday meeting.
In a special called meeting March 21, a majority of city council members voted to rescind approval of a contract that would have sold the 146 acres to the nonprofit Crossville Shooting Park, Inc. for one dollar. That vote reversed action in February approving the contract and sale after a number of property owners and area residents complained about the project being located near them and the fact that they had not been informed ahead of time about the proposed project.
The Area in lavender is the proposed acreage for the park
and the area in blue is the former city landfill. At the
bottom of the map is I-40 and at the top is Albert Frye Road.
The funds for the project come from federal Pittman-Robertson funding generate by excise tax on ammunition and granted to states for conservation efforts, hunter's education and shooting projects and programs.
The proposed location currently meets all the requirements for the use of the federal funds and environmental, historical and endangered species studies have been approved.
At a December work session, questions on funding and staffing remain. Kenneth Carey, a member of the nonprofit's board said they would determine if a full time position was needed or if all employees would be part-time. The grant requires that the facility be open at least 20 hours a week. According to Carey the plan is for the range to be open more then that and open to the public. He added it is not a membership type facility and that anyone can come a shoot.
Mayor James Mayberry announces the successful award for the Crossville's industrial site grant.
Said Mayberry, “The City appreciates the confidence of the State of Tennessee in awarding this grant. Cumberland County and the Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce have been invaluable partners in this project, the property evaluation program, and economic development. Our community's recent redirection and focus on economic development was jumpstarted by the Horizon Initiative in 2015, an innovative project and collaborative effort between the City of Crossville, the City of Pleasant Hill, the City of Crab Orchard, Cumberland County, Crossville-Cumberland Chamber of Commerce, and educational entities in Cumberland County, Tennessee to develop a comprehensive strategy designed to guide our growth and movement. We look forward to what the future holds for Crossville and Cumberland County in this next step in economic and industrial development.”
The grant is for $500,000 with the city and county both committing $250,000 each to complete the project.
The proposal is to use a 20 acres site in the Interchange Business Park
to have a location ready for the construction of a 200,000 square foot building
with space for loading docks and parking ready for construction to start.
In addition, funds were awarded to the Plateau Partnership Park in Westal. Plateau Partnership Park was awarded $469,350 for construction of the primary access into the park,
construction of access road to the site of the proposed wastewater treatment facility, and
grading of the wastewater treatment facility site
The official announcement from state is below:
GOVERNOR HASLAM, COMMISSIONER ROLFE ANNOUNCE
18
COMMUNITIES TO RECEIVE SITE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
Grants to prepare industrial sites for market
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development
Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced today that 18 communities and local organizations will
receive $6.2 million in Site Development Grants.
The Site Development Grant program, part of the larger Rural Economic Opportunity Act passed
in 2016, helps communities prepare industrial sites for businesses.
“Providing more opportunities for citizens in rural Tennessee is one of our top priorities and with
the assistance of the Site Development Grants, the rural communities receiving these grants will
be ready for investment and economic success,” Haslam said. “We are strengthening our future
workforce through programs like Tennessee Promise, and I look forward to seeing these 18
communities succeed and grow for the next generation of Tennesseans.”
“I want to congratulate all 18 communities on being awarded the Site Development Grants,”
Rolfe said. “These grants are designed to assist rural Tennessee communities to be better
equipped for economic growth. We are proud to see these communities investing in themselves
and anticipate seeing each community thrive in our state.”
The grants assist communities in finalizing infrastructure and site improvements for Select
Tennessee Certified Sites and sites that will go through the site certification process. The projects
prepare the sites for new business operations and jobs. In total, 33 communities have been
awarded Site Development Grants with 15 communities receiving the grants in 2016.
“With the help of the Rural Economic Opportunity Act and these Site Development Grants,
communities receiving these funds will be one, two and three steps closer to investment
and growth. I am excited to see our rural communities have the opportunity to submit sites and
compete on an even bigger level than before," Amy New, TNECD assistant commissioner of rural
development, said.
The Site Development Grant is part of the suite of Select Tennessee programs and works in
conjunction with the Site Certification program.
An advisory committee of staff from TNECD, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee
Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture selected these 18 sites from a pool of 28 applications.
The application process was competitive with grants awarded based on benefit to the
community, economic impact, leveraged resources, and ability to implement a successful
project.
Each application was supported by the community’s senator and representatives in the
Tennessee General Assembly.
Following over 18 months in discussions
and occasional action on a location for a proposed shooting sports
park, the Crossville city council voted to rescind a sales contract
it approved in February for a portion of the city tract of land off
of Albert Frye Road.
The project has became controversial in
the last few weeks as residents and property owners in the vicinity
of the property became aware of what the proposal may mean to their
use of their property and they expressed concern over possible
property values.
Council initially agreed to essentially
donate (sell for $1) 146 acres of the 217 acre site to the the
nonprofit corporation that has been formed to operate the shooting
sports park. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency would fund the
over $2 million for most of the construction costs. The group hopes
to attract tournaments and other competitions that would bring in
visitors from outside the area that would stay in local hotels and
spend money here.
Council considers rescinding contract on Albert Frye property
After numerous meetings since June of
2015, the council approved the sales contract on the land to the
nonprofit at the February regular council meeting and residents near
the property became aware of the project and the proposal. They
organized and began to contact officials to find out more and
circulate a petition opposed to the planned location.
The March regular council meeting
attracted a crowd of project supporters and those seeking to have the
project location moved. Council approved a motion requiring the
nonprofit hold a public hearing with property owners and area
residents after contacting them by mail. Before the group could get
much done on that action, the council called a special called meeting
barely within the 24 hours notification requirement to rescind the
the February action.
Because both parties had signed the
sales contract that said the property sale would close before April 1
there could be legal ramifications to arbitrarily ending the contract
but the resolution rescinding the contract prepared by city attorney
Will Ridley referenced section 3.2 of the contract that said,
“Purchaser understands that seller is a government and can only
purchase or sell land subject to the requirements of its charter and
state law. The seller understands and agrees that the contract is
subject to the successful completion of all requirements, including
but not limited to, advertising the sale of property without public
objection.” Councilman J. H. Graham read the resolution aloud at
the meeting, “Whereas during the March work session and March city
council meetings several members of the community spoke in opposition
of the land transfer and have further submitted a petition in
opposition and whereas public objection to the transfer has clearly
been set forth.”
Council members L-R J. H. Graham, Danny WYatt, Mayor James Mayberry,
Pamala Harris and Scot Shanks
Graham moved to approve the resolution
to rescind approval of the contract receiving a second from
councilman Danny Wyatt.
Councilman Scot Shanks asked how many
property owners who have homes in the area were affected by the
shooting sports park? Graham said that a petition by those opposed
to the site was signed by 42 people. Graham said that a “clear
majority” of property owners on Albert Frye Road were opposed to
the location for the shooting sports park.
Shanks sought further clarification
including a show of hands of who was present at the called meeting
who lived on Albert Frye Road. Some 7 hands were raised. After some
back and forth it was determined there were 5 homes in the immediate
vicinity with another two near the end of the road.
Albert Frye Road residents identify themselves to council
“I think the issue is noise, fear of
the unknown,” said Shanks, “but has there been any kind of
testing done to determine what the sound of these guns going off and
how loud that's going to be?”
One audience member said that they
could hear the other shooting range in their back yard and they are
over a mile from that location.
Mayor Mayberry addressed the issue
saying, “This discussion started June 11, 2015. There has been a
total of 7 either work sessions or council meetings in reference to
the shooting park. The members of the shooting park board, TWRA, US
Fish and Wildlife services, State Senator Paul Bailey, Crossville
city employees all have dedicated many hours in advancing to the
point we are now and where construction could begin. All the
environmental studies and surveys have been approved and secured a
highly sought after grant.”
Mayberry continued, “For years this
community has complained that there is nothing for our youth to do.”
Mayberry listed several ball sports, tumbling and cheering but added
there is a large group of kids that are interested in shooting
sports. He talked about an email he got from a mother who said her
son was unable to compete in other sports but he can shoot. “The
city spends thousands of taxpayer dollars to promote our community
for tourism. We wouldn't have to spend any on this facility's
promotion. When competitions are held here the local hotels,
restaurants and campgrounds will benefit greatly but the main thing I
want to emphasize is the positive effect this will have on our youth
and families. You can't put a price on that.”
Mayberry pointed out that the property
location is right by the Interstate and there is noise from it 24/7.
He added that he had gotten a copy of an email from someone at Deer
Creek who wanted the city to come up with a noise ordinance to quiet
down I-40. That comment got a chuckle from the audience.
“As far as I'm concerned, I feel we
have a valid contract that needs to be honored. It really bothers me
that this council will vote to approve and agenda item and expend
employee's time and effort and taxpayer's dollars on a project and
possible even receive a grant to later decide to abandon it,”
concluded Mayberry.
Ms. Harris said the situation was not
good and that it was not an easy position for the council to be
sitting in. Harris said she had weighed the issue seriously over the
past week adding, “I want this community to have a shooting park.
I think it is a wonderful thing for this community to have.”
Harris continued, “The whole thing,
in my opinion, was handled somewhat poorly from the front end. None
of us did our due diligence and homework as well as we should have
and that includes the nonprofit and the city. We all have to take
responsibility for that. There should have been a public hearing and
an opportunity for people to speak out.”
Councilman Wyatt made a short comment
saying, “We don't have zoning in the city or county. That's a bad
word around here. It would make it simple if we did (have zoning.)
Councilman Graham called for the
question and when the vote on rescidning the contract was taken,
council members Graham, Wyatt and Harris voted in favor and Mr.
Shanks and Mayor Maybery were opposed with the majority approving the
resolution to rescind the contract.
Following the meeting, Crossville
shooting Park, Inc board member James Wattenbarger described the
council's action as “a big loss for the kids.” He added that the
loss of the over $2 million grant would be a big financial loss and
there was an unknown economic impact if the project is lost. When
asked what was the next step, Wattenbarger said he didn't know yet.
In a special called meeting that barely made the 24 hours notice requirement in the city's charter, a majority of council members approved a motion to rescind the approval of the contract that agreed to sell a portion of a 217 acre tract the city owned between I-40 and Albert Frye Road.
Council discusses shooting park motion.
Video and a more detailed story coming soon, but the vote on the motion to rescind the donation was council members J. H. Graham, Danny WYatt and Pamala Harris in favor and Scot Shanks and Mayor James Mayberry opposed.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch that covers Crossville and Cumberland County until 10 PM this evening central time. The watch covers a large part of Middle and Eastern Tennessee.
The watch covers the following Tennessee counties.
BEDFORD BENTON BLEDSOE
BLOUNT BRADLEY CANNON
CARROLL CHEATHAM COFFEE
CUMBERLAND DAVIDSON DECATUR
DE KALB DICKSON FRANKLIN
GILES GRUNDY HAMILTON
HARDIN HENDERSON HENRY
HICKMAN HOUSTON HUMPHREYS
LAWRENCE LEWIS LINCOLN
LOUDON MARION MARSHALL
MAURY MCMINN MEIGS
MONROE MOORE PERRY
POLK PUTNAM RHEA
ROANE RUTHERFORD SEQUATCHIE
SMITH TROUSDALE VAN BUREN
WARREN WAYNE WHITE
WILLIAMSON WILSON
Today and Tonight
There is a slight risk (level 2 out of 5) for severe thunderstorms
across southern Middle Tennessee this afternoon and evening,
generally along and south of the I-40 corridor.
A cold front will shift south to near I-40 by midday, with
scattered showers and thunderstorms expected to develop along and
south of the front this afternoon and continue into the evening.
Large hail and damaging winds will be possible in the strongest
storms, along with heavy rainfall and localized flooding.
A special called meeting is set for 4:50 PM Tuesday March 21 at Crossville city hall. The meeting has been called by council members J. H. Graham and Pamala Harris.
The single item on the agenda concerns discussion and possible action on the rescindment of contract with Crossville Shooting Sports Park, Inc.
The contract calls for closing on the property sale to the nonprofit by April 1. It is unclear if the nonprofit could take legal action if the contract is rescinded by the city.
The project has been discussed for just over 18 months and the city agreed to provide property that was originally purchased for use as a landfill. 37 of the over 200 acres remains as a former landfill and the city kept 40 acres along Albert Frye Road for possible industrial development.
The project was originally brought to the city by Co. Mayor Kenneth Carey but since the county is not involved in the project it is unclear if Carey was acting in his official capacity or as a private individual. Carey holds a seat on the nonprofit board that plans to operate the park.
The funding for construction is $2.5 million from TWRA.
Another council called meeting is also set to follow for 5 PM on rehiring previously retired city employees and finally a work session on the city's capital improvement plan.
In the Spring of 2004 Crossville Elementary School was closing and most of the teachers were moving to Brown Elementary School but before the school with a history back to the 1930s closed, an open house was held for previous students and the community.
Very Early photo of Crossville Elementary School circa 1930s
When this photo was taken it was simply known as City School
One of the unique things about the school was the art work on the walls that was painted by Joe Edd Hodges, long time art teacher at the school. Hodges was raised in Crossville and graduated from the old CCHS.
The art murals has since been painted over and the building is used now as the school's administrative offices.
The last principal of Crossville Elementary School Danny Hassler
stand in front of one of Joe Ed Hodges' art murals that were
Two City of Crossville Police Department officers have received recognition with the issuance of “Officer of the Month” awards for February, 2017. In the month of February 2017, Patrolman Kevin Wood located and recovered a stolen vehicle, apprehended three suspects during his investigation and returned the stolen property to the owner. Additionally, Patrolman Kevin Wood investigated the theft of several televisions from a local church. During his investigation he was able to locate and apprehend the person responsible and sought assistance for the suspect through referral to a rehabilitation facility. Patrolman Kevin Wood’s daily diligence and thorough investigating efforts help add to the professionalism of our agency.
Patrolman Kevin Wood
Also in the month of February 2017, Patrolman Joel Stevens’ dedication to duty and proactive efforts are being recognized. In February alone, Patrolman Joel Stevens singed and served 31 arrest warrants, issued 26 traffic citations, wrote 22 police reports, answered 117 calls for service and assisted his fellow officers on an additional 34 calls for service. Patrolman Joel Stevens performed all of this activity while also diligently patrolling the City of Crossville. His good attitude and strong work ethic have been a great motivator for other officers on his shift and is a fine example for our agency.
Crossville city council put off action
on a policy on rehiring previous city retirees, including those who
took an early retirement buyout some two years ago.
The matter will come back up again at a
special called meeting set for Tuesday March 21 that will be followed
by a work session on the city's capital improvement plan. The
special called meeting is set for 5 PM and will be immediately
followed by the work session.
Greg Wood wrote a memo of his take on
the issue during his first week on the job, “It would be my
recommendation as a rule to not allow these employees to return
unless there were extraordinary circumstances necessitating their
return. In those cases, if they received a retirement buyout, that
buyout would have to be paid back over whatever period of time they
had to serve to reach the 30 year threshold or five (5) years,
whichever is greater. Any other retirement non-buyout incentives
received would be deducted from incentives received upon the
subsequent separation.
Additionally, their pay should be
reduced by 5% to put them on equal footing with other employees who
now have to pay in 5% to ICMA (International City/Co Management
Association) when the retirees would not be paying that amount. This
is the only way I can see to keep the employee from “double
dipping” and maintaining some equity with employees now under ICMA.
Employees of Police or Fire could have knowledge based testing
waived, but would still need to pass the physical testing
requirements of new hires.”
“This is a rather sticky wicket for 2
reasons,” said Wood at the start of the discussion during council's
regular March meeting. The first thing is people who participated in
the buyout program and addressing that issue and possible payback if
they come back to work as the program was designed to reduce payroll
and now they are coming back. The other issue is coming back into
the TCRS (Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System) and the
difference between 5 percent expense to current employees and the
TCRS expense of 18 percent.
Wood added that these were policy
questions for the council to address.
Council member J. H. Graham said he did
not want to discriminate against those who took the buyout saying,
“if they are good employees and the manager wants them back, I
think we should give him a policy that will let him do that.”
Graham suggested a formula that the city manager could work from such
as an agreement that any buyout employees would agree to not have a
cost of living increase for at least 3 years and they would not
receive the usual 5 percent increase after 6 months for a period of 2
years.
Graham moved to use his suggestion and
as calculations were thrown out Mayor James Mayberry said he would
like to have the calculations on paper and the motion was withdrawn
to be moved to March 21 at a special called meeting.
Other items on the work session include
third reading on the updated public records ordinance along with
second reading of an ordinance on excavation and cuts in public right
of ways that disallows masonry structures taller then 6 inches on
public right of way and second reading of the ordinance on
telecommunications.
There was a standing room only crowd at
the March Crossville city council meeting in expectation of a
discussion of the property transfer for the Shooting Sports Park to
be located between I-40 and Albert Frye Road.
The controversy is over the city's
approval last month of selling part of the acreage that the city
bought over 20 years ago for use as a landfill to a non-profit
organization hoping to operate a shooting sports park at the
location. Some of the residents and property owners in the area were
not aware of the project until recently and are concerned about the
noise that the shooting will generate and the possible effect on
their property values.
A large crowd attended Crossville city council meeting as they
discuss concerns by residents near the property proposed for
a shooting sports park. Here Harold Stryker speaks on behalf
of property owners in the area of the Albert Frye Rd. property.
There was also a large contingent of
supporters of the project including young people who participate in
shooting sports for several local organizations and so,me of their
parents. A number of members of the board of the newly formed
non-profit group and they also spoke to the council.
Public comments on the topic of the shooting sports park.
After some 45 minutes of public
comments and discussion of the matter the city council approved a
motion to ask the non-profit group to hold a public meeting with the
property owners and area residents to share information about their
plans and the operation and how it might affect the area.
The motion did not make any changes to
the sales contract that calls for a closing on the sale by April 1,
2017 and likely to take place before the meeting can be held. The
biggest issue seems to be that there was no notice to those in the
area about what was planned for the property.
Local businessman Harold Stryker spoke
first on behalf of the concerned property owners who shared petitions
with the council. Said Stryker, “I want to make it very clear.
We are not opposed to a shooting park.” He said their concern was
the location and the effect on neighboring properties. He said he
understood there could be as many as 10,000 shots filed in a single
day. According to Styker, a home he and his son own is estimated to
be only 600 feet from one of the proposed shooting stations.
Stryker concluded asking that the
council reconsider the action on the property.
One of the members of the non-profit
board, James Wattenbarger spoke saying that he had looked at a lot of
locations for the park and he was not aware of an available location
that would impact less citizens then the Albert Frye Rd. location.
He added that some locations that had been studied would increase
traffic through residential areas. Wattenbarger explained they were
looking and making some changes to the plans in order to control
noise from the park.
Greg Cantrell identified himself as the
trustee for the Frank Brown Family trust. The trust owns between 400
and 500 acres from the Bean Pot to Albert Frye Rd. Cantrell said the
trust was interested in economic development, great healthcare and
education. He said that the family had donated the land for Brown
Elementary School.
Cantrell said his concerns were that
until last night neither he nor other family members knew anything
about the project and they are very nearby property owners. In
addition, he said the family had a vision for many years of what the
corridor might become. Development of the family trust property
could be an 80 to 100 bed assisted living facility that would be an
$8 to $10 million investment that may not be compatible with a
shooting park. “I'm asking you to slow down this process if you
can and let us work with you as a significant property owner.
Valorie Cox is a member of the
non-profit board and presented a petition with over 382 signatures in
favor of the shooting park. Cox explained that in the region there
were 25 counties that sought the park location and Cumberland County
was selected. She said one event with 300 shooters would bring at
least some 600 visitors to the county and at a spending of just $50
per person they could leave $30,000 in the county.
Following the public comments the
council quickly agreed to move the item concerning the shooting park
up on the agenda and began to discuss the topic.
City Council discussion on shooting sports park
Councilman J. H. Graham moved that “the
city requires the non-profit organization to have a public hearing
where the property owners are identified and asked to come to a
meeting within the next 30 to 60 days to identify the pros and cons
of the shooting range.” Graham's motion was supported by
councilman Danny Wyatt.
Mayor James Mayberry asked how the
motion would affect the city's current sales contract that says the
sale will be closed by April 1? City attorney Will Ridley explained
that any extension of the contract would have to be agreed to by both
parties.
Councilwoman Pamala Harris said she
felt the park would be a good thing for the community. “I just
want to be fair to all of the parties involved,” added Harris. She
said the council won't make everyone happy no matter what they do but
perhaps not enough due diligence was done on the deal.
Wyatt said that until the end of the
year he thought the project was a joint city county project. He
apologized saying he should have done more homework. “I think
these people need to be given the opportunity to speak and ask
questions and it should have been done a year ago,” said Wyatt.
Crossville attorney Randall Boston
addressed the council. He said he was speaking as a member of the
non-profit board and not as an attorney or as the county attorney.
Boston said the he and a man named Kenneth Carey and not mayor
Kenneth Carey and several others had worked on the project for quite
some time. “I stand here before you to say that we have a contract
and time is of the essence,” Boston continued, “and there is no
law that says we have to notify anyone or put up a sign.” He added
that the conversations have been going on since the middle of 2015
and well documented stories by local media sources. Boston pointed
out that drag strips and race tracks and airports all make noise.
The vote on the motion included 4 votes
in favor from Graham, Wyatt, Harris and Scot Shanks. Mayor Mayberry
voted no after seeking clarification that the proposed public meeting
would not affect the contract.
Following the vote, J. H. Graham
requested a 5 minute recess that was approved by Mayor Mayberry.
TRAVEL ADVISORY – CUMBERLAND COUNTY- INTERSTATE 40 – 331 mile marker (2 miles east of Crab Orchard) – Overturned tractor trailer. Eastbound traffic is affected with the left lane blocked. Westbound traffic is not affected. Estimated time of clearing is 4 p.m. according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Remote Area Medical will be holding a
free medical clinic in Cookeville this weekend on March 18 and 19
from 6 AM to 2 PM each day. Cookeville High School at 2335 N.
Washington Ave hosts the clinic.
Patients will be able to get medical
care and either dental or vision services. Patients can revceive a
number at 3 AM each morning of the clinic and only those in line at
the time numbers are given out will be able to get a number. No proof
of residency or income is required to participate but patients are
asked to bring the medicine they take every day.
Because the wait may be long and could
be in the weather, participants should bring food and water,
appropriate clothing and books or games for entertainment.
Remote Area Medical was founded in 1985
by Stan Brock of Wild Kingdom TV fame. While RAM goes all over the
world to provide baisc medical care the majority of their work is
currently done in the USA
The proposed Shooting Sports Park on
Albert Frye Road returns to the Crossville city council's agenda for
Tuesday evening after complaints came from residents near the
proposed site at last weeks council work session.
The project, brought to the city
council some 18 months ago by Cumberland Co. Mayor Kenneth Carey will
be built using over $2 million from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency on land the city is selling to the non-profit corporation that
will operate the facility. At last months meeting the council agreed
to the sale of the property under what city attorney Will Ridley
described as a binding contract. The sale is to take place by April
1 under that contract.
During city council's work session last week, discussion on the
proposed Shooting Sports Park came up as neighbors expressed
concern for noise and property values. City Engineer Time Begley
explained a diagram of the property to council.
Several property owners in the area of
the old city landfill property are now opposing the project due to
noise and property value concerns. It is unclear what action the
council can take at the March meeting.
The council's evening starts with the
monthly audit committee meeting at 5:30 PM and the regular council
meeting gets underway at 6:00 PM.
Council will also discuss and consider
action on the matter of rehiring previous city retirees. Such
rehiring will be more costly then the other hires as they would have
to be place back under the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System
(TCRS). New city manager Gary Wood has given his recommendation on
such hirings in the future.
Wrote Wood, “It would be my
recommendation as a rule to not allow these employees to return
unless there were extraordinary circumstances necessitating their
return. In those cases, if they received a retirement buyout, that
buyout would have to be paid back over whatever period of time they
had to serve to reach the 30 year threshold or five (5) years,
whichever is greater. Any other retirement non-buyout incentives
received would be deducted from incentives received upon the
subsequent separation.
Additionally, their pay should be
reduced by 5% to put them on equal footing with other employees who
now have to pay in 5% to ICMA (International City/Co Management
Association) when the retirees would not be paying that amount. This
is the only way I can see to keep the employee from “double
dipping” and maintaining some equity with employees now under ICMA.
Employees of Police or Fire could have knowledge based testing
waived, but would still need to pass the physical testing
requirements of new hires.”
Wood spoke during the work session and
said that the city had hiried back the former city police chief David
Beaty and that people seemed happy about that. Wood added that he
felt the city needed guidance from the council for future decisions.
Wood also wrote about the bridge
insurance that was offered to those who took early retirement and
that it was less of a problem but still needed a ruling by the
council.
Another somewhat controversial
discussion was an ordinance that would not allow masonry structures
to be built on the city's right of way that were higher then 6
inches. This would create a problem for the anyone who wanted to
construct a stone or concrete mailbox enclosure. City engineer Tim
Begley said there were several potential problems with those
including traffic hazards, blocking the city ability to access their
water and sewer lines.
Any such structures that currently
exist would be grandfathered but new ones would not be allowed. They
would have to be built on the owners property with a way for the
mailman to access them.
The city is working on an ordinance to
help control new cell phone and other communication towers as new
technology changes. The city staff is requesting the council approve
a temporary moratorium on such new construction and begin the process
of approving a new ordinance.
Council will also consider adding a new
full time position at the Palace Theatre. Currently there is one
full time and 3 part-time positions. One of the part time positions
would become a full time position due to the very busy schedule at
the theatre and the need for additional help.
Work continues on the city's solid
waste contract renewal. The matter was discussed at the council's
work session with much of that on the difference between residential
and commercial waste pickup. The matter has been discussed by
council before without a resolution. It is something that needs to
be addressed before the city continues toward a decision on taking
back over waste collections or putting out a contract bid.
