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.
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.
This is an odd deal.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the county mayor and his associates receive $700,000 in land for one dollar. Second, the county mayor and his associates will receive 2.2 million in grant money from the TWRA. Third, the county mayor and his associates will get to run the park as a non-profit organization...aka business.
I can understand the residents being upset over the proposed shooting park. On the other hand, I think it's upsetting that the city council, especially the city mayor, is trying to hand over 3 million dollars to the county mayor for ONE DOLLAR. Think about that. No wonder Crossville is considered so corrupt.