Ouster Complaint filed against City Council members Harris and Wyatt and marketing director Billy Loggins

A Cumberland County man has filed a complaint with the city that accuses two Crossville city council members and a city employee of “wrongful and unethical actions.”  These are the same two council members who survived an attempt to have them recalled last year. 

This is not the first time Mr. Loggins city communications have made headlines.  Loggins was reprimanded last year following the release of instant messages he had with the secretary at he Parks and Recreation department that came out following a personnel board complaint filed by Parks and Recreation director Tammie French.  The recreation department secretary was fired.

The complainant Steve Frank calls the paper a “written complaint for ouster investigation.” Frank accuses council members Pamala Harris and Danny Wyatt along with Crossville marketing manager Billy Loggins as being “in direct violation of the city charter” and “serious breach of their offices.” In addition to the ouster investigation, Mr. Frank is seeking an administrative termination of Mr. Loggins.

Crossville Marketing Director

Billy Loggins

City Council member Pamala Harris

City council member Danny Wyatt

After the city received the complaint it was forwarded on to city attorney Will Ridley who acts as the ethics officer for the city.

Included in the allegations are that Ms. Harris and Mr. Wyatt are communicating via Mr. Loggins in violation of the open meetings law by using Mr. Loggins as go between. Frank's complaint includes numerous pages of emails as examples of the communication that came from Mr. Loggins computer and are therefore public record.  Mr. Loggins and Ms. Harris have a personal relationship that was discussed by Ms. Harris in a council meeting last year. 

One series of emails is over a proposed meeting with Ficosa at the time they were planning to move their operation to Cookeville. Loggins was trying to set up a meeting but was rebuffed by Ficosa.

Loggins sent his exchange with Ficosa to Harris

From: Billy Loggins [mailto:billy.loggins@crossvilletn.gov]

Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 6:26 AM

To: Pamala Harris

Subject: FW: Ficosa America

Do not forward

From: fzicard@ficosa.com [mailto:fzicard@ficosa.com]

Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 6:50 PM

To: billy.loggins@crossvilletn.gov

Subject: Re: Ficosa America

Billy Given the most recent initiative by the Crossville group it is inappropriate for me to schedule a meeting at this time. Best regards.....Fred

Sent from my iPhone On Apr 21, 2015, at 8:27 AM, FREDERICK JAMES ZICARD wrote: I will propose a day next week as soon as j can

Sent from my iPhone On Apr 20, 2015, at 4:02 PM, billy.loggins@crossvilletn.gov wrote: Please schedule to meet with us again asap just let me know what works for your schedule.

Harris responded she had tried to get in contact with Wyatt with no luck.

From: Pamala Harris [mailto:PHarris@wittfinancialgroup.com]

Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 8:26 AM

To: Billy Loggins

Subject: RE: Ficosa America

I called Danny, but no answer or call back. Have you talked to him yet?

Pamala Harris

93 Hwy. 70 East, Suite 1

Crossville, TN 38555

931-484-4911 office 931-484-6787 fax

www.wittfinancialgroup.com

https://www.facebook.com/wittfinancialgroup?ref=hl

Loggins responded to Harris that he had talked to Wyatt and Harris emailed back “What did he say?” Loggins emailed for Harris to call him and Harris responded “As soon as I can.”

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In another series of emails from January 2015, Loggins has written a welcome letter on behalf of Crossville Mayor James Mayberry that was for the city's annual sustainability fair. Loggins sends the draft to Ms. Harris asking “Does this sound better for 5th grade students?”

Harris responds, “I made a couple of grammatical corrections, but super!”

According the the complaint submitted by Frank, he had checked with Mayor Mayberry who said he knew nothing of the letter written in his name.

Frank accuses Loggins and Harris of undermining Mayor Mayberry's efforts to get sponsors for the golf tournament's sponsored by the city to help defray the costs. In an email exchange Loggins suggests to Harris that perhaps the city could “get a sponsor for the salt we have been using on the streets??” Ms. Harris responds by emailing back, “Or maybe a sponsor for all the copy paper we print out reports on for Pete!!!!!” Pete would be former city councilman Pete Souza.

Loggins also had emails with a representative of PGA, Matt Phipps and Fairfield Glade's golf director Jeff Houston about golf sponsorship funding being in question in 2016. Loggins was suggesting that representatives from the PGA attend the meeting to lobby the council in favor of the funding but also advised them to “Please keep my name out of it.”

Additional emails cited by Mr. Frank include email communications between Loggins and Cody Howell, a representative of the Buxton Company what had done some consulting with the city and was seeking the contract to help the city with a project of recruiting retail and restaurants to the city. The Buxton representative asked if Loggins was an “advocate in Buxton's favor?” Loggins responded that the fact that the Chamber was asking the Buxton representative to speak to the Leadership Cumberland Program while pushing for another firm to work with the city was “very strange.” Loggins added that he would not email his thoughts, “but call me sometime.” The string of emails was then sent to Ms. Harris and described by Mr. Loggins as “unreal to say the least.”

Additional emails shown in the complaint by Frank appear to show Mr. Loggins was using his city computer to handle his private business of golf equipment sales.  

It is unclear how the city will handle the complaint filed by Mr. Frank. He complains that any council member would get to vote on the sanctions, if any, on their own actions under the city's charter.

At this point, the matter seems to be in the hands of the city attorney. 

Crossville Flashback: Fifteen Years Ago--Crossville City Council reviews 2001/2002 goals

(Fifteen Years Ago the city council discussed accomplishments for 2001 and goals for the coming year of 2002.  Some interesting projects are discussed and several people who have made news recently are in this report.)

The Crossville city council reviewed last year’s goals for the city and looked at new ones for 2002 in their work session Tuesday night.

Crossville city manager Jack Miller started out by presenting a recap on how the city fared on accomplishing the goals council set for last year. Miller told the council the city had substantially completed their goals for 2001 and most of those not completed have been carried over to 2002. Miller said he felt “that on a scale of one to ten, last year was a nine and one half.” 

Then city manager Jack Miller addresses the January 16, 2002 Council meeting.

Councilman Boyd Wyatt agreed 2001 was a good year giving it a score of nine saying, “It was a trying year and we had a lot on our plate. But I feel like we’ve done well.”

Councilman Earl Dean agreed with Wyatt saying, “You couldn’t ask for more.”

Councilman Carl Duer, who has only been on the council a short time quipped, “The last three months have gone well.” Councilman Billy Loggins agreed with Duer.

Crossville Mayor J. H. Graham commented, “The city needs infrastructure in the right time frame to get jobs here. This council has started and plans to continue.”

Of the 2001 goals, Miller said more city streets were resurfaced than originally expected and more sidewalks were constructed than the goals outlined. The city staff is also continuing to study different ways to work with the non-profit entities that have been given donations by the city in the past. Miller said he would present an analysis of the matter to the council at a future meeting.

Some of the goals not reached last year will be moved into the 2002 goals. The city will continue working on reviewing the city charter to update it. The city is also continuing to work on street lighting in busy and congested areas. Some of the street lighting is under construction now in the industrial and recreation park area.

Some of the goals put on hold either temporarily or for good include the soccer complex. While this project is not dead, council is waiting on the soccer organizers to see if they have a better location for the facility then on O’Brien Drive. The soccer organizers told council last year the site was not big enough plus there was the expensive proposition of dealing with wetlands located on the proposed site.

Completely off the table for now is the Azalea Street extension from West Avenue to Elmo Drive. Residents in the area complained and while the project is designed, council stopped the project.

Goals for the New Year discussed include completing the process to become designated as a Governors Three Star Community. Mayor Graham said the Three Star program relates preserving existing jobs and helping create new family income as well as improving the quality of life by strong leadership. The city also plans to update the comprehensive and growth strategies plans.

Council also discussed continuing the implementation of the city’s economic development strategy to balance the perspectives between industrial and commercial development. Also mentioned was additional ways to increase business recruitment for the community.

The city also will implement new financial software system to streamline and secure the city’s financial operation. The process is already underway.

One of the biggest projects facing the council during the coming year is reform of the city solid waste collection and management system. The contract the city has with the private hauler expires this fall and currently efforts are underway to work on the changes needed. Council will meet in works session to discuss the matter Tuesday January 22 at 6 PM.

The city also plans an extension of low-pressure sewer lines along Highway 70-N to Inez Wren School and work with Mrs. Smiths (Flowers) Bakery to complete the sewer pre-treatment system proposed by the company. Mayor Graham said the project would allow additional production to take place at the bakery with possible additional jobs.

Goals for the fire department include requesting an ISO rating evaluation with the goal of receiving a class 2 rating and evaluate possible sites for a new fire station to serve the western parts of the city.

The city is also looking at having the police department evaluated for potential accreditation by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

For leisure and cultural resources, the city’s goals are to complete interior infrastructure for the Palace Theater and expand promotions and programming. Steve Hill told the council that the movie screen has been hung in the Palace and he hopes to start showing movies at the renovated theater in mid February. They are investigating whether the movie “If I were King” starring Ronald Coleman is available in 35 millimeter. It was the first move ever shown at the Palace when it originally opened in 1938.



Council also wants to do additional public relations on the impact that the Centennial recreation park has on the community especially the economic impact.