Crossville city council called meeting on June 29 agenda includes budget, tax rate and more.

Crossville city council will meet in a special called meeting June 29 with the third and final approval of the city's new fiscal year budget and tax rate on the agenda. The meeting is set for 5 PM and will be followed by a work session.  The work session agenda will be released next week. 

The new tax rate, certified by the state following the countywide reappraisal is $0.5905 per $100 of assessed value. The new rate is a 4 cent drop from the previous year's tax rate of $0.63.

Crossville City Hall

In addition to approving the final version of the 2017-18 budget with a $1.9 million deficit that will be covered by the city's large rainy day general fund balance, city employees will see a 2.5 percent raise. Council will also approve the list of non-profit donations.

Other ordinances on third reading that are part of the consent agenda will include the third and final reading of the budget amendment for the current year's funding of the Garrison Park redevelopment, the city's amended tree removal ordinance and the year end budget adjustments.

PARK PLACE MOTORS has a great selection!

Council will also consider second reading of the ordinance regarding sewer extensions outside the city limits but in existing developments.

The final item on the agenda covers discussion and action on helping replace an HVAC unit at the Fair Park Senior Center. One of the current units has failed and will cost $12,000 to replace. Council,man Danny Wyatt is proposing that the city split the cost with the county to replace it.

A work session for the July regular council meeting on July11 follows the special called meeting
More on the work session at this link.

New Crossville city manager Greg Wood expected to start Monday

It has been a bumpy ride for the city of Crossville in the 11 months since Crossville had a professional government manager at the helm of the city.  The last one, city manager David Rutherford was voted out in a special called meeting April 5, 2016 and Woods first day in office will be March 6, 2017.

New Crossville city manager Greg Wood

In addition to a lawsuit filed by the former interim police chief Rod Shoap over his treatment, grievances filed by one city employee against an interim city manager that lead to his dismissal as well as the dismissal of a department secretary and a written reprimand placed against the city's marketing director, a councilman and a city department head both faced criminal charges over alleged actions, and reports of serious employee morale problems in several departments have been discussed by council and the community.

We asked Mr Wood for his thoughts on what he felt his first steps must be as he begins his new responsibilities as city manager.  His comments follow.

Greg Wood statement: Someone wiser than me once said, “you need to figure out where you are, before you can figure out where you are going.” The first thing I need to do is a lot of listening. I need to build relationships and trust. I need to understand the personality of the new Council makeup and what direction they want to take the City. I need to faithfully communicate that vision to the employees and make them feel they are a valuable part of a team with a vision. The bottom line as an individual I will accomplish little without an effective team.

There are some specific areas I would like to pursue, especially in the area of economic development, but again, that is not a solo act, it takes a team and a vision from elected officials from both Crossville and Cumberland County, as well as stakeholders in the private sector. I am not of the mindset that the government holds all the answers, but I also remember that I work directly for the five Council members elected by the citizens. Finally, I will endeavor to instill the employees with the values of stewardship and accountability I feel are a vital part of public service.  

Changes coming in Personnel Board membership following resignations after meeting on French grievance.

Two members of the Crossville Personnel Board members resigned following the January 11 meeting to hear the grievance filed by city parks and recreation director Tammie French against then interim city manager Steve Hill.  Those leaving the board are members John Eldridge and Brooks Boston, both elected by the Crossville city employees. 

Members of the Crossville Personnel Board, city staff and observers

listen as the board hears the Tammie French Grievance 

at their last meeting on January 11, 2017.

Personnel Board discusses French Grievance

The Personnel board includes 5 members including 2 elected by city employees, 2 appointed by the city council and one appointed by the city manager. The process of replacing the two resigning members who were elected by the city employees is now underway.

The city ordinance on the personnel board says that “No member of the Personnel Board shall be employed by or be an official of the city, nor shall be a member of any local, state or national committee of a political party or an official or member of a committee in any partisan political group or organization, nor shall hold or be a candidate for any elective office. No member of the Personnel Board shall be an immediate family member (wife, husband, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, father, father-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, step-parent, stepchild, grandmother, or grandfather) of any employee or elected official of the City of Crossville.”

The Ordinance also sates the duties and responsibilities of the Personnel Board as follows:

“(a) Represent the public interest in the improvement of personnel administration;

(b) Advise the City Council and the City Manager on problems concerning personnel administration; and

(c) Hear appeals of any employee covered by this chapter relative to personnel actions taken by the city in which the employee feels grieved, as long as the employee has exhausted the grievance procedures provided in the rules and regulations. The Personnel Board may revoke, modify or sustain the personnel action being appealed. The Personnel Board shall have the right of subpoena, the power to examine witnesses under oath, the power to compel the appearance of a witness and the power to require the production of evidence by subpoena. During the review, both the appealing employee and city or other person whose actions are being reviewed shall have right to be heard publicly, be represented by any person the appellant desires and to present evidentiary facts. At the hearings of the appeals or grievances, technical rules of evidence shall not apply. All appeals shall be concluded as expeditiously as possible and in accordance with the requirement and procedures set forth in the personnel rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter. The cases shall be final. However, nothing in this section purports to preclude judicial review.”

The city employees are notified and have 5 days to nominate possible candidates. That took place last week and the city manager then determines the qualifications of the candidates and prepares the ballots that are distributed to the city employees. The ballots are tabulated by the manager with two city employees selected at random to observe the ballot counting and the results are certified.