Crosville council approves new solid waste contract with Cumberland Waste Disposal

Even though the Crossville city council was not in complete agreement with some of the terms in the contract they went ahead with approval of the new agreement for solid waste pickup during the regular July council meeting.

Council began discussing the situation on the renewal of the contract or rebidding the waste pickup at the first of 2017 as the current contract with Cumberland Waste Disposal expired in August. After several discussions on the subject, council decided to rebid the contract.

While CWD was the only bidder, the new contract is expected to save the city money as council has decided to take over the collection of leaves and yard waste with city employees. City manager Wood and street superintendent Kevin Music both recommend the approval. The new 5 year contract reduces the annual cost by some $121,000 annually. The new contract uses the property appraiser's classification for residential and commercial and the question of mobile home parks is answered in the city's ordinance originally passed on 1973 and updated in 1998 requiring that they provide refuse collection in their parks.

City council discussion on solid waste

contract approval

City attorney Will Ridley addressed the council's concerns saying that some of the things the council wanted changed would have required the rebidding of the contract and he did not recommend that action. Ridley told the council that he was able to negotiate a few minor changes they sought that CWD agreed to.

Crossville city council members L-R J. H. Graham,

Danny Wyatt, Mayor James Mayberry, Pam Harris

and Scot Shanks. 

Council member Pamala Harris moved to approve the agreement and a second was given by council member Scot Shanks. Council member J. H. Graham asked for clarification and city manager Greg Wood explained that the city had budgeted $40,000 for a leaf collection truck and expects to use current employees for the leaf collection program.

The motion was approved unanimously.   

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July City Council agenda covers solid waste contract as well as Garrison Park and downtown Sidewalks

Crossville city council meets for their regular July meeting on Tuesday July 11 and will discuss a budget amendment for Garrison Park improvement work, downtown sidewalks and a possible grant as well as potential industrial expansions.

Meetings start with the council's audit committee meeting at 5:15, the Crossville beer board meeting at 5:45 and the regular agenda meeting starts at 6:00 PM.

L-R Crossville city manager Greg Wood and council members

J.H. Graham, Danny Wyatt, Mayor James Mayberry,

Pamala Harris and Scot Shanks.

After failing to approve the third and final reading of a budget amendment to pay for work already preformed during the 2016-17 fiscal year, council will address the topic again during their regular meeting. The motion by councilman Danny Wyatt approved at the called meeting late last month called for tabling the matter “until someone can tell us why we have to take the fence down.”

Garrison Park

At the called meeting several council members expressed unhappiness with removing the fence and later putting it back up. Mr. Wyatt estimated that cost at around $100,000. The $500,000 state department of environment and conservation grant that the city agreed to requires that the old grandstand and the perimeter fence be removed. The redevelopment plan includes a new water feature splash pad, a playground, replacing the basketball court and constructing a restroom building in the park. The grant requires a $500,000 match from the city.

The city council will look at possible grant funding from the state for downtown sidewalks. The city has talked about improving sidewalks downtown fro some 14 years now but can't seem to get the project underway. The state TDOT grant now called Transportation Alternatives Program. The program was previously known as the Transportation Enhancement Program and was part of the funding in place previously for part of the downtown project. City manager Greg Wood and councilman J. H. Graham will discussion on the grant that can be used for sidewalks and pedestrian lighting.

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Council is expected to act on the the new solid waste collection contract. City manager Wood and street superintendent Kevin Music both recommend the approval. The new 5 year contract reduces the annual cost by some $121,000 annually and the city will take over the leaf and brush collection. The new contract uses the property appraiser's classification for residential and commercial and the question of mobile home parks is answered in the city's ordinance originally passed on 1973 and updated in 1998 requiring that they provide refuse collection in their parks.

CoLinx is asking to lease property next to it's expansion in the Interchange Business Park for parking for additional employees as the parking is not adequate. In addition, the city manager may have additional information on a potential industrial prospect for the community.

Other agenda items include Friends of the Airport memorial and the marketing report.  

Council work session to follow June 29 special called meeting on budget.

The Crossville city council has a work session scheduled for Thursday June 29 at 5:15 PM following the special called meeting to approve final reading of the 2017-18 fiscal year budget and other items.

Link to Special called meeting story

Because the regular day that the council would meet for its monthly work session is July 4th the council decided to move the monthly work session a bit earlier in order to celebrate the holiday and since a special called meeting was already scheduled council decided to go ahead and hold the work session.

Crossville City Hall

The work session will discuss items that may be on the regular July council meeting that will be held July 11 including the bid on solid waste collection for the city. With the contract expiring the council voted to rebid the service. The deadline to bid was June 6.

The only bid received was from Waste Connections/Cumberland Waste Disposal, the current contractor. The current waste collection contract costs the city $360,929 per year and the new contract is estimated to be $239,846 with the city picking up yard waste and leaves. The bid for twice a year yard waste/leaf pickup by Cumberland Waste would be $152,683 and the city is recommending to the council that the city, not the contractor, do the yard waste/leaf pickup. The city has the purchase of a leaf vacuum truck in the new fiscal year's budget for the service.

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Council will discuss the plan with a decision expected to be voted on in the July regular meeting.

Downtown sidewalks and Main Street striping plans will be up for discussion. The item has been requested on the agenda by councilwoman Pamala Harris.

Several grants are on the agenda for discussion including the Transpiration Alternatives Grant. That grant could be used for sidewalks, streetlights and pedestrian signals for downtown. The grant pays 80 percent of the cost. Also on the agenda is a police vest grant and the airport maintenance grant

Road closing approvals are up for consideration for the August Friday at the Crossroads, a 70E block party July 14 and the Scarecrow Festival in October.

A contract with an engineering for for a study on the city's raw water supply for Meadow Park Lake is on the agenda. If approved the J. R. Wauford & Company will perform preliminary engineering on the project for $15,000.

Another engineering contract for work on the industrial site development project to create a pad for construction is up for consideration. Following a request for qualifications the selection committee selected TARE Engineering for the work at $60,000 has been recommended.  

Tuesday Council agenda looks at rehiring retirees, solid waste contract and a report on downtown sidewalks

The April Crossville city council meeting is set for Tuesday April 11 and includes mostly items the council has discussed before.

One item not on the agenda for the first time in several weeks is the Shooting Sports Park and the sale of the land to the nonprofit is scheduled to be closed prior to this meeting.  This will also be the first real council meeting for new city manager Greg Wood who started one week before the last meeting.

New Crossville city manager Greg Wood

The Council's regular meeting starts at 6 PM and will be preceded by the monthly audit committee meeting at 5:20 PM and a brief public hearing on the annexation plan of services for two new annexations at 2496 Lantana Rd and 99 Grandview Dr in addition to a report on annexation progress for Orange Circle at 5:50 PM. The council also meets as the Solicitation Board at 5:55 PM to consider an application from the Crossville Lions Club for their annual white cane project.

Council meetings are held at city hall and open to the public.

The regular agenda includes possible action on the rehiring of retirees policy that council has been discussing for some time now. Councilman Danny Wyatt had requested some additional information on the cost and savings of the previous early retirement program. The spread sheet prepared by Leah Crockett shows an amount of annual savings totaling $282,708 for the current year looking at how much the retirees would be receiving compared to the cost of their current replacements.

The total amount of the 6 months of salary buyout for the 18 employees who took early retirement was $446,275 so it appears the city has already made back its investment in the 28 months since the program was offered.

The issues that have cropped up with the rehiring of retirees include that they must be returned to the more expensive Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System and the 6 month salary buyout and other regular retirement incentives they received. Discussion by council has included whether the buyout payment should be paid back if a previous retiree return to work.

New city manager Greg Wood has recommended that such employees not be rehired unless there were “extraordinary circumstances.”

As the deadline nears for a decision on renewal of the city solid waste collection contract with Cumberland Waste Disposal the city has been looking at its options. One option is the city's purchase of a leaf vacuum truck to allow the street department to do some or all of the leaf pickup. Such a truck is estimated to cost around $40,000.

During last weeks council work session, Manager Wood suggested that the city renew the the contract for 12 months to give him time to come up with a plan and recommendation. Council did not seem to want to do that. Council must either renew the contract, rebid the contract or take over waste collection with city employees.

Council will receive an update on the status of the downtown sidewalk project and a proposal to replace the traffic signal at the bottom of Water Tank Hill. The sidewalk project may affect the state plans to resurface Main Street through Downtown.

Council will also consider a request from the Lake Commission for additional funds to pave additional parking at the park between the playground and the large shelter. The project will require an additional $5,000 added to the almost $10,000 the park has in their budget.

Council will consider 4 appointments to the Industrial Development Board, approval of several bids including repainting the Catoosa water tank in Interchange Business Park, and proposals for the next city financial audit.