New Council Candidate takes out nominating papers while council expansion to 7 members looks unlikely

One new Crossville city council candidate has taken out nominating papers for the November city election.

Longtime local businessman Glenn McDonald picked up papers to run but has not returned them yet. McDonald is a real estate broker for First Realty in Crossville as well as an auctioneer.

Glenn McDonald

Previous candidates that have qualified for the council race include Rob Harrison and Art Gernt. In addition, incumbent Mayor James Mayberry has qualified to run for Mayor. The mayor and council positions are voted for separately.

Currently, the city election in November will include the office of Mayor and two seats on the city council. Based on discussion at the work session June 5 it looks unlikely that the council will be expanded with two additional council members this year.

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The resolution to expand the council to 7 members (Mayor and 6 council members) has been approved by the Tennessee General Assembly and returned to the council for final approval. The matter would have to pass with a supermajority by a 4 to 1 vote and two council members indicated during the work session that they would only support the change if it was voted on by the public in a referendum. The initial request to have the change sent to the State Legislature only passed with a 3 to 2 vote. Council members Graham and Wyatt opposed the matter when the vote was taken to send the request to the State Legislature. During the work session, Mr. Wyatt and Mayor Mayberry said the matter should be voted on by citizens of Crossville.

The proposal was brought to the council in January this year by council member Pamala Harris who said she felt the change could give the council a different dynamic. Harris added that it could give more people a chance to be represented as well as giving more women a chance to serve on the council.

Crossville City Council set for Called meeting and work session Tuesday June 5 on budget, expanded council and more.

With the addition of a special called meeting before the June work session at 5 PM on Tuesday, June 5 it appears the Crossville City Council will approve the budget and city property tax rate by the regular June council meeting June 12.

With the first reading completed and the second reading on the agenda for a called meeting, Tuesday, June 5 the third and final readings are expected on the agenda of the regular June meeting on June 12. The city's budget is expected to be approved at $1.1 million in the red with some 10 times that amount in the city's general fund balance.

Other items on the called meeting agenda include the first reading of a budget amendment of year-end adjustments to bring the budget to actual expenses, third reading of the ordinance reimbursing the BOE for expenses of the CCHS drainage project and purchases of public works uniforms and a commercial mower.

Following the called meeting at 5:05 PM the council will go into the monthly work session in preparation for the June council meeting. The first item for discussion is a presentation from County Mayor Ken Carey and County Commissioner Wendell Wilson on a proposed expo center. The County is seeking help from the city for the construction costs estimated at $3.8 million. The proposed location for the expo center is between the current Farmer's Market and the Community Complex.

The area in red is the approximate location of the 

proposed County Expo Center.

Council is also scheduled to hear a presentation from Co. Sheriff's investigator Bo Kolloros and police chief David Beaty on a program to train city employees on what to do in the case of an active shooter. The training is called CRASE for civilian response to active shooter event.

Two city charter changes are up for consideration as well. Both have been approved by the council once, approved by the state legislature and each now faces a super majority vote becoming part of the charter. One change would add two additional members to the city council increasing it to 7 total members with a mayor and 6 council members. If the matter is approved it will affect the number of races for the city election in November with one additional 4-year term and one 2 year term on the ballot.

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The other charter change would approve the institution of a 2 percent hotel/motel tax.

Council will discuss a request from businesses on Thurman Avenue between First and Second Street to make the road two way from the current one way. The road was previously a two-way road and was changed to one way several years ago. While the lanes would be narrow, the city street department said there is adequate space though the planning commission has recommended leaving the street as one way.

The area in Green is the section of Thurman Ave

proposed for returning to two-way traffic.

Also on the agenda is the request from the County for waiver of building permit inspection fees on the Crab Orchard School project, installation of a water line on Fox Den Drive, and approval of road closures for the July 6 Rock the Block festival.

A discussion on a proposal of perks and rental fee adjustments for softball, baseball and soccer tournaments is on the agenda and a discussion on paying off water fund loans of about $1.4 million. The loan payoff proposal will save about $14,400 of cash flow each month along with a savings of interest of some $200,000 over the current terms of the loans.  

Monday Special Called Meeting and work session set for City Council.

Crossville city council has held a number of meetings in April and will hold both a special called meeting and a work session on animal control Monday, April 16 starting at 5 PM in the third-floor conference room.

The main topic for the special called meeting is wastewater treatment plant emergency work. The city staff is working with the engineer on receiving quotes for sludge removal of two basins taken offline while the previous contractor worked on the expansion project. Earlier this month the city ended work by that contractor that was not satisfactory.

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In addition, city staff is reviewing a proposal from the second low bidder to complete mechanical work at the plant. Recommendations on both items will be available at the meeting for Council to consider.

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In addition, a short consent agenda includes two items, one on allowing drive-through windows at liquor stores and also a budget amendment for additional testing required at the Dorton Landfill.

The work session to follow will discuss animal control issues and a presentation by city manager Greg Wood.  

The public is welcome to attend both meetings. 

Crossville city council work session on animal control set for April 16th

The Crossville city council plans to hold a work session on Monday, April 16 at 5:15 PM.

The meeting will be held in the third-floor conference room at Crossville city hall.  The topic of the work session is animal control and a presentation will be made by city manager Greg Wood. 

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Council previously considered a dog tethering ordinance but after some discussion, the council instead felt they would enforce the state law already on the books. A previous discussion also reviewed a so-called community cat program that would catch feral cats, spay or neuter them, vaccinate them and then release them for residents to feed. 

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Council's Tuesday Work Session takes up South Cumberland Utility Merger, Airport management contract and more

The Crossville city council meets for their regular March work session Tuesday, March 6 at 5 PM in the third floor conference room at city hall and will take up topics including merger discussions with South Cumberland Utility District, renewal of contract with Crossville Areo as fixed base operator and airport manager, and discussion on the purchase of the old handle mill property.

Crossville Airport Terminal Building

The discussion on a merger between the city water department and South Cumberland would be similar to the agreement that merged the Catoosa Utility district into the Catoosa Utility Department. If the proposal is agreed to then it would create the South Cumberland Utility District of the City of Crossville. The benefits of the merger according to information distributed with the agenda include a reduction of water rates and a decrease in redundant capital for both SCUD and the city.

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Under the proposal, the management and employees would remain the same.  Directors would become an advisory board and continue to be appointed by the County Mayor. The proposal includes a decrease of $10.00 per meter per month and returning some $46,000 a month to customers for a total of $552,000 per year. Synergies of operation would include cross training of employees, convert software and convert retirement plans and health insurance.

The city has also discussed a similar merger offer to the West Cumberland Utility District.

The current contract renewal of Crossville Aero expires in April and includes 2 additional 2-year renewals on the contract. Chris Bennett has requested the renewal Council will also discuss a previously proposed amendment to the airport contract.

Council will also discuss the status of the proposed purchase of the property on Webb Ave that is the remaining property that was the longtime handle mill. Included in the possible purchase is property owned by the railroad company. The city is seeking help from the county for the purchase of the property and would fund the development of parking and other amenities by itself.

Other items on the agenda include discussion of a utility use analysis of facilities and infrastructure the city operates, the city manager performance evaluation, purchases of the splash pad and playground for Garrison Park and scoreboards for Warner Complex and Centennial Park. Also up for discussion is an ordinance prohibiting the tethering of dogs at certain times and during certain conditions.  

February CIty Council Work Session Tuesday covers Raw Water Supply, Downtown Parking and the Depot budget

The Crossville city council holds their February work session Tuesday, February 6 starting at 5 PM in preparation for the upcoming regular council meeting.

Presentations on the raw water supply study by engineer J. R. Wauford originally set for last month but delayed due to council member J. H. Graham's illness will be held along with a presentation on the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts (TAUD) proposal for an insurance program to protect customers from water leak expenses and an optional protection for water line repairs as well.

The raw water report, dated November 2017 looks at current raw supply, sales and future demand for water 20 and 50 years into the future. The study looks at some preliminary alternatives for future supply and further study.

Meadow Park Lake Dam

The alternatives considered in the study include raising Meadow Park Dam and continuing the current water harvesting from Lake Tansi, Raising the dam and adding a water harvesting project from the Caney Fork River. The third alternative includes the harvesting from Tansi and Caney Fork with the addition of water harvesting from Holiday Hills Lake as well and the final option is the harvest raw water from Watts Bar Lake and pump to Meadow Park Lake. The last alternative would not require the Meadow Park Dam height to be increased.

The TAUD plan that is being used by some other water suppliers across Tennessee charges a small monthly fee to cover the cost of water leaks when a customer's line leaks on their side of the water meter. A customer will be able to opt out of the monthly fee if they do not want the protection. A larger charge would cover the repair of a broken water line between the water meter and the foundation of a residence. If approved a customer would have to request the additional coverage.

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Brad Allamong with the Chamber of Commerce will present their parking survey to the council. The survey includes the response of downtown businesses and their opinions on parking availability and need.

City engineer Tim Begley will present an outline of the Community Development Block Grant proposed for the city. The grant will request funding for sewer line repairs.

Council will also consider a request from the Cumberland County Board of Education to eliminate their responsibility for the sewer lines that serve schools outside the city limits including North, South and Brown Elementary schools.

Council will also discuss a budget amendment to move funds budgeted for the operation of the Crossville Depot from the Palace Theatre operation to a separate Depot department. According to city manager Greg Wood, the Palace Theatre, that used to be overseen by the Marketing Department has become a separate department and the Palace will not be involved in the operation of the depot at all.    

Council's January Work Session Includes Charter Change, Raw Water, Central Communications, and more.

Could the Crossville city council use two more members? A possible change to the city charter is up for discussion at the council work session scheduled for Thursday, January 4 at 5 PM in the third-floor conference room at city hall.

Other subjects on the agenda include a presentation on raw water supply by J. R. Wauford engineers added to the agenda Wednesday, discussion of a 2018 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), discussion on the Central Communications Committee (CCC) contract, and discussion of a proposal on the purchase of the old handle mill site in cooperation with the county for additional parking at the library and for downtown events.

Following the work session, a closed executive session is planned for the council with the city attorney concerning “pending litigation” according to the agenda.

The discussion of the possible change to the city charter to increase the number of council members from 5 to 7 is to be lead by council member Pamala Harris.

The raw water report, dated November 2017 looks at current raw supply, sales and future demand for water 20 and 50 years into the future. The study looks at some preliminary alternatives for future supply and further study.

Meadow Park Dam after it's reconstruction

The alternatives considered in the study include raising Meadow Park Dam and continuing the current water harvesting from Lake Tansi, Raising the dam and adding a water harvesting project from the Caney Fork River. The third alternative includes the harvesting from Tansi and Caney Fork with the addition of water harvesting from Holiday Hills Lake as well and the final option is the harvest raw water from Watts Bar Lake and pump to Meadow Park Lake. The last alternative would not require the Meadow Park Dam height to be increased.

Wauford Raw Water Report (PDF) 

The city is considering a possible sewer rehabilitation project for a CDBG application. A public hearing will be held prior to the council meeting on January 9 for public input.

Council will discuss possible revision of the CCC contract as funding and operations have changed but the contract has not. It is unclear how other parties to the contract feel about any proposed changes.

For some time the city has been studying possible property for parking and other uses including a place to hold car show/cruise-ins that won't block Main Street through downtown. The area could also be redeveloped from the current eyesore by the addition of a “pocket park” near downtown as well. There are several issues including partnering with the county on the purchase if a price can be negotiated with the current owner. The development costs would be covered by the city if the land is acquired.

The proposed property is at the upper right 

of this map.  Other sites have also been 

looked at by the city as alternatives.

Crossville city council work session set for Tuesday November 7 at 5:15 PM.

The Crossville city council's November work session agenda is shorter than some previous months as the year winds down toward the holidays.

The November work session at 5:15 PM will follow a special called meeting set for 5 PM on Tuesday, November 7 to handle a TOSHA complaint, employee health insurance decisions along with a few other routine items. Link to full story on the special called meeting.

The work session agenda will cover an update on the status of the city special census currently underway, discussion of a date for a January work session meeting, and timber harvesting at Interchange Park.  The meeting is open to the public and held in the conference room on the third floor of city hall.

The contractor for the city census will report on how the project is going. The census takers have just started the door to door portion of the project to visit those who have not already reported the information needed. The city needs the names of residents and the address to get an accurate count of the population inside the city limits for the state to certify the growth that will make the city eligible for additional state funds.

Because the regular January work session date is scheduled for January 2nd and city hall will be closed that day as New Year's Eve is on a Sunday making the city holidays the First and the Second. T the council must decide if they want to change the date of the work session or not have a work session before the regular January council meeting.

Mayor James Mayberry will lead a discussion on timber harvesting at the city's interchange park. Approximately 13 acres is proposed for harvesting and according to Mayberry would make the property more marketable.

A report prepared by the city's urban forester, Seth Harrison estimates the value of the wood at just under $10,000 but he added that he felt companies may not bid to remove the wood because of the low total value. While Harrison said that clearcutting was acceptable, it could cause some short-term flooding. Harrison's recommendation was to do some selective thinning and a prescribed burn to clear out the underbrush.

Council will also discuss a water and sewer line to the Meadow Park Lake treatment plant, renewal of the parks and recreation concession contract and a temporary street closing for the Christmas Fest sponsored by Cumberland Fellowship Church.  

Council worksession touches on Holiday Lake levels, utility district contracts, health insurance and Depot operations

Crossville City Council's September work session touched on a number of topics including water levels at Holiday Lake, utility district contracts, health insurance costs, new plans for the Crossville Depot, and more.

Two items on the agenda and were quickly disposed of with no discussion. There are no plans for any changes to the city charter at the current time and the proposal to re-establish an airport committee has been scrapped.

Several waterfront property owners on Holiday Lake came to the council or were represented by two men who addressed their concern about water levels in the lake and the damage they claim fluctuations in the levels are causing to their property. Ron Boadry and Tom Bailey both addressed the council seeking compensation for damage they claim has been done to their property and others whose petitions they brought with them.

Tom Boardy, left, and Tom Bailey, lake front

residents of Holiday Lake address concerns

with lake level fluctations with council.

Boardy claimed several times that the water level has not been maintained at the level of the automatic relief valves in the weir that the city installed in 2008 to better maintain water levels. In addition, the dam improvements allowed better control of the water levels by building a wider weir that meant less fluctuation in the water level. According to the discussion, before the upgrades to the dam, the water level would rise into peoples yards following heavy rain and it took much longer for the level to drop then it does now.

Holiday Hills Lake reservoir 

Crossville water supervisor Jerry Kerley told the council that a lake the size of Holiday is not like a bathtub and you can't keep the level constant. Anytime rain fall runs into the lake the level rises. “You can't control mother nature,” said Kerley.

Discussion of the concerns also pointed to boats on the lake creating wakes that also cause erosion to the shore line. Council heard the information from the complaints and will take them under advisement. The topic is not on the regular September agenda.

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Council briefly discussed the upcoming renewal of the water sales contract with South Cumberland Utility District. The current contract expires the end of the year and the utility district is seeking no change in the terms of the contract to purchase water.

In addition, the council heard from Ed Anderson, vice chair of the board of the West Cumberland Utility District, as the board is asking to explore the possibility of purchasing water from Crossville. The district currently buys water from the Bondecroft Utility District and has some 7 years left on a 20-year contract but Anderson said that neither side is completely happy with the current contract between them.

Council members advised the utility district to meet with the city manager over a possible contract or merger between the utility district and the city water system as was done with Catoosa several years ago.

Council heard a proposal from the Tennessee Municipal League risk management pool and their program called Tennessee Health Works which is a self-funded health insurance program through the pooling of a number of municipalities. Dawn Crawford, President, and CEO of the TML Pool explained how the program worked to the council and another presentation went over the details of the program and the benefits that the city could see.

Dawn Crawford, right, TML President and CEO talks to

Crossville city council about their health insurance program

The city's insurance renews in January and the TML version of the insurance would have the same benefits for city employees and the cost would increase over the city's current rate by under 2 percent. The city has not received the rate for the coming year from their current carrier yet.

Council discussed the change in operations for the Crossville Depot since the C.A.T.S. Organization is not renewing the lease. The city is looking at running the depot itself and doing some upgrading to the building including new flooring for the meeting area. According to the discussion, Downtown Crossville, Inc. advised the city that they support the project and are willing to assist by providing a new solid wood floor up to $10,000 for the meeting room to look more like the original floor. The room currently is carpeted and the carpet is not good shape after years of use.

Crossville Train Depot

In addition to upgrading the facility, the proposal for the city to operate the depot in the future includes 1 additional full-time and 2 part-time employees. The meeting room would generally be available between 9 AM and 9 PM but additional hours could potentially be arranged. The city would not give out keys to renters but a city staff member would be present to assist the renters whenever an event is being held. Rental of the depot meeting room for 3 hours is recommended to be $105.

The city also plans to operate the gift shop at the depot stocking entirely Tennessee made products and souvenirs. The gift shop would have more hours than it has in the past operating from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday. The gift shop would also be open during any rental events at the depot as well.

The estimated revenue from rental for the first year of operation is estimated at $15,000 to $25,000 and as a clientele is built up that is expected to rise. In its best year, the Depot peaked at 450 rentals for the year and revenue at that level would be around $48,000.

The city is also seeking to have the depot listed on the National Historic Register.

Tuesday Council work session covers Holiday Lake levels, charter changes, water contracts and much more

Crossville city council faces a lengthy agenda for their monthly work session in preparation for the September regular meeting. The council will meet Tuesday August 5 at 5 PM in conference room 317 at Crossville city hall.

Crossville City Hall

Among the topics on the agenda is the level of Holiday Hills Lake. In 2008 the city rebuilt the dam weir and for a time the water level was higher then previous levels and after much discussion the city decided to maintain the lake at the original level after looking into what would be required to maintain the higher water level.

Work on Holiday Hills dam in 2008

Ron Bodary, a resident of Waterview Drive will be at the work session to discuss the lake's water levels. Even through the city has said they left the level at the original height, Mr. Bodary and others claim the lake level has remained high and the automatic relief valves are not being used by the city often causing the water to flow over the spill way that is nine inches above the level the city said it would maintain.

Mr. Bodary and several other residents are petitioning the city for restitution for the alleged damage to their property for the city's failure to maintain the water level approved by the council in 2010.

County Property Assessor David Simcox will address the council on issues with income based tax assessment/appraisals for subsidized housing properties. Council will also hear a presentation from the Tennessee Municipal League Risk Management Pool on their self insured health insurance program that they offer.

The possibility of changes to the city charter will come back before the council after being briefly discussed during the June council work session. Councilman Danny Wyatt will lead the discussion.

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Council will also discuss a renewal of their water sales contract with the South Cumberland Utility District. The current ten year contract expires at the end of the year and SCUD is expected to be requesting a renewal under the same terms as the current contract.

In addition, the West Cumberland Utility District (formerly Pleasant Hill Utility district) has approached the city about their willingness to provide water to them in the future. City staff is seeking guidance from the council on how to respond to the request. Also, the Homestead Tower Association is requesting to connect to city sewer as their septic system has failed. The tower property is just outside of the Crossville city limits.

A proposal to reestablish an airport committee to consult on the airport's operation will come back before the council. The proposal, made by council member Scot Shanks does not appear to have a great deal of support from some council members and was deferred from the August council meeting.

Council will consider closing and abandoning Municipal Avenue, the road that crosses between the current police department and fire department buildings. The road closing is being requested by the Crossville Fire Department to allow the construction of an enclosed garage and for safety reasons when the department must respond to emergency calls and doing maintenance on official vehicles.

Map showing proposed Municipal Ave. closing

The cost of property in the city's industrial park could be set by council. The property where the city is working to create a building pad is already being marketed and the city manager is asking council to confirm the $60,000 per acre asking price as the pad is expected to be available next year.

Council will discuss a request from Downtown Crossville Inc. to continue their lease of the historic Snodgrass building and the future of the operation of the Crossville Depot. The CATS art group is relinquishing the lease on the building and possibilities include the city taking over the operation or the Crossville Model Train group currently in the Crossville Outlet Mall might mover to the depot.

In addition, council will discuss several upcoming street closing and contracts that will be up for consideration.

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.  

City Council to hold special called meeting and work session Tuesday June 6 on budget and other topics

The Crossville city council will hold a special called meeting followed by a work session on Tuesday June 6 starting at 5 PM. Both meetings will be held in the third floor conference room.

Items on the special called meeting agenda include the first reading in title only of the city's 2017-18 fiscal year budget and the tax rate. No increase in the tax rate has been proposed for city taxpayers. The latest version of the budget stands at $1.4 million in the red but additional changes are expected before the third and final reading of the budget is approved.

Council will consider a year end budget amendment to cover some budget lines that have gone over their budgeted amounts. The amendment would add $19,050 to administrative line items and $82,000 to the state street aid budget.

As part of the work on the 17-18 budget, the council discussed paying off some of the city's short tem loans using money from the general fund balance. On the called agenda is possible action on paying off two loans of $728,000 for paving and $807,000 for the purchase of police cars. If approved, the action would reduce debt service payments in the upcoming budget year.

Other items on the called meeting agenda include an amendment to the city's municipal code concerning tree removal of dead or dying trees in a timely manner when they create a hazard. Council will also consider moving additional funds to First Bank in Crossville, a contract for the urban and community forestry program and the purchase of a used tandem fifth wheel.

The regular monthly work session for the council is set to start at 5:15 PM.

Included in the meeting is a presentation by the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System to explain new programs they have available that they did not have when Crossville left the program several years ago.

Members of Crossville city council: L-R

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

Pamala Harris and Scot Shanks.

Council will consider the Request for Proposals that have been received for a performing a special census in the city limits. The recommended proposal has most recently done a special census for the town of Farragut.

Councilman Danny Wyatt has several items on the agenda that he would like to discuss including forming a committee to consider changes to the city charter, the purchase of the remaining handle mill property next to the Art Circle Public Library and the establishment of a sports recruitment committee to bring in sporting events to Crossville and Cumberland County. Wyatt also plans to discuss an evaluation program for new city manager Greg Wood at the conclusion of his first 6 months in office at the start of September.

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Council member Pamala Harris has asked for a discussion of striping Main Street after TDOT advised they would not repave that portion of the road until 2020.

Other items for discussion include a number of grant programs including a PetSafe grant for dog park equipment, a Narcan grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield, an Agriculture enhancement grant for additional trees and an ordinance on extending city sewer to developed subdivisions outside the city limits.

Council will set an alternate date for the July work session as the regular date falls on Independence day. Council will conclude the work session with work on the new fiscal year budget.   

Crossville city council holds called meeting and work session Thursday evening

Crossville city council has a busy night Thursday with a special called meeting and a work session all starting at 5 PM at Crossville city hall.

Crossville city hall

The called meeting includes discussion and possible action on the city's downtown sidewalk project. The sidewalk project has been discussed as far back as 14 years when a complete makeover of downtown first was discussed. As the years went by and the costs grew, the council dropped much of the downtown improvement program leaving waterlines and sidewalks. Plans to bid out sidewalk work was changed and now appears to be most likely done by the city street department over a 2 year period.

Downtown sidewalk

Tied to the sidewalk project is a new traffic signal installation at the intersection of Main Street and Lantana Road at the bottom of water tank hill. The changes are needed to level out the corners to make ADA accessible sidewalks through the area. The city is seeking grant money for that part of the project.

Also on the called agenda is approval of a memorandum of understanding related to a grant from the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association to assist with recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and several budget amendments.

The work session to follow the called meeting is on the city's capital plan and the 2016-17 operating budget.   

Crossville council work session returns to several topics including shooting park and retirees

The April regular city council work session set for April 4 and 5 PM will discuss several items that the council has discussed before including once again the proposed shooting sports park and rehiring previous city retirees.

Additional revisited topics include the downtown Crossville sidewalk project, a splash pad for Centennial Park and the solid waste contract.

One new item was requested for discussion by councilman Danny Wyatt was forming a committee to examine the possibility of changes to the city's charter. No information was provided with the request from Mr. Wyatt about what those possibly changes might be.

Following Saturday's noise demonstration of firing weapons on the location of the proposed shooting sports park for residents who live near the property, council will discuss the sound issue. As it stands now, the shooting park project is dead until either council reverses its decision to rescind the sales agreement with the Crossville Shooting Park, Inc. group that will operate the park or a new location and new grant is secured for the project.

Albert Frye Rd. house on right.  The edge of the proposed

shooting spots park property is trees on the left.

Albert Frye Rd. in front of city property.  The city is keeping

40 acres on the right for future development and the 

shooting park will be behind that. 

This will be the third time council has considered the repercussions and costs of rehiring former city employees who took an early buyout two years ago but want to return to work for the city. With the hiring back of former Crossville police Chief David Beaty, the city discovered such employees must be returned to the much more expensive state retirement program that the city left because of those high costs. Council has been discussing a policy that would allow a city manager to hire such an employee if they felt such an employee was necessary. In addition, council is looking at a way to offset the additional expense and how to look at the 6 month salary bonus those employees received.

The city manager will update the council on the downtown sidewalk project. The city expects to have the final permit from Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in a matter of days. Also council will discuss the replacement of traffic signals at the bottom of Water Tank Hill.

Council has discussed the upcoming action necessary on the city's solid waste collection contract and a decision is needed soon of the contract will automatically renew. Part of the discussion has been over the differentiation between residential and commercial properties that has caused some issues. Also, collection of leaves and brush has been another discussion council is considering.

The city is continuing to pursue the purchase of a jet fuel truck for the Crossville Memorial Airport. The city is seeking a grant to pay for 75 percent of the cost leaving the city to pay $8750 to acquire the $35,000 used truck.

Council will also discuss four appointments to the Industrial Development Board as the terms of the four members appointed by the council are expiring.   

Crossville council holds special called meeting and work session Tuesday evening

The Crossville city council will meet in a brief special called meeting followed by the monthly March work session Tuesday March 7 in the third floor conference room.

The special called meeting to handle Centennial Park concessions bids will be held at 5:00 PM. The city has received two bids for the operation of the concessions operations at Centennial Park, the Duer Soccer Complex and Garrison Park. Proposals were received from Nick's Italian Ice and W6 concessions.

A committee was appointed by the interim city manager to study the proposals and make a recommendation to the council. Quick action is needed to be ready for a tournament scheduled for March 17-19.

Immediately following the called meeting the council will meet in work session to discuss a number of items expected to be on the regular meeting agenda March 14. Subjects on the work session include rehiring of previously retired employees, the city's annual capital improvement plan and a discussion of the solid waste collection contract.

Previous discussion on the subject of rehiring previously retired city employees has revealed that rules by the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) mean that such actions are more expensive then hiring those who were not previous retirees. Those rehires must be returned to the TCRS retirement program that costs the city some 18 percent of the employee's salary each year versus a retirement cost of between 5 and 8 percent for the program the city uses for new hires similar to a 401K program.

The city Human Resources department is requesting the council to approve a policy on the conditions of any such rehiring. According to the agenda information the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) surveyed some Tennessee cities and of the 14 responses only 2 advised they would rehire a previous retiree in a full time capacity.

The council will be presented with a rough draft of the annual capital improvement plan prepared by finance director Fred Houston. Council will review the document and determine if a work session is necessary to review the plan in more detail and get more information.

As the city gets closer to the deadline for notifying their contractor Cumberland Waste Disposal of the decision on whether to rebid the city's solid waste collection contract or to take the work back in house to be done by city employees. Street department supervisor Kevin Music will be addressing the issues that need addressed as the city moves forward to make that decision.

Also on the council work session are discussion of a telecommunications facility ordinance and a moratorium on new facilities until the city can complete work on the ordinance. The ordinance would govern towers, antennas for cell service, broadband internet and other communications technologies. The ordinance is being developed by a committee of several departments involved and still has finishing touches needed before final approval.

The city is looking at a system to provide city sewer to developed areas out side of the city limits because the new rules on annexations. The city has received requests for sewer service and has been looking at ways they can provide the needed service in a fair way. The policy is being developed and will be presented to council with a request for some decisions for moving forward with the program.    

Busy Tuesday for city council includes rehiring retirees, hiring new city manager, public records policy and more.

The Crossville city council has a very busy Tuesday night with a work session, a special called beer board and a special called meeting to discuss hiring a new city manager.

The meetings get underway February 7 at 5 PM with the work session and at 6 PM the special called beer board will deal with allegations of underage sales by three Crossville beer licensees and the special called council meeting to possibly move forward with hiring a new city manager after interviews that took place January 30 and 31.  The meetings will take place a city hall.

Other items on the work session agenda include the rehiring on a previous retiree and the effect on insurance and retirement benefits. Some questions have cropped up with the rehiring of David Beaty as regular police chief after he took the early retirement buyout from the position 2 years ago. The agenda item is listed as “discussion on rehire of retired employees in a full time status and the effects on the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System."  Beaty, along with a number of other city employees received a lump sum payment of 6 months of salary and continued health insurance at the time they left. It was not expected any of those employees would return to work for the city at the time they left.

Crossville Police Chief David Beaty

One question relates to the healthcare benefits received by the retirees that included a city paid insurance benefit until age 65 and Medicare eligibility. A 2015 spread sheet from the finance department shows that Beaty had been recieving medical, dental and vision insurance at a total cost of $521.11 a month.

 City attorney Will Ridley gave an opinion at the request of former interim city manager Steve Hill that rehired retirees would be eligible to receive the insurance benefit after they left the city's employment after being rehired. Ridley's opinion states that by adopting the retirement plan the city created a contractual obligation to provide the benefit. Ridley wrote, “It is my opinion that Mr. David Beaty will be entitled to continue to receive the bridge insurance at the time of his next separation from the city employment or until he becomes Medicare eligible.”

According to Human Resources Manager Leah Crockett, no other employee hired at the current time would be eligible to continue health insurance after separation. It is also unclear if a rehired retiree employee would keep the bridge insurance if they were fired for cause.

Council will discuss the proposed sale of part of the city's Chestnut Hill landfill property to a non-profit group for use as the proposed Shooting Sports Park. Should the sale of the property be approved by council at their February regular meeting, the sale would have to be advertised for 30 days under a provision of the city Charter. The project has been in the works for almost two years and a large part of the funding will come from TWRA.

Detailed story on Shooting Sports Park.

With changes approved by the Tennessee General Assembly last year on public records law, the council will consider an update to the related ordinance and a new model policy for access to public records. According to the agenda information the new policy is not substantially different from the city's current policy and ordinance. The new policy requires a report annually to the Council regarding compliance and it requires review every two years. Other small changes including allowing for the use of a requestor provided storage device for electronic records, eliminating any charges that total less than $5.00, and changes in the form for requesting records.

Link to new public records policy (Link downloads a PDF file)

Operation of the city's new corporate hanger at Crossville Memorial Airport will also be up for discussion on the work session agenda including a fee schedule, utilities and other operational items. A final change order will also be discussed returning some $13,000 to the city. The hanger has now been turned over to the city's control.

Other items for discussion include:

• geotechnical studies to be preformed on the proposed location to be used for the site development grant to construct a ready for construction pad;
• outside city limits sewer connections;
• appointment of council member Pamala Harris to the Lake Commission;
• and a training for council members on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.