Schedule of city meetings for 2-7-17 through 2-16-17

Tuesday, February 7 – 5:00 p.m. – Council Work Session

 6:00 p.m. – Special Called Beer Board

 6:30 p.m. – Special Called Meeting

Thursday, February 9 – 2:00 p.m. – Joint Economic Development Board

Monday, February 13 – 3:00 p.m. – Tree Board

Tuesday, February 14 – 5:15 p.m. – Audit Committee

   5:45 p.m. – Beer Board

   6:00 p.m. – City Council

Thursday, February 16 – 12:00 noon – Planning Commission

Crossville Flashback:19 Years ago Palace over budget, Fire and Police Department get new Tech.

 After bids on the Palace Theater restoration project came in higher than expected, City Council voted Tuesday night to put the project on hold until they are assured that the project can be completed within the available funds.

Council formally acted to reject all bids received at the January bid opening in which the low bid on the Palace restoration totaled some $300,000 over available funds. Councilman John Dooley said he felt the project was out of control, and made a motion that the project not be started unless a usable facility is possible within the budgeted funds available. According to Mr. Dooley, the definition of a usable facility should include stage equipment, lighting, sound equipment, seat renovation and installation.

City Manager Hugh Walker told council he sat in on the recent meeting of the Mayor’s Palace Committee and said, “The committee is working hard to bring the project in within the amount of money.”

Dooley’s motion passed with five yes votes.

The Crossville Fire Department will soon have a high tech piece of equipment that can help save lives and fight fires. The Karins Iris thermal imager allows a firefighter to find people or fire hot spots in zero visibility using infrared technology. The only drawback to the unit is its high cost, $25,000.

Representing the Noon Rotary Club, Crossville businessman Scott Shanks advised city council that over the last four months, the group had raised $12,500, or half the cost. Shanks asked the council to match Rotary’s donation and approve purchase of the unit for the fire department.

Councilman Boyd Wyatt, Sr. made a motion for the city take the money from unappropriated fund balance and purchase the equipment. The motion passed unanimously. Following the vote, Councilman Dooley said, “We’ve never had anything like this happen to us before.”

The Crossville Police Department will also soon go high tech with the purchase of a laser speed gun. Council approved the purchase of one laser speed measurement unit for the low bid of $2,994.

Police Chief David Beaty said the laser units are more accurate and can more easily target a specific vehicle by sighting through the device. Beaty added that the unit can also be used to accurately measure long distances for both accident and criminal investigations.

In other action:

* Council approved up to $20,000 for around 6 “Welcome to Crossville” signs. According to sign proponent and Crossville Chronicle Publisher Pauline Sherrer, the signs would allow civic clubs such as Rotary, Lions and Exchange to post their emblems and meeting times at the city limits. Sherrer said, “Sparta and Dayton have very nice welcome signs and it is time for Crossville to step out too.”

Councilman John Dooley moved to approve the proposal and have a budget amendment prepared. The motion passed unanimously.

* Council recognized Laura Swallows as Crossville Elementary’s student of the month. Swallows is the daughter of Dale and Judy Graham Swallows and is in the third grade.

* Council received a gift of two framed posters for display at City Hall from Professional Services Group (PSG) promoting the recycling of biosolids. According to Clark Anis, PSG’s local manager, 900 dry tons of biosolids were recycled last year. The fertilizer was applied to 1000 acres with an equivalent value of $26,000.

* Council appointed Patty Galan to the city’s Personnel Committee. Galan operates Tery Wayne, Inc. a local manufacturing company.

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.  

How Many Scoops Do You want?? Jim Young Reporter had them!

How Many Scoops do you want?

During January 2017, You got the information you needed from the best free source of news in Crossville!  Jim Young Reporter had those scoops including:

• First with complete details on the lawsuit filed against the city and Jesse Kerley by Rod Shoap one week before other media.
• First with report on personnel complaint filed by Tammie French against then interim city manager Steve Hill.
• First to post complete internal city text messages that the personnel complaint by Tammie French revealed during personnel board meeting.
• First with details on special called meeting set to fire interim city manager Steve Hill.
• Exclusive interview with Crossville marketing director Billy Loggins following release of Ipswitch messages and emails.
• The ONLY Crossville media that reported a missing 5 year old child in real time January 30, 2017.
• The only Crossville media that reported the recreation department reorganization by interim manager Hill may have been in violation of city charter.  

Crossville city council could choose a new city manager as early as February 7 in a special called meeting.

Crossville city council appears much closer to deciding on the hiring a new city manager after interviewing the three remaining finalists twice.

A special called meeting is set for Tuesday February 7 at 6:30 PM. That will be a busy night for the council with a work session set for 5 PM, a special called beer board at 6:00 PM and the called meeting to consider hiring a city manager.

The called meeting's agenda is listed as “discussion and action on hiring a city manager.” Members could either move forward with a hiring decision or discuss and decide on how to proceed with the decision. It is unclear which way they will go. At the end of the second work session, Councilman Scot Shanks said he would like to see a unanimous vote for whoever is chosen.

Councilman J. H. Graham has been unable to attend most of the interview meetings in person due to recent emergency surgery and while he is improving it is unclear if he will be able to attend the called meeting next Tuesday.

Council members interviewed three finalist candidates for the city manager position.

Here they talk to Steve Foote.  Very few of the public attended the interview sessions.

Council spent several hours Monday and Tuesday asking questions of the three candidates including Dennis Sparks and David Foote Monday then Greg Wood on Tuesday evening. Council had planned a second interview Tuesday but the candidate Mark Reeter informed the city he had taken another position.

One of the more interesting questions asked of the 3 remaining candidates came from new council member Scot Shanks asking each to describe themselves in 5 words. Candidate David Sparks described himself as “honest, organized, faithful, skilled and experienced.” David Foote described himself as “determined, ethical, analytical and having common sense.” The final candidate, Greg Wood answered the question saying that he was “genuine, a simple man, compassionate, logical, not taking himself too seriously and a team player.”

Each candidate was asked about their preferred working hours and if they would participate in events after hours if needed. All indicated they were not regular office hour employees and that they would participate in events outside of regular hours as well.

Mr. Sparks and Mr. Wood have both served as county administrators or managers previously and Mr. Foote has been a director of planning and community development. Foote was asked by councilman Shanks about why they should consider him over the others who had more experience and Foote responded that the other applicants did not have manager experience when they got their first job in that position.

Foote also described himself as successful in many different jobs and that he always tried to do more than expected. “My employers got more than they paid for with me.”

Councilman Harris asked eac candidate about how they handled relations with the press. Mr. Sparks said, “Tell them the truth.” Mr. Foote said that news was an important aspect adding that it used to be newspapers but now includes other outlets and social media. He added that he liked to work in harmony with the media. Mr. Wood said that he had done public affairs work during his time in the air force and said the best thing is to be straight with them, “Don't seem like you're hiding something from them.”

The three candidates all spent some time in Crossville prior to the in person interviews. Mr. Sparks, who has worked in aviation said he enjoyed visiting the airport and in addition he observed lots of retail business, restaurants and manufacturing. He commented on Crossville being the Golf Capital of Tennessee. “This is a nice city that you can be proud of and I'd be proud to work for you,” commented Sparks.

Mr. Foote described Crossville as “Thriving, a place people are moving to, not away from. It is important to be a place people want to be.”

Mr. Wood said that “Crossville was a great place to live.” He said he had looked around and found out some things adding, “None of it scared me off.”

Vintage key from the old Hotel Taylor in Crossville TN

Hotel Taylor room key for room 115--old skeleton key type.

UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS LEAD TO NARCOTICS RELATED SEARCH WARRANT

CROSSVILLE POLICE PRESS RELEASE February 1, 2017

On Tuesday January 31st, 2017, Crossville Police Department Narcotics Detective’s efforts led to a raid and search warrant service on a residence located at 355 Cook Road in Crossville, TN. Following an in-depth investigation and undercover operations, this residence, located in the city limits of Crossville, is the latest example of the Crossville Police Department’s resolve to eliminate the sale of illicit narcotics.

With the completion of this most recent effort and upon completion of the narcotics investigation, Grand Jury Indictments will be sought for Mr. Donald Janow and any other involved parties. All charges are pending the outcome of the completed investigation.

Donald Janow

Assisting with the operation were Crossville Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, 13th Judicial Drug Task Force, and the HIDTA / TBI Drug Task Force.