City manager candidate Greg Wood has taken council's offer--final approval could come Tuesday night.

It appears that the City of Crossville's new city manager will be Greg Wood and final approval could come as soon as Tuesday's council meeting.

According to Mayor James Mayberry, tasked with negotiating with candidate Greg Wood who was selected in a special called meeting last Tuesday, Wood has accepted the offer and agreed to the terms of a 2 year contract proposed. The only contingency remaining is a background check though Mayberry said Wood had held a high level of clearance when he was in the military and it is hoped the results of that check will be available by Tuesday night.

Council makes offer to Greg Wood for city manager

A draft contract is up for review by the council though sources say Wood has already agreed to the terms and signed the contract. Mayberry said Wood had a few loose end to tie up before he would come to Crossville but information on the city's budget will be forwarded to him and he will start reviewing the budget right away.

In addition to the two year contract at a salary of $80,211 with a possible 10 percent raise in 6 months, the agreement includes a 6 month severance deal if Wood is not fired for cause. The effective date of the employment is March 6th and Wood will receive up to a $2500 moving allowance. Wood also receives health, disability and life insurance, a vehicle to drive and a $50 a month cell phone allowance.  Wood's resume is below.

Tuesday night's meeting schedule starts with the Audit Committee meeting starting at 4:45 followed by a closed executive session with the attorney at 5:15. The executive session could last up to 30 minutes and a beer board meeting will be held at 5:45 with the regular meeting to begin at 6:00 PM.

The council's agenda will take up operations of the new corporate hanger at the Crossville Memorial Airport. The hanger has been in use for a period of time but no discussion of fees, utilities and operational concerns have been addressed. Council is also expected to approve a final change order on the project, a reduction of $13,000 in the final cost.

Councilwoman Pamala Harris is expected to be appointed to a vacancy on the City Lake Commission and council is expected to handle two requests for sewer service out side the city limits.

Other agenda items council will consider:

• Changes to the public records ordinance and policy,
• Third reading on the property tax freeze,
• Loan agreement on Air Force jet Miss Nettie,
• Street closings for monthly cruise-ins,
• Property transfer for Shooting Sports Park,
• Quail Hollow airport property.

EXCLUSIVE: Written warning to marketing director Loggins one of Hill's last acts as interim manager

Crossville marketing director Billy Loggins received a written warning placed in his personnel file two days after the Personnel Board meeting that revealed a long string of internal instant messages between Loggins and Parks and Recreation secretary Amy Hester.

The warning is signed by then interim city manager Steve Hill and Loggins and is dated Friday January 13.  Under supervisor's remarks is the notation, "Talked with Mr. Loggins about appropriate use of the city's instant messaging system."  The action may have been one of the last official acts by Hill since the next week was a holiday Monday followed by a called meeting a noon Tuesday when Hill was dismissed as interim city manager.

Crossville Marketing Director  Billy Loggins

The warning did not address the derogatory image of Crossville Mayor James Mayberry that Loggins had received in his city email from Mr. Hill in July of 2016.

Loggins Questioned about messages and emails. 

Instant messages between Loggins, Hester and Hill

Copy of the written warning from Billy Loggin's personnel file.

Amy Hester lost her job the following week after the messages came to light and she was found to have been doing work for Loggin's without the authorization of her supervisor Tammie French.  French still has a personnel complaint on file against Loggins for his actions.

French Requests Harassment Investigation

We have requested an update on the complaint.

Council asked to clarify personnel issues over rehiring retirees and retirement costs

Rehiring a previously retired city employee has turned into much more of a problem then the city initially believed and also more costly.

Crossville Human Resources manager Leah Crockett explained part of the problems to the city council during a work session Tuesday saying that the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) has ruled that because of the way the city is now doing retirement, any rehired employees must be put back on the more expensive TCRS program.

In 2013 the city opted to leave the TCRS program and all new employees after July 1, 2013 went onto a program similar to a 401k that requires an employee put in at least 5 percent of their salary that is matched by the city. An employee can put in more and the city will match up to a maximum of 8 percent of the salary. Previous employees are able to stay on the TCRS program that requires no contribution from the employee and the city deposits 18 percent of the employee's salary toward the TCRS retirement program.

Crossville city council members discuss questions raised by HR Director

Leah Crockett over retirement complications of hiring previous retirees.

After some initial confusion, the TCRS has finally determined that rehiring a previous retiree means that employee must stop collecting any retirement payments if they had started them and they must go back on the TCRS program increasing the city's costs.

Crockett told the council that she needed some direction from council as currently there was no policy on the hiring of a previous retiree in the personnel policy. “There has been a little bit of miscommunication that has gone on between the city and TCRS,” explained Crockett. Initially last year TCRS had given guidance on a retired employee returning to work and receiving retirement pay but the information turned out to be incorrect and TCRS is working to straighten out the information. Crockett said she was waiting on written information from TCRS on their ruling.

Ms. Crockett explained that TCRS had a special session just about the situation at Crossville and they have told Crossville that any employees returning to work must be returned to the TCRS program at the more costly contribution rate. The initial information last year was that a rehire would instead go on the new retirement program through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

“Normally entities don't rehire” a retiree to return full time explained Crockett. She added that as she understands what TCRS is saying, if a rehired retiree stays 3 years or longer then their service and benefit is recalculated and it could cost the city even more money. “There's nothing in the handbook, policy or charter or anything that indicates how we are going to handle this,” added Crockett.

Crockett said the policy needs to speak to if an employee retires from our service are we going to hire them back with no questions or if we have stipulations such as a waiting time before rehiring, or an employee could only return in a part-time capacity.

Councilman Danny Wyatt said, “I believe TCRS has set our policy for us, hadn't it?

Crockett also said that even without a buyout, a city retiree is paid a retirement incentive after a number of years of between $2000 and $3500. Should the city pay that bonus again if a retiree retires a second time with more years of service based on the TCRS standard after being rehired?

Wyatt added that now that the city knows this it would be up to the HR department and the new city manager to work this out. “You bring a retired employee back, there's a pretty good reason why you did, he was good at his job,” said Wyatt.

Crockett said, “Council has to set the policy and approve the handbook. For there to be a policy, council has to approve that.”

Further issues could crop up if an employee goes to another job and then after a few years were to come back to a job with Crossville it appears the city would again have to put them back on the more expensive TCRS program.

Council discussed delaying any immediate action until the new city manager starts and they plan to take up the matter at a future meeting.

The current problem has come out of the recent rehiring of former police chief David Beaty who retired 2 years ago as well as the previous hiring of Steve Hill as the interim city manager. Hill has since been removed from that position.

City Council picks Greg Wood as manager with contingencies

3 council members approved Greg Wood to offer the city manager position with final contingencies to be negotiated.

Councilman Danny Wyatt abstained from voting saying he wanted an additional face to face meeting before deciding.

Council also approved a 2 year contract with a 6 month buyout provision for severance if not fired for cause.  Offer is also contingent on a good background check.

Additional decisions discussed including making an offer of $80,000 starting salary with 10% raise in 6 months and council approval. Also a $2500 moving allowance.

The motion was approved with 4 ayes.

Council will meet in the future as needed to follow up on the decision.

Songs by Jim Young from the WCPT-TV Saturday Nite Jamboree (circa 1979)

The Saturday Nite Jamboree was a 3 hours live country/bluegrass music show that was produced by WCPT-TV in Crossville TN from the around 1977 through about 1980 and had appearances by Cumberland Plateau bands that would come in from Jamestown, Sparta and other places as well.  In addition, there were special guests including Phil Campbell, Steve Kaufman and many more.  The show was replayed each Sunday afternoon.  Almost none of the show remains except for a single one hour tape that was rescued and digitized by the talented folks at the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound in Knoxville.  Here are two songs from what remains of the Saturday Nite Jamboree.

Tall Pines, played on the Autoharp by Jim Young. I learned this

song from Danny Bailey and Red Rector of the Cas Walker Farm & Home Hour.

This was an old Bill Monroe song.

The Old Home Place, originally by the Dillards of The Andy Griffith Show fame.

Another one I learned from the Farm & Home Hour band.

WCPT-TV Studio Camera

Lost tape of Frazier Moss from the WCPT-TV Saturday Night Jamboree

Fiddlin' Frazier Moss of Cookeville Tennessee was a national treasure and a true artist of old time fiddle music.  Here is a brief bit of one of his appearances on the WCPT-TV Saturday Night Jamboree.  I was the host of the show from 1979 through about 1981 or so and the show was originally broadcast live from the Main Street studio location and by the time this video was made the studio had moved out to Genesis Road and the building where Stonehaus Winery is now located.

Special Thanks to the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound (TAMIS) for rescuing this old 3/4 inch video tape for posterity. 

Info on Frazier Moss from David Holt's website.

First song is Take Me Back to Tulsa and the 2nd is Down Yonder

Unknown band performing on the Saturday Night Jamboree.

(Let us know if you know who any of these folks are.)

CROSSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES SAFE CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION

The City of Crossville Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) for its annual Seatbelts Are For Everyone (SAFE) campaign. This statewide initiative is designed to increase seatbelt usage and child passenger safety restraint usage through the implementation of occupant-protection programs, public events, and checkpoints throughout local communities across Tennessee. The SAFE campaign begins February 1, 2017, and concludes on August 1, 2017.

“Safety starts with your commitment to protect yourself and your family. Buckle up, your kids are watching. They may just want to be like you!”- Lieutenant Brian Eckelson

2017 will be the fourth year that the THSO has sponsored the SAFE campaign. Last year yielded the following results:

1,717 child restraint violations
21,562 seat belt citations
723 other seat belt enforcement activities

“In 2015, Tennessee’s average seatbelt usage rate was 86.23%,” said THSO Director Vic Donoho. “Last year, we soared to 88.95%. Through increased education, enforcement, and community involvement, we’re striving for ninety percent or higher.”

This year, participating agencies will pay special attention to nighttime seatbelt enforcement. Tennessee has seen a disproportionate percentage of unrestrained fatalities between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.

Historically, approximately fifty percent of Tennessee’s traffic fatalities are unbelted. That percentage increases to nearly sixty when nighttime crashes are examined