The Greeneville Sun, Benchmarks Edition — March 17, 2018
GOVERNMENT SECTION
BENCHMARKS
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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
GreenevilleSun.com
Saturday, March 17, 2018
County Passes Property Tax Hike, Pulls From Reserve Fund BY NICK SHEPHERD STAFF WRITER
D
uring a tough budget year, the Greene County Commission had to raise property taxes by 10 cents and pull from the reserve fund in order to balance the budget. The tax hike affected property owners both inside the Town of Greeneville and in the county. Commissioners met for more than four hours back in July before finding the minimum-required 11 votes needed to settle the budget issues, and even then Mayor David Crum had to cast a tie-breaking vote. The motion for the tax rate was made by Commissioner Sharron Collins and seconded by Commissioner Robin Quillen. Voting in favor of the tax rate as passed were Crum with the tie-breaker, Wade McAmis, Dale Tucker, Tim White, Brad Peters, Collins, Quillen, John Waddle, Josh Kesterson, Paul Burkey and Butch Patterson. Voting no were Josh Arrowood, Zak Neas, Jason Cobble, George Clemmer, Eddie Jennings, Lyle Parton, Pamela Carpenter, Gerald Miller, Tim Shelton and James “Buddy” Randolph. Commissioner Frank Waddell was the only absent commissioner. Crum chided the commission during a delay before casting the tie-breaker, saying he had envisioned the commission coming to a decision on its own. He said in a later interview that commissioners had spent so much time working through budget ideas, forcing him to wait on them. “I thought I’d let them wait on me a little,” he said. “I’m not afraid to make a decision. If you don’t want me to make one, don’t ask me.” With Waddell absent, though, the 20 commissioners present had split the vote down the middle, forcing Crum to break the impasse and bring an end to weeks of wrangling. In June, commissioners had tried in two meetings to set a budget but ended up bumping the matter forward into July, unresolved. The 10-cent hike, which generates a county property tax rate of $1.9731 per $100 of assessed property value on taxable properties outside the Greeneville town limits, and a $1.7613 rate inside of Greeneville, will not generate enough revenue to fully fund the budget. Due to that, commissioners also voted Monday to draw approximately $900,000 from the county’s fund balance.
INSIDE THE BUDGET
Essentially, that $900,000 amounts to using county savings to fill the gap, something the county has done in past years as well. Several commissioners exhibited distaste at having to draw from the fund balance, but could not reach agreement on setting a tax rate that would have fully funded the budget they approved earlier in the meeting. The budget commissioners approved included new employees (a human resources
SUN FILE PHOTO BY KRISTEN EARLY
Mayor David Crum delayed before casting the tie-breaking vote in favor of a 10-cent property tax increase. Seated to his left is Budget Director Danny Lowery.
director, juvenile court clerk, animal control officer, building codes inspector and property assessor appraiser, in addition to making the county attorney full time) and additional funding for code violation property cleanups, building improvements and appraisal year costs. Decreases included medical insurance, supplies and instruction costs. The proposed budget commissioners began Monday’s meeting with also included a 2-percent pay increase for county employees, paid through a reduction in the county’s Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System contribution. An effort to further raises for emergency responders evolved into a proposal from Commissioner Brad Peters to provide a 5-percent raise for all non-elected county employees, outside of the school system. Peters proposed adding $376,000 to the budget, raising the deficit to nearly $2.1 million. The commission approved those employee pay raises 11-9. Greene County’s wheel tax of $55 was not increased for this budget year, but commissioners did make a change in how it is allocated: • $43 now funds the highway department, • $9 goes to the general fund, and • $3 continues to support volunteer fire departments. A flat property tax rate of $1.97 both inside and outside of Greeneville would have been
able to fund and balance the budget without drawing down the fund balance, Budget Director Danny Lowery told commissioners. Some commissioners, though, balked at having an inside rate hike more punitive than what would be imposed on outside property owners. At one point, Collins challenged commissioners not to rely on the fund balance for another year. “I don’t want to continue borrowing from the county’s fund balance,” Collins said. “Let’s move forward, folks.” The motion for the tax rate that passed followed a flurry of proposals, none of which could find support enough to pass.
FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS
A budget-related resolution to fund various non-profit agencies and entities generated some controversy. Commissioner Eddie Jennings, longtime advocate of cutting the size and cost of county government to the point of reducing staff, office hours and services, moved to eliminate funding for the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library and Greene County Partnership’s tourism and economic development programs, among others. Because the funding for the GCP is paid through hotel-motel tax funding, not property tax, several commissioners sought to persuade Jennings that he was wrong to view that tax in the same light as county property taxes. Property taxes are paid by Greene
Countians, while and the hotel-motel tax is paid almost exclusively by visitors. Commissioners Peters and Patterson argued that tourism drives sales tax from businesses such as shops, restaurants and lodging facilities. Peters also noted that the state would significantly cut the funding to the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library if the county failed to maintain its contribution. Partnership Tourism Director Tammy Kinser spoke briefly to commissioners, describing economic benefits that derive from the Partnership’s tourism program. Jennings pulled his amendment request and the commission approved the various organizations’ annual donations and funding 19-1, with only Josh Arrowood voting against it. Cuts in June already had impacted the budget even before commissioners came together that July night. Some $875,000 in reductions had been achieved by nixing proposals for a second general sessions judge, a new human resources officer for the county, $450,000 from the EMS budget and $300,000 from proposed new funding for the county’s capital projects fund. During the budget maneuvers, Collins tried but failed to have the capital projects cuts restored, but placed in the county school system’s capital projects budget rather than back into the county’s general capital projects fund.
Study Finds EMS Wages Are Low; Board Votes To Raise Pay Emergency Medical Services employees within Greene County receive significantly less than their counterparts in surrounding counties and a decision needs to be made whether to implement a better pay system or turn the EMS over to a private provider, according to a compensation study. Due to that study, which cost $12,000 and was paid for out of the EMS budget, EMS workers may be receiving a raise in the near future. During a January meeting, approval was given to Greene County EMS Executive Director Calvin Hawkins to incorporate raises in the agency’s upcoming 2018-19 budget. Board member and Takoma Regional Hospital CEO Tammy Albright said it was a matter of economics. “You can see the gap in the wage analysis, and it’s a pretty significant gap,” she said. “How has that impacted their operations? We’re down and we have significant (staff) shortages. When you can’t run your trucks, you can’t make the revenue. It’s this negative cycle that goes round and round ... you have to be competitive. If you owned your own business you would have to be competitive in the market or you would not be in business.” The study said Greene County-Greeneville EMS had lost 20 percent of its workforce since July 2016 and had difficulty recruiting new employees. Because of this difficulty, ambulances are only fully staffed 70 percent of the time. To establish comparable salaries, the study contacted five other EMS departments — Hawkins, Jefferson, Morristown-Hamblen, Sullivan and Washington-Johnson — and heard back from all except Sullivan. According to the study, the average minimum wage for an emergency medical technician in the region is $10.79; for paramedics, it’s $12.94. Greene County EMTs make $8.21 an hour and paramedics make $9.76. Next, the study examined the average market rate or the range of what an employee should be making by the time the employee is fully functioning in their job.
FILE SUN PHOTO BY NICK SHEPHERD
Members of the EMS Board voted to raise the pay for workers during a January 2018 meeting.
“Not one of the Greene County EMS positions is within the acceptable market rate,” the study stated. “Therefore, not only does a paramedic start $3.18 less than the average market rate, the average salary in Greene County EMS of $10.35 for a paramedic is $3.41 less than the average paramedic makes in any of the other EMS agencies.” To remedy the pay situation, the study offered two options. The first option would be a salary schedule to bring EMS salaries up — but still below the average market rate — and the second option would bring both the starting salary and market salary to the average rate. In the first option, the county commission would provide a small raise to all employees and then authorize six years of annual step increases of $0.20 for part-time employees, $0.25 for full-time employees and 1.5 percent for full-time exempt employees. “Thus, the county can gradually work to increase the salaries to the average market rate and continue to maintain the schedule to keep salaries competitive,” the study said. “If only a one-time adjustment is provided, and no continuing increases are provided to the salary
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schedule, the county will find itself in the same predicament within a year and need to expend considerable dollars to, again, keep pace with the market.” If there is no support from elected officials, then the county should consider whether or not to be in the EMS business, because it will continue to struggle, the study said. The second option is almost the same as the first but would add a little more money to bring salaries up to the average market rate. It would take employees at least five years to reach the average market rate. Implementing the first option would cost about $234,000 while the second option would cost nearly $332,000. Installing a 1-percent pay raise for all employees would cost approximately $70,000 annually. Other ways to attract and retain employees would be to provide holiday pay, provide a different payout system for retirement and possi-
bly incorporate different staffing schedules. The county was praised for its system of vacation pay. The study says Greene County EMS needs to highlight this policy to potential recruits. But the study made clear the county should do something about wages or get out of the EMS business. “The salaries of the EMS personnel throughout the organization have not kept pace with the external market,” the study said. “The county needs to decide if it wants to maintain a high level of EMS presence to its citizens, or eliminate this service to a private provider.” Commissioner Eddie Jennings said something needed to be done during the January meeting. “If it continues on like it is, we might as well find a storage place for these ambulances, because we’re not going to have anybody to run them and you’re going to have someone else coming in here,” he said. “It’s just as simple as that.” EMS has been one of the only departments to make money, Jennings said. It has brought in $1.6 million in revenue over the last three years. Money from the EMS budget was used to balance the county’s budget last year. Commissioner Robin Quillen made a recommendation to let Hawkins add raises into his upcoming budget. Albright added she would like to see Hawkins close the wage gap by at least 50 percent. It was approved unanimously. Chairman Shaun Street said there would be a called meeting before the board’s next scheduled meeting on April 13 so the budget could be reviewed before being submitted to the county commission for approval. “Put it all in and (if) we have to deduct, we’ll deduct,” Quillen said.
What’s Inside 911 CAD System Staffing Still Undecided 3 2018 Elections Sure To Be A Lively Race 4 Kershaw Disagreement With Judges Pending In Court 4 911 Hyper-Reach Alert System Available To Cellphone Users 6 Citizens Raise Concerns About US Nitrogen 6 Tusculum Renovates City Hall,
To Introduce City Logo 8 Amendment To Greeneville Alcohol Regulations Stirs Controversy 9 Merger Of Utilities Stirs Debate Within Town Of Greeneville 10 Greenville BMA Changes Through Appointment To Fill Vacancy 10 Baileyton Sees Growth In Government Programs, Businesses 11
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Saturday, March 17, 2018
The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
Page 3
SUN FILE PHOTO
Corrections officers, administrators and other staff at the Greene County Detention Center and Workhouse trained in May 2017 on the new computer-aided dispatch system that is scheduled to go online soon, linking jail staff, county 911 dispatch and law enforcement agencies.
911 CAD System Staffing Still Undecided BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRTER Software components of the Greene County 911 Dispatch computer-aided dispatch system became operational in mid-March. Still to be determined is when the central dispatch element of the system utilizing additional dispatchers will be in place. A major question remaining as of mid-March is a funding source for additional staff at 911 Dispatch headquarters. The CAD system was set to go online the week of March 12. One component of the system also finalized in March was an internet link between the Greene County Sheriff’s Department and Greene County 911 Dispatch. The link, similar to one used by the Greeneville Police Department, will allow faster communication and response to emergency calls. A fiber-optic connection between the Greeneville Police Department and 911 Dispatch headquarters at 111 Union St. is already in place. System designer technicians inspected the CAD system in March to make sure servers are properly configured and assisted with training. The designer is Tri-Tech Software Systems, a California-based company. The communication system is a component of the CAD system, which is designed to link all first responders in the county. Currently, some departments have their own dispatchers. Address information and related data was being added to the CAD system in early 2018.
FUNDING QUESTION How to pay for the seven additional 911 dispatchers needed to work at the addition to the building on Union Street has still not been finalized. At a meeting in early March of the 911 Board of Directors, a decision was made to form a committee to oversee progress in implementing the central dispatch system. Committee members include some members of the board of directors, along with other county and town of Greeneville officials. Bill Brown, county emergency management director, said at a 911 Board
of Directors meeting earlier this year that adequate dispatch personnel need to be “funded properly and dispatched properly and if it’s not, I’m not for it.” As of March, preliminary discussions had been held with Greene County and Town of Greeneville officials about contributing funding to pay personnel, a required step to get the central dispatch system online. Officials have said the current system in use at 911 Dispatch is outdated. The Greeneville Police Department has allowed the sheriff’s department and 911 Dispatch to piggyback off its existing system as a means of saving money. The CAD system ultimately will involve similar sharing with other first responder agencies in the county, and staffing 911 with dispatchers from the GPD and sheriff’s department. Members of the committee formed to oversee progress in the central dispatch system include Brown, 911 Director Jerry Bird, Sheriff Pat Hankins, Greeneville police Chief Terry Cannon, 911 Board Chairman William Holt, Greene County Mayor David Crum and Town of Greeneville Administrator Todd Smith. Greene County street names, addresses and districts covered by Greene County-Greeneville EMS and county fire departments were entered into the new system in 2017, with some work still needing to be done in early 2018. Additional training of 911 dispatchers on the CAD system still needed to be completed as of March. Activation of the new Tennessee Advanced Communications Network radio system that will link first responders throughout the county is also tied into completion of remaining work on the CAD system. The new software, known as “VisionCAD,” will replace the current CAD software in use at Greene County 911 Dispatch. That system, known as Cisco, is outdated. It’s the same system used by the Greeneville Police Department until four years ago, when VisionCAD was installed, Cowles said in 2017. “Cisco is very antiquated and hard to keep online and working with modern systems. They currently experience freezes and
SUN FILE PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE
Work to the addition to the Greene County 911 Dispatch building at 111 Union St. was nearly complete in late 2017. County 911 Director Jerry Bird inspected a concrete sidewalk in back of the building. The door next to the sidewalk will serve as the entrance for dispatchers.
shutdowns on a regular basis with Cisco,” Cowles said. The software in use by the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, known as SOMS, is also “very antiquated,” he added.
FASTER RESPONSE TIMES When the system goes live, there will be a fiber link between the Greeneville Police Department, Greene County Sheriff’s Department and 911 Dispatch, streamlining communications and allowing for faster response times. When the CAD system first goes online, 911 will continue to dispatch only fire, EMS, and Greeneville Emergency and Rescue Squad calls. “It will take on the full ‘central dispatch’ status dispatching the Greene County Sheriff’s Department and Greeneville Police Department (after) the new addition to the building is completed,” Cowles said last year. As of March, that had not come to pass. The 911 Board now meets on a monthly basis for updates from Bird on CAD system preparations. An addition to the exiting 911 Dispatch building at 111 Union St. was completed in 2017. A parking lot on the property next door at 109 Union St. will be completed in 2018.
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Town of
Mosheim SUN FILE PHOTO
Dispatcher Kevin “Bucky” Ayers takes a call last year at the Greene County 911 Center at 111 Union St. A new computer-aided dispatch system should go online in 2018.
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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
GreenevilleSun.com
Saturday, March 17, 2018
2018 Elections Sure To Be A Lively Race BY NICK SHEPHERD STAFF WRITER Ballots for the upcoming 2018 election are finalized. There will be at least one new person from each district on the Greene County Commission after the general election in August. Five current commissioners did not seek re-election, two are running for county mayor and one is running for county clerk. The Greeneville Sun will have more from the candidates in the coming weeks. Below are the candidates for every office, listed in random order.
COUNTY MAYOR Running for the top job in county government — county mayor — in the Republican primary are Eddie Jennings, Michael “Mike” Gregg, Darrell Bryan, Kevin Morrison, Richard Keller, Zackery T. Neas, Brett Purgason and Harvey J. Moore. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic candidate David A. Foulks.
COUNTY SHERIFF Paul Kilday, Wesley Holt, Vincent Tweed and Danny Greene will square off in the Republican primary for the office of Greene County sheriff. The winner will run against the incumbent, Pat Hankins, who will run on the Democratic ticket.
COMMISSIONER – 1ST DISTRICT Charles “Tim” White, Dale Tucker and Kathy Crawford will run on the Republican side for the three seats in the commission’s 1st District while Darrell Wayne Key will run for the Democrats.
Commissioner Eddie Jennings
COMMISSIONER – 2ND DISTRICT Representing the Republicans in the 2nd District will be Kaleb D. Powell, Brad Peters and Joshua Arrowood. Steve Shultz will run for the Democrats.
Michael “Mike” Gregg
Kevin Morrison
Ronnie Kinser and Caleb Cutshaw will run on the Republican ticket for 6th District constable, while Matthew Brobeck will run for the Democrats.
COMMISSIONER – 6TH DISTRICT
Cliff “Doc” Bryant, Jan M. Kiker, Jason A. Cobble, Robin D. Quillen and Chase Murray will square off in the Republican primary for the 3rd District. The top three vote-getters will take on Democrats J. Clement Allison, Melissa D. Willett and Dollie Boyd in the general election.
COMMISSIONER – 4TH DISTRICT
COMMISSIONER – 7TH DISTRICT
The Republican party will field candidates Lyle Parton, George Clemmer and William “Bill” Dabbs for the 4th District seat. Mary Lynne Potter Nicholson, Ryan Rowlett and Donal J. Sexton will run as Democrats.
Paul F. Burkey, Teddy L. Lawing, April Harmon Lane and Butch Patterson will aim to represent the Republican Party in the commission’s 7th District. Peter Higgins will be running for the Democrats in the race.
COMMISSIONER – 5TH DISTRICT
ROAD SUPERINTENDENT
Chan A. Humbert, Joseph Houser, Lloyd “Hoot” Bowers, Gary Shelton, Pamela B.Carpenter, Kandice Davis Casteel, Ruben Dr. Garcia
In a rematch from 2014, incumbent David Weems will face off against Kevin B. Swatsell — both Republicans — for the position of Greene County road
Brett Purgason
CONSTABLE – 6TH DISTRICT
and Dwayne D. Wells will battle in the 5th District’s Republican primary. Michael G. Sandstrom will be vying to represent the district on the Democratic ticket.
One of only two Independent candidates on the entire ballot will seek a seat in the 6th District. Independent James Secrist will take on Democrat John Squibb Waddle Jr. and Republicans Jeffrey Bible and Josh Kesterson. Independent candidates will appear on the ballot during the general election.
COMMISSIONER – 3RD DISTRICT
Darrell Bryan
CONSTABLE – 7TH DISTRICT
Richard Keller
superintendent.
Zackery T. Neas
Republicans Joy Rader Nunnally, the incumbent, and Seth Weese will be competing for the register of deeds office.
against two Republican opponents during the primary. David Thompson and Sharron Malone Collins will be running against Bryant. The winner of the primary will take the office.
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
CONSTABLE – 2ND DISTRICT
There likely will be a new circuit court clerkelect after the May primaries, because it is a Republican-only race. Penney Barnard Davis, Tammy Hybarger Livingston, Whitney Shelton Collins and Christopher Lee Shepard are running in that race.
Wayne Wilhoit, Chester Greenway and Phillip Belisario will face off in the Republican primary to be the next constable of the 2nd District.
REGISTER OF DEEDS
COUNTY CLERK Incumbent County Clerk Lori Bryant will face off
CONSTABLE – 5TH DISTRICT Orville L. Collins will run for the Democrats in the 5th District constable race, while Freddie Sams will run for the Republicans.
The only other Independent on the ballot will be in the race for 7th District constable. Independent Timothy D. Vonglis will take on Republicans Grady Wayne Kelton, Danny Sauceman, J R Jackson and David Wayne Bailey.
UNCONTESTED RACES Unless there is a successful write-in campaign for the following offices, these races will not be contested. Nathan Holt, the incumbent county trustee, will return to office after no one else filed to run in that race. Travis Dearstone will be 1st District constable, Kenneth Bitner will be 3rd District constable and William Parton will be 4th District constable. Party primaries will take place on May 1. The Greene County general election will be on Aug. 2.
Kershaw Disagreement With Judges Pending In Court BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRITER A disagreement between Greeneville lawyer Edward ”Ed” Kershaw and some 3rd Judicial District judges last year resulted in complaints filed in both directions and a change in Greene County Courthouse security policy. New policies regarding lawyers entering the courthouse have been relaxed and as of March, the situation appears to have cooled off. Kershaw has been outspoken in his dissatisfaction with several judges. He filed a complaint with the Board of Judicial Conduct, claiming inappropriate conduct on the part of General Sessions Court and Juvenile Court Judge Kenneth Bailey Jr. and Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wright..
Edward “Ed” Kershaw
Kenneth Bailey Jr.
The complaint by Kershaw filed against Bailey and Wright has reportedly been dismissed, although the action could not be formally confirmed through the Administrative Office of the Courts, whose spokeswoman said recently such information is kept confidential.
No information was available as to whether formal action had been taken as of early March in a complaint filed late last year with the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee alleging misconduct on the part of Kershaw. The complaint was
signed by Bailey, Wright, criminal Court Judge John F. Dugger Jr., Circuit Court Judge Alex Pearson, Circuit Court Judge Beth Boniface and Chancellor Douglas Jenkins. In December 2017, 3rd Judicial District judges filed a written complaint with the Board of Professional Responsibility about Kershaw’s conduct in posting online references alleging “unethical” behavior on the part of some of them. “The judges of the 3rd Judicial District, collectively, believe these posts are misleading to the public and tend to erode the public’s faith in the judiciary and are in violation of the rules of professional conduct,” the letter states. Differences of opinion regarding courthouse conduct between Kershaw and several judges had
Bulls Gap New Location 120 North Main Ext. Greeneville, TN 37745
Mailing Address P.O. Box 1537 Greeneville, TN 37744
been ongoing for months. The matter came up again on Nov. 6, 2017, in General Sessions Court when Kershaw was found guilty of contempt of court and fined $50 by Bailey after several contentious exchanges between the two in a case involving a client represented by Kershaw and testimony by a woman answering questions posed by a state prosecutor. Bailey took exception to comments made by Kershaw in reference to the woman, terming them among the most “thoughtless and unprofessional” ever made in his 22 years of experience in the legal profession. Kershaw appealed Bailey’s finding, and communicated his sentiments to the state Board of Professional Responsibility. In January, Kershaw requested an expedited
appeal ruling. Kershaw sought an immediate hearing. Dugger said he would formally recuse himself from the case and did so the following week. Dugger added that all 3rd Judicial District judges may do the same thing. Kershaw has practiced law in Greene County for more than 20 years, and has represented clients before most of the 3rd Judicial District judges in legal proceedings. Dugger said it’s possible a judge from a district elsewhere in the state may be assigned to the case by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The only issue to initially be decided by a judge is Kershaw’s argument in favor of dismissal of the charge. “No qualifications for SEE KERSHAW ON PAGE 5
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KERSHAW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
criminal contempt charge exist. In fact, ‘criminal’ contempt does not exist in Tennessee,” Kershaw wrote in his motion for the “immediate hearing.” Dugger said he is not able to make a summary motion judgement, which must be decided by a new judge assigned to hear the case. Kershaw wanted to discuss his contention that “a criminal contempt charge does not amount to a criminal conviction.” Dugger responded that the only aspect of the motion that could be addressed is announcing assignment of a different judge to hear Kershaw’s appeal. He said the only issue currently on the table is a judge deciding the criminal contempt appeal based on “whatever happened in there in that little window of time” that led to Bailey’s contempt finding. Dugger wrote that he would emphasize in his recusal filing that Kershaw wants a hearing as soon as possible. Bailey has been Greene County General Sessions Court and Juvenile Court judge for 12 years. Kershaw recently wrote the two men had “something of a friendship” before the relationship soured. In his order finding Kershaw guilty of criminal contempt of court, Bailey wrote that Kershaw’s ongoing actions toward him and other judges was “disrespectful and unprofessional.” Bailey and Wright have not commented on Kershaw other than in the order finding Kershaw in criminal contempt and their complaint to the Board of Judicial Conduct. One development that arose from the Nov. 6, 2017, courtroom incident involving Kershaw and Bailey was a more stringent Greene County Courthouse security policy.
SUN FILE PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE
Assistant Public Defender Todd Estep, of the Office of the Public Defender, waits while he is screened with a metal detector by sheriff’s Deputy Larry Lutackas as he enters the Greene County Courthouse in November. A more stringent courthouse security policy was implemented because of an episode between attorney Ed Kershaw and General Sessions Judge Kenneth Bailey Jr.
On Nov. 7, 2017, a policy went into effect that requires everyone but law enforcement officers and credentialed courthouse employees to be searched before entering the building through a metal detector.
Lawyers were not required to do so before the change in policy. In the ensuing months, the policy regarding lawyers has been relaxed to a degree. Sheriff Pat Hankins said after the policy
went into effect that he ordered tightened security as a direct result of the Nov. 6 exchange with Bailey. No further incidents involving Kershaw have occurred since then.
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911 Hyper-Reach Alert System Available To Cellphone Users BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRITER The Greene County 911 Hyper-Reach Emergency Notification System became available to the public in November 2017. County officials continue efforts to get citizens to register their cellphones so they can be notified in the event of an emergency. The hyper-reach system can reach every community in Greene County, but it was an incident last April at the US Nitrogen plant on Pottertown Road in Midway that prompted officials to act on recommendations of first responders and formalize the plan. Getting the hyper-reach system off the ground became a priority after an unplanned release of nitric acid vapors on April 19, 2017, from US Nitrogen. First responders from numerous agencies quickly responded to the property. The vapors, which were released due to an equipment malfunction in the plant, dissipated quickly. US Nitrogen officials said no injuries occurred as a result of the incident. That statement has been disputed by some members of the pubic. Some residents living near the US Nitrogen facility at 471 Pottertown Road expressed concern about not receiving timely notification or instructions about how to respond to the incident. First responders expressed concern about effective communication between agencies and discussed the most effective means of getting information out to the public in a timely fashion. The countywide early notification system serves to give the public notice about what to do in the event of local emergencies, weather-related events and other threats. A siren warning system introduced in March by US Nitrogen will provide an early warning about emergencies within a 2-mile proximity of the plant. The siren warning system is separate from the countywide 911 Hyper-Reach Emergency Notification System. The emergency notification system is powered by Hyper-Reach. The Hyper-Reach system, from a company based in Rochester, New York, is a state-of-theart mass emergency notification system designed specifically for public safety, according to 911 Director Jerry Bird. “Our job is to protect the lives and property of the citizens of Greene County as effectively as possible,” Bird recently said. “Jon Waddell, the emergency notification system and mapping administrator, reviewed several vendors for the emergency notification service, and Hyper-Reach gave us everything we needed. We’re really excited about this new capability.” There are a number of ways residents can sign up for the service, including
SUN FILE PHOTO
Emergency Notification System and Mapping Administrator Jon Waddell recently demonstrated how to sign up for notifications on the Hyper-Reach website at 911 Dispatch headquarters in Greeneville.
be placed into the emergency notification database. Everyone else will need to sign up. Initial set-up for those with cellphones takes less than five minutes. Residents can choose how to receive the notifications, either through voice, text, email or a combination of the options. An app can also be downloaded and the system will automatically post notifications on the Greene County 911 Facebook page. The 911 Board of Directors approved a five-year contract with Hyper-Reach in August 2017 that will pay the company $11,000 a year for services, with an option of canceling the agreement on 30 days notice. “We’re honored to have been selected by Greene County to provide its emergency alerts,” said Sam Asher, president of Hyper-Reach, in a news release. “It’s gratifying to be part of an effort to save lives and protect property, and we take that responsibility very seriously.” Less than 2,000 of Greene County’s
SUN FILE PHOTO
The Greeneville-Greene County Hazardous Materials Unit was one of many first responder agencies that went to the scene of a nitric oxide vapors release April 19, 2017, at US Nitrogen on Pottertown Road.
visiting the website http://hyper-reach. com/tngreenesignup.html, calling 423588-1161 and following the prompts, texting GreeneCoAlerts to 828-201-3877 or scanning a QR code. Those with landlines will automatically
approximately 69,000 residents had registered to receive the hyper-reach alerts as of February, Waddell said. Efforts are underway to fine more effective methods of getting the word out to citizens about the importance of registering to receive nhotifications from the system. Bird said Greene County 911 plans to only use the service for severe weather alerts, environmental hazards, missing person alerts and various other emergencies. He also said the department would test the system once every three months to ensure it is working properly. US Nitrogen and 3M contributed some funding to help get the notification system in place. Greene County 911 continues to work with area industries to help with funding, Bird said. US Nitrogen’s end product, ANSOL, is a concentrated solution of ammonium nitrate in water and is used to manufacture blasting agents for the industrial explosives marketed by parent company Austin Powder, based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Citizens Raise Concerns About US Nitrogen BY NICK SHEPHERD STAFF WRITER A meeting of the county’s Health and Safety Committee in December 2017 to discuss findings of a tour at US Nitrogen ended abruptly after a citizen began yelling and cursing members of the committee, who scurried out while other citizens shouted more questions to them. The meeting, held at the Greene County Courthouse Annex, attracted dozens of citizens and ended 30 minutes after it started. Chairman Robin Quillen started the meeting by saying the committee had been on a fact-finding tour of US Nitrogen. The chemical plant, located in Midway, had a nitric acid vapor release in April that has concerned many citizens in the county, many of whom have showed up to county commission meetings to voice those concerns. Members of the committee had recently taken a tour of the facility and watched a company presentation. Quillen said the group tried to cover all their bases by inviting various officials, including two fire chiefs and the county’s Emergency Management Agency director.
Commissioners came away impressed with the operation. “Believe it or not, they have two pages of entities they have to answer to,” Quillen said. “They will come in at any time. They can come in any day, any time and test or do whatever they feel like they need to do. And they do.” Quillen said US Nitrogen officials explained to them the vapor release was not above or beyond the permitted amount the plant has permission to release. She said all the issues were experienced during the plant’s start-up, which is a process designed for finding such issues. Commissioners discussed the new siren warning system put in place by US Nitrogen recently and seemed happy with its installation. They also discussed some of the retention ponds on site that help prevent chemical overflows into the surrounding environment and how it would be impossible for the water to flow into a creek because the ponds are all lined and water would need to travel uphill. “US Nitrogen, in my book, is the top as far as regulations,” said Commissioner Frank Waddell. “I counted on the board down
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there, there’s about 18 regulatory people that regulates what goes out, what goes up and what goes into US Nitrogen.” While Commissioner Tim White was speaking about US Nitrogen not denying any of the recent findings in a deficiency report issued by the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation on Nov. 30, actress and activist Park Overall
FILE PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN
This screen shot shows Park Overall yelling at members of the Health and Safety Committee during a meeting in December.
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Saturday, March 17, 2018
The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
Page 7
SUN PHOTO BY NICK SHEPHERD
Members of the Health and Safety Committee met in December to discuss a tour of US Nitrogen. The meeting was ended abruptly after a citizen began screaming and cursing members of the committee.
CITIZENS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
told him that was not true. Quillen warned Overall that there would be no outbursts during the meeting. “Arrest me, I’d love it,” Overall told her. Overall then began yelling at White and tossed a copy of the report at him. He promptly picked up the report and threw it over his head toward the door. After Overall yelled and told the committee members they were lying, Waddell made a quick motion to adjourn, which was quickly seconded by White. Waddell told the crowd the committee had planned to answer every question the crowd may have, but “loud mouth here won’t let us.” Deputies from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department gathered around as Overall, screaming expletives, shouted that Waddell and the committee members were liars. More questions were lobbed at the committee members as they left the room while Overall was escorted out the other door by deputies. Many of the citizens who were present at the meeting show up every month at county commission meetings to express environmental and safety concerns as commissioners listen. Commissioners may be sympathetic to those concerns but legally have no authority to enforce or regulate environmental laws. Those responsibilities lie with the Tennessee Department of Conservation, according to a statewide agency tasked with advising county governments. “I’m speaking in generalities, but entities that have environmental permits for discharge (either water or air pollutants) are primarily regulated under federal environmental law that is implemented by the state environmental bureaus, in our case TDEC,” said Kim Raia, an environmental consultant for the University of Tennessee’s County Technical Advisory Service. “Local government authorities aren’t generally able to pre-empt or exceed these laws for fines or penalties.” Raia said air pollutants and water discharge, which included stormwater and construction runoff among others, are regulated by TDEC but under the guidance of federal law. US Nitrogen, located on Pottertown Road in Midway, has reported a number of emissions incidents to the state over the last year. And a recent inspection report from TDEC found a number of deficiencies at the plant, most involving record-keeping matters. The facility produces liquid ammonium nitrate, a component used in blasting agents. The chemical company said it follows all regulations. “US Nitrogen is committed to operating its facility in accordance within its state issued permits and all other applicable state and federal regulations,” Robbie Helton, US Nitrogen Safety and Administrative Services manager, said in late 2017. “Since the inception of the project through our present operations, we have worked and continue to work closely with all of our regulating entities including TDEC, TOSHA and the EPA.” County Attorney Roger Woolsey said any authority Greene County has comes from the state of Tennessee. He said generally the only thing the county can do is enforce laws or resolutions mandated by the state. He gave an example using criminal law. Woolsey said the county can enforce any state criminal statue but cannot make criminal laws applicable only to Greene County. “So if the Greene County legislative body decided they wanted to make the punishment for (driving under the influence) greater than state law, the county could not do that,” he said. “Because the county derives all of its power from the state.” Greene County would also have no authority to rezone the US Nitrogen property, which was proposed by County Commissioner Eddie Jennings in August. Jennings pulled the proposal after Woolsey advised the commission that undoing 2011 zoning actions wouldn’t force US Nitrogen to shut down. Raia said the law and courts tend to protect or grandfather land uses that are in existence. Citizens concerned about US Nitrogen have asked the county’s Health and Safety Committee — also known as the Debris Ordinance Committee — to pressure US Nitrogen to abide by state and federal environmental laws. And in recent months, Greene County’s state legislators have said they are pressuring TDEC to remain vigilant in enforcing laws. “We want a letter of recommendation to TDEC,” said Ryan Rowlett, a concerned citizen running for a commission seat in the 4th district. “Unless the county commis-
FILE SUN PHOTO BY NICK SHEPHERD
Lena Kendrick Dean spoke to the Greene County Commission during its December meeting regarding her concerns about US Nitrogen.
sion steps forward, it’s different than the voice of the people. I’d like for my elected representatives to stand up and agree with some of the same things they are saying.” Woolsey said if there was an industry not following
environmental law, the county government’s options are limited. “Honestly, about the extent of what we can do is write a letter,” he said. “The same things a citizen can do.”
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The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
GreenevilleSun.com
Saturday, March 17, 2018
SUN FILE PHOTO
Mayor Alan Corley displays the flag in Tusculum City Hall that contains the city seal, which includes the motto “First In Education.” The seal will remain as is, but students at Tusculum College are currently working on a project to develop a logo for the city.
Tusculum Renovates City Hall, To Introduce City Logo BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRITER Renovation work on Tusculum City Hall at 145 Alexander St. is nearing completion. The project has been ongoing for more than one year, and work already finished has addressed many of the repair needs for the building, which dates to the early 1960s. Discussion is also underway to reconfigure the main floor of city hall, with the possibility of moving the area used by the Board of Mayor and Commissioners to accommodate additional space for the Tusculum Police Department and records storage. Meanwhile, city’s first official logo should be unveiled soon.
CITY HALL RENOVATION A number of structural and interior problems were identified with city hall in 2016. Repairs to the roof and shoring up buckling walls were addressed in 2017. The repair and maintenance of Tusculum City Hall has also included repairs to sagging foundation walls and water seepage that caused unsightly damage, contributing to possible unsafe conditions in the building. “The foundation has been repaired, water issues remediated and a new roof and guttering installed,” Mayor Alan Corley said in 2017. Work that includes repairs of cracks in masonry walls and holes in brick in parts of Tusculum’s city hall in addition to a deteriorated bay used for police evidence storage was also completed last year. Work on sidewalks, gutters and outside walls was also done. Electrical system work in the city hall interior remained to be done in early 2018. Long-term plans for the building include “consideration and design of an expansion of city hall space for the recorder’s office, police department and meeting space,” Corley said. Corley said in February discussions continue about reconfiguring the upper floor of Tusculum City Hall. He said the Tusculum Police Department may move into the space currently used by city government. The police department doesn’t have enough space to store records and equipment, or a secure area to keep firearms and ammunition, city officials said in 2017. The other option considered in 2016 to was to build a new city hall on the property where the existing one stands. The cost of a new building may have been prohibitive. Renovation and improvement to the existing city hall building should prolong its life for years to come, city officials said,.
CITY LOGO Final touches are being made to an official logo for the city of Tusculum. Tusculum, which was incorporated in 1959, has never had an official logo. The city of about 2,700 has used a city seal proclaiming Tusculum as “First In Education” and including the Tusculum College Arch.The seal has sometimes been used as a city logo.
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN
The Tusculum Board of Mayor and Commissioners chose this logo to be the official city logo once the colors are changed. The new logo should be formally unveiled this spring.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Various structural problems that had developed with Tusculum City Hall over time include steps needing repair, gutters needing replacement, cracks and holes in bricks and masonry, and mold in some basement storage areas. Many of the repairs had been completed in 2017.
Corley told the Board of Mayor and Commissioners in September 2017 that students from the Tusculum College School of Arts & Sciences program would create examples of an official seal, one of which could become the recognized symbol of the city.
The logo project is a cooperative venture with Tusculum College overseen by Wayne Thomas, dean of the college’s School of Arts and Sciences. “I have thought about developing a new logo for some time, as I would like to use it on our city vehicles, uniform
shirts, communications and so on, but just had never identified someone to do the project,” Corley said in 2017. Corley, owner of Corley’s Pharmacy in Greeneville and a member of the Tusculum College board of directors, got the idea from a positive experience he had involving his pharmacy. “Many years ago, the Greeneville High School art department helped my business develop a logo, so I decided to ask the college if they would be interested in helping. I was directed to Wayne Thomas, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and he agreed that they would be happy to assist us,” he said. In November 2017, the Tusculum Board of Mayor and Commissioners chose a design but sent it back to art students at Tusculum College for a few minor revisions. Board members were shown four different logos. Three of the four included an oak tree inside of a circle. A line extended out to the right with the words “City of Tusculum, Tennessee,” above and below the line. A fourth logo featured green, pink and blue mountains with the words “City of Tusculum,” over the top with a small oak leaf in the left corner and the Tusculum College arch on the right. That concept was suggested by Tusculum Police Chief Danny Greene. “I like bits of all of them,” said Vice-Mayor Barbara Britton. “It’s hard to narrow it down. They’re all great.” During the November 2017 meeting, a green logo featuring the oak tree in a circle with the words “Est. 1959,” on the left side of the circle was chosen as the favorite among the group. Greene said he liked the design, but it should be a different color than the logo for the City of Greeneville. The board opted to send the logo back to the college to change the colors. An official logo for the City of Tusculum should be unveiled this spring.
GreenevilleSun.com
Saturday, March 17, 2018
The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
Page 9
Amendment To Greeneville Alcohol Regulations Stirs Controversy BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER A change in Greeneville’s Municipal Code to allow beer and wine to be served in open containers during non-profit events downtown drew much emotional community debate in May and June. An application for a fundraising dinner for Rural Resources held in conjunction with the Capitol Theatre precipitated the consideration of the revision to the alcohol ordinance in municipal code. The revision to the ordinance was approved in June and specifies that the “permits shall only be issued for defined areas located within the Main Street project area boundary, on the Niswonger Performing Arts Center property or outside on property adjoining the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, and only at a location where the property owner has given written approval.” Permits will not be issued for events on or adjacent to a church, school, public park or playground “except on property zoned B-2, the Niswonger Performing Arts Center property or outside on property adjoining the Niswonger Performing Arts Center,” the ordinance says. According to city officials, the Niswonger Performing
SUN FILE PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
Joel Hausser, chairman of the Rural Resources Board of Directors, spoke in favor of an amendment to a town ordinance governing alcohol in open containers during a Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting in May.
Arts Center is mentioned specifically due to its location next to Greeneville High School. Not more than six events per year can be approved for a permit and hours are limited to avoid coinciding with church services. An application for a permit must be filed at least 30 days in advance of the event. There is a $100 application fee and, if granted, the permit holder must provide adequate insurance as speci-
fied in the ordinance. When the ordinance was considered for first reading at a Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, City Administrator Todd Smith said that in the Rural Resources request, the organization had asked about the potential to serve wine at the event, which was timely because that issue came up consistently during the town’s comprehensive plan process in the last few years.
SUN FILE PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
Judith Sexton speaks against an amendment to an open container ordinance in Greeneville’s Municipal Code during a town board meeting. Sexton was a vocal opponent to the amendment.
With the consistent feedback about allowing special events to serve beer or wine downtown, it led the town to look at the amendment to the ordinance in conjunction with the request from Rural Resources, Smith said. The proposed changes to the ordinance would give the town the ability to control open containers in public space, not determine if it can be served, he said. “That’s what in essence we’re changing,” Smith said.
“We want to make sure that if someone is doing a special event in a downtown public space and is serving wine, we want to make sure that they’re licensed by the State of Tennessee, that they’ve got approved servers. That’s why we put that in the ordinance, so we can have some control over it.” Both board meetings in which the ordinance was considered attracted large crowds, and discussion became emotional at times.
Those who were not in favor of the change cited personal, religious and public safety issues against the proposed amendment. Those speaking in favor of the amendment said the town will benefit from the change and that responsible citizens shouldn’t be subjected to control over personal decisions. Mayor W. T. Daniels told the audience at the May meeting that the ordinance involves controlling alcohol. “I grew up in a family where my dad had a problem with alcohol,” he said. “Would we be much better off if we didn’t have it? Absolutely. But we have it. So since we have it, let’s try to control the atmosphere. This ordinance is designed to control the use of alcohol.” Board members also spoke about how the amendment could benefit non-profits that often struggle to raise funds. Alderman Keith Paxton cast a dissenting vote both times the ordinance was considered. He noted that all the churches and schools downtown was one reason to not allow alcohol on the streets, and it would be unfair competition for “brick and mortar” businesses that sell beer and wine. “I just ask that we not do this,” he said, “and we look at other avenues (for fundraising).”
Meet Your County Officials proud to serve our communities! Included is a brief description of the services we provide to you, and the communities we serve. As your County Officials, our doors are always open. We encourage everyone to contact us whenever we can answer a question or be of service.
Assessor of Property
Chuck Jeffers
Our obligation in the Greene County Assessor’s Of¿ce is to be fair and unbiased to all citizens of Greene County. We strive to maintain our ef¿ciency and constantly improve our level of professionalism so that we may better serve you. Our of¿ce staff are pro¿cient, knowledgeable, experienced, and friendly professionals ready to assist you. Any time you have a question about an assessment or any other issue pertaining to county property, please give us a call. Or, you are always welcome to come by and pay us a visit in Suite 222 of the Courthouse Annex between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Contact me at 423-798-1738 204 North Cutler Street, Suite 222, Greeneville, TN 37745
County Mayor
David Crum
The County Mayor is considered as the Chief Executive Of¿cer of the county. The County Mayor exercises a role of leadership in county government and is responsible for the county’s ¿scal management and other executive functions. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to serve as your County Mayor. The ability to represent and serve our County has been a tremendous honor. I look foward to the next opportunity in my working career and wish your next Mayor much success.
Greene County Trustee
Nathan R. Holt
The trustee serves as the county’s banker and treasurer. The three major functions of the trustee’s of¿ce are: (1) Collecting the county’s property taxes; (2) Accounting for and disbursing county funds; and (3) Investing temporarily idle county funds. The trustee’s of¿ce takes pride in providing Greene County citizens with professional, courteous, customer-focused service in an ef¿cient manner. If we can be of service to you, please come see us or give us a call at 423-798-1705. Remember, we work for you!
Road Superintendent
David Weems
As your Greene County Road Superintendent I am responsible for overseeing the employees at the highway department. Together we maintain 1,177 miles of road, 535 bridges, 3-4,000 tiles, 4,750 road signs, bush-hogging right-of-ways, drainage of roadways, snow removal, and storm clean up. I will continue to work hard to keep our roadways safe for the citizens of Greene County. It is an honor and pleasure to serve as your Road Superintendent.
Contact me at 798-1745 or 798-1747
Sheriff
Pat Hankins The sheriff is employed by the county and is an elected position. Deputies serve under the sheriff. Duties of the sheriff and his department include, but are not limited to: • Investigating Complaints • Emergency Response • Patrolling • Resolving Disputes • Criminal Investigation and Arresting Suspects • Executing Warrants • Overseeing the Department and the Detention Center
Contact me at 798-1800
County Clerk
Lori Bryant
• Motor Vehicle Registration available at the kiosk in the County Clerk’s Of¿ce. • Offering Vehicle Registration Mobile Service at the locations of Mosheim, Tusculum, Baileyton Town Halls, and Camp Creek Ruritan Memorial Park Pavilion. • Motor Vehicle Licensing. • Business Tax Help Desk for electronic ¿ling through The Department of Revenue. • Prints titles for the State of Tennessee Department of revenue. • Issues marriage licenses. • Issues on-premises and off-premises permits to sell beverages in unincorporated areas of the county. • Collects occupancy tax. • Issues Business Tax licenses. • Minutes for County Commission meetings. • Online Services. • Partnering with the Department of Safety Drivers License Services with a new service available in renewing Drivers License & also issuing duplicate Drivers License to the Greene County citizens.
Contact me at 798-1708 or 798-1775
“Thank You For Allowing Me To Serve The Citizens of Greene County”
3rd District Commissioner
Robin Quillen
My name is Robin Quillen. I am one of your third district commissioners. I am serving my second term now. I believe that we have made progress in our local government by trying to get our county up to where it should be. Our county buildings are in such poor shape, it takes a lot of money to make the repairs to make them safe again. We have replaced steps at the Courthouse and at the election commission, roof work, elevator repairs at the courthouse and numerous other updates and repairs have been done so far. Much remains to be done, but working together, we will make it happen. Another project that I am doing is trying to make government more transparent. The days of hiding issues between the good old boys is over. What happens in our county is the business of the citizens who live here. I am always available to you. My phone numbers are: Home 639-7353 and mobile 823-1987. My email address is: robinq@southstatecontractors.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my county and its citizens. I will continue working to make our county a great place to live.
Page 10
The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
GreenevilleSun.com
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Merger Of Utilities Stirs Debate Within Town Of Greeneville BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER Possible consolidation of the Greeneville Water Commission with the Greeneville Light & Power System under a single appointed utility board was met with unfavorable responses from both utilities when the suggestion was made late in 2017. In November, Bob Biddle, a member of the Greeneville Regional Planning Commission, made the proposal during a Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. Requesting to speak as a citizen, he told the board he would like it to study the possibility of the consolidation of the two utilities. “To me, that seems to be a win-win situation,” Bidddle said. “I know it’s not a popular issue, but I think this is something that it’s time that we looked at.” Both Mayor W.T. Daniels and City Administrator Todd Smith agreed there would be merits to the consolidation. Daniels said Greeneville is the only town in the state of Tennessee to have an elected board over a utility. He cited the convenience for customers and contractors paying bills or needing to establish service or get permits as a main reason for restructuring the board and moving the two utilities under one roof. Smith said the move would also eliminate duplication of services and streamline how the utilities function by sharing resources and manpower. He cited paving, payroll and human resources as areas that would benefit. However, Greeneville Water Department Superintendent Laura White, who opposes the move, said the consolidation wouldn’t save that much time or trouble. “Currently, the contractor has to go through town hall and get their building permits and then they visit us to see whether water and sewer is available,” she said, adding that they would have to go somewhere else if they needed gas. “There’s really not a way to do a one-stop shop. You’re not ever going to combine everything.” White said she believes that the proposal stems from occasions when the department did not put in water and sewer infrastructure requested by the town, a thought echoed by City Administrator Todd Smith. “I don’t think our organizational visions are aligned, per se,” said Smith. “I think we’ve created a structure that doesn’t align positions.” White has previously stated that on occasions when the water department has declined to install the requested water and sewer lines, there were no commitments from developers to build. White said the department is able and willing to
SUN FILE PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
A Greeneville Water Department crew work to fix a broken water line on Main Street in early January. A merger between the water department and Greeneville Light & Power System sparked debate at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018.
install the lines if there’s a commitment and potential return on the department’s investment. White said that paving is the only service that could possibly be shared between the utilities. “Financially, you have to keep water and sewer separate anyway,” she said. “It has to be that way through the state comptroller’s office.” That lack of benefits for either utility was a primary reason that Greeneville Light & Power General Manager Bill Carroll said early this year that he was not in favor of the merger as well. Carroll said that a merger would not be beneficial to either utility in efficiency of operation or possible cost savings. GLPS’ day-to-day operations are much different from the water department, he said, and the same workmen and equipment could not be used for most of the daily projects of either utility, as different skill sets and tools are needed for power and water installations. “Electricity and water don’t mix well, and the two utilities would be same,” Carroll said. “They have to be operated
separately.” On the administrative side, there would not be much personnel savings as bookkeepers are needed for both because finances must legally be kept separate, Carroll said. “The Greeneville Water Department is operated efficiently,” he said. “We are operated efficiently. It doesn’t appear that combining the two would result in real savings. I have to come down on the side of those who don’t think this would be a good idea.” The idea of consolidation of the utilities under the governance of the town with one utility board also raised concerns with other Greene County water districts that purchase their water from Greeneville. “We definitely don’t want this to happen,” Cross Anchor Utility District General Manager Chad Wampler said. “The main reason we don’t like the merger idea is the possibility of rate increases due to the nature of it,” he added. “If the rates are increased to the utility district, then we have to raise our rates for our customers.” When asked to elaborate, Wampler said was referring to talk about
installing lines for the possibility of future growth. Mosheim Mayor Tommy Gregg, Chuckey Utility District Operations Manager Tyson Lamb and Old Knoxville Highway Utility District General Manager Jonathan Stepp also expressed concerns about a potential hike in rates as a result of the merger and how that would affect their customers. A proposed merger also resulted in concern from citizens. Susan Graves, a concerned citizen who spoke at a water commission meeting, saying she likes the way the department is run and doesn’t want to see the structure changed or the the utilities combined. “I think we have a voice this way, through our commissioners,” Graves said. “I think it’s well run. Leave it alone.” County Commissioner Robin Quillen said that a number of her constituents have expressed concerns about rate increases as well. “The fact that the rates and everything can be raised upon command with no explanation and no accountability (concerns them),” Quillen said.
Greenville BMA Changes Through Appointment To Fill Vacancy BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER Faces changed on the Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen in 2017, but it was not through the municipal election held in August. Jeff Taylor joined the board as 2nd Ward alderman in June after being appointed to fill the position vacated by the resignation of Brian Bragdon earlier in the month. Bragdon resigned from his seat after moving from the 2nd Ward. In August, 1st Ward Aldermen Buddy Hawk and Keith Paxton were re-elected to their posts. The incumbents faced opposition from write-in candidate Donald H. Burchnell. Brandon Hull was re-elected to his post on the Greeneville Water Commission. Hull, who serves as chairman of the commission, was unopposed and received 464 complimentary votes.
RESIGNATION, APPOINTMENT On June 6, Bragdon submitted his resignation to Mayor W.T. Daniels and City Administrator Todd Smith. “It is with deep regret that I must vacate my position as an alderman, 2nd Ward, for the Town of Greeneville,” Bragdon wrote in his resignation. “I have changed my primary residence and no longer reside in the 2nd Ward. Per the town charter, I am required to vacate my position.” He had been first elected as alderman in 2014. Greeneville’s charter states that all vacancies on the board of mayor and aldermen shall be filled by vote of the majority of the remaining members of the
board, cast by ballot. At its June 20 meeting, the board had six nominees from which to choose — Peter Higgens, Jonathan Cave, Larry Joe Lilly, Jeff Taylor and Charles Hutchins. The names were read to the board and three votes were cast for Taylor and one for Hutchins. Taylor, who who has lived in Greeneville for a total of 20 years, will serve the rest of Bragdon’s term, which ends in August. The 2nd Ward aldermen are on the ballot for the municipal election on August 2. Taylor is the vice president of procurement and maintenance administration for Forward Air. He has been active in a number of organizations including the Greeneville City Schools Education Foundation, Greeneville Arts Council, Main Street: Greeneville and others. At the meeting, Taylor said his priorities included continuing to develop and work through local and state partnerships to promote the community, support education and court businesses that have “the right core values” and “start bringing folks back to Greeneville.” He would also like to see the town benefit more from its natural resources and tourism.
SUN FILE PHOTO BY BIANCA MARAIS
Greeneville Mayor W.T. Daniels swears in 1st Ward aldermen Buddy Hawk and Keith Paxton during a September meeting of the Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Both we re-elected in August.
ALDERMEN ELECTION Incumbents Hawk and Paxton were returned to their seats on the board of mayor and aldermen in municipal election held Aug. 3. Hawk received 305 votes and Paxton 306. A write-in candidate, Donald H. Burchnell, received 95 votes. Burchnell had mounted a late write-in campaign, but said he was satisfied with the results following the election. “It was not the way I wanted it to turn
SUN FILE PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
Alderman Jeff Taylor is sworn in by Greeneville Mayor W.T. Daniels after being selected by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to fill the unexpired term of Brian Bragdon.
out, but God is in control and whatever happens, happens,” he said. “At least we gave it a fight.” Creating some competi-
tion for the two aldermen seats was a primary reason that Burchnell said he started his campaign. Paxton said he was
happy there was a race and with the outcome. “I always think anytime somebody runs it’s healthy, healthy politics,” he said. “It was
really healthy.” The race stirred discussion on a number of issues, Paxton continued, and if Burchnell had not entered the race, much of that discussion may not have happened. Paxton indicated his priorities over the next two years will be the town budget, sidewalks and helping the downtown area to thrive as a hub for the city with businesses and events. Hawk was also pleased with the outcome of the election. “We now get to work for the town of Greeneville for two more years and try to progress our town as we’ve long planned to do and hopefully we can get a lot of things done,” he said following the election. “I’m proud to be elected again.” Out of 9,038 registered voters in the Town of Greeneville, 585 cast ballots in the election.
GreenevilleSun.com
Saturday, March 17, 2018
The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
Page 11
SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
The Davy Crockett TA Travel Center added an IHOP, Dunkin’ Donuts and Papa Johns.
Baileyton Sees Growth In Government Programs, Businesses BY LORELEI GOFF SPECIAL TO THE SUN Plans for the long-anticipated expansion of the Davy Crockett TA Travel Center at exit 36 in Baileyton are just one component of the town’s continued growth that came to fruition in 2017. The travel center added an IHOP, Dunkin’ Donuts, Papa Johns and upgrades to its service center. The Dollar General Market on Van Hill Road also expanded. “It’s more like a Dollar General Market,” said Baileyton Mayor Tommy Casteel. “It’s nice. Folks are happy about that.” Casteel said the town secured a $500,000 grant for North Greene Utilities to “extend some lines and add some new meters.” He also hopes to obtain a grant through the First Tennessee Development District for a new building for the United Volunteer Fire Department, with hopes to house the fire department and town hall in one building. The Baileyton Drug Company, a new pharmacy that has been in the works since 2017, will open for business in the next four to six weeks. Pharmacist and owner Matt Allen said the building is completed, and he’s waiting for license approvals so the shelves can be stocked. “This is something that’s needed here in this community,” Allen said. “People have to go 12 miles to [Greeneville], 12 miles to
Fall Branch, 15 miles to Bulls Gap or across the mountain to Rogersville (to get to a pharmacy).” The former Baileyton RV Park became a KOA campground and will double in size. Co-owner Karen Clouser said she has big visions for the park and that KOA’s large client base and campground designers will help make them a reality. The expansion will be executed in phases and take the park from five to 10 acres, increasing the number of cabins and campsites, as well as enlarging RV sites from 28 to at least 32 feet. Some sites will be premium sites with patios and seating for campfire areas. Other plans include the addition of more cabins, a teepee village, a minigolf course and possibly a splash pad. A jumping pillow will arrive this summer. Clouser said she’s only had to raise rates by $1 and expects the price to remain stable. She hopes to begin construction in November so guests won’t be inconvenienced. Casteel said he is pleased with the amount of growth the town has experienced in the last year. “All those people that stay in those campgrounds stop and buy gas and groceries and stuff like that,” he said. “It’s a help.” As business within the town has grown, the Baileyton Police Department has also expanded its force and community programs.
SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
The Baileyton Drug Company, located on Van Hill Road, is expected to open in March or April.
Baileyton Police Chief Josh Ferguson said a third full-time officer was added in 2017, and he hopes to add a part-time officer as soon as funding is available. Ferguson also hopes to expand the Neighborhood Watch program that began last year, along with increasing awareness about the department’s drug
take-back box and the Count It! Drop It! Lock It! program that allows residents to keep their medications locked in a secure box in their homes. Residents can leave tips anonymously on the unmanned line or leave a phone number and request a call back. Messages are checked daily. Ferguson noted that
residents should use the number only for tips and call 911 in an emergency. He said neighborhood watches are a vital part of community policing. “Someone may have seen a car go up and down the road three times,” he said. “They may have seen it sitting at their neighbor’s house and they know their neighbor is gone on
vacation. If they noticed something suspicious and called it in, when that house is burglarized we have a tag number and description of the vehicle.” He added: “My hope is that all the citizens inside the city will jump on this neighborhood watch program. The more eyes and ears out there, the better it is for everybody.”
SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
The Baileyton RV Park is now the Baileyton KOA.
Karen Clouser points to the future location of a mini-golf course at the Baileyton KOA, which she owns.
SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
The “Tiny House” cabin is a recent addition at the Baileyton KOA.
SUN PHOTO BY LORELEI GOFF
The interior living area of the “Tiny House” cabin at Baileyton KOA affords a porch view of the driving range. The cabin has one bedroom and a bathroom.
Page 12
The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition
Saturday, March 17, 2018
GreenevilleSun.com
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