Benchmarks 2020 | Section B | Government

SECTION B

GOVERNMENT

BENCHMARKS EDITION March 14, 2020

Page 2

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

SUN FILE PHOTO

Crews from Summers-Taylor Inc. work on grading for the midfield connector between the runway and taxiway at the Greeneville Municipal Airport in the fall.

Improvements Continue At Greeneville Airport

BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER

W

ith runway improvements completed and operations returning to normal in early 2019, the Greeneville Airport Authority turned its attention to planning for the future, which came to include meeting the needs of a new business at the facility.

Looking at what the airport should be in five years, the authority took a first step in adopting vision and mission statements as well as a tagline as they began the planning process.

The vision statement for the airport is “to provide a safe, efficient, self-sustaining aviation facility for the community, airport users and visitors.” The mission statement is “providing global connections through aviation,” and the tagline is “Greeneville Municipal Airport — Just Fly!” As they looked at what would be needed to prepare the facility for financial self sufficiency and growth, immediate needs were also addressed at the airport including security improvements, construction of a mid-field connector between the runway and taxiway, renovations at the fixed based operator (FBO) building and creating an instrumentation approach for runway 23.

In the fall, the Airport Authority learned of an aviation transportation services business interested in relocating to Greeneville.

In January 2020, the Airport Authority learned it had secured a state grant to provide funding for construction of a hangar and office space for the business, Vertical Flight Technologies (VFT), and measures were taken to secure a temporary facility for the business.

FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS While continuing planning efforts throughout the year, the Airport Authority also addressed immediate needs at the facility.

After an incident involving an individual who was able to get inside the security fence at the airport, research begin for measures to increase safety.

An $85,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation was secured, providing funding for the addition of security cameras that can be accessed by 911 dispatchers as well as personnel on site.

The grant also provided for updating access equipment at the security gates and providing

SUN FILE PHOTO

The Greeneville Muncipal Airport was the site of both aviation and community events. The apron area was used as an autocross course for the Smoky Mountain Region Porsche Club’s “Spring Thing” event in April.

easier access to the facility for emergency agencies.

Soon after the year began, work to begin construction of a mid-field connector was started following a safety complaint filed with the Federal Aviation Administration by a pilot.

In the runway improvement project, one of the connectors between the taxiway and runway was removed, leaving two connectors near the ends of the runway.

This resulted in planes staying on the runway longer to reach one of the connectors, delaying other planes seeking to land.

The Airport Authority learned the removal of the connector was a misinterpretation of a FAA directive by the engineering firm that designed the runway improvements.

Crews with Summers-Taylor Inc. began work in October to build the connector, which caused the closure of the runway from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays for safety.

The connector was completed in about two months. Funding for the construction came from leftover grant funds from the runway

improvement.

The FBO became the center of construction activity in the late spring as the authority voted to use maintenance grant funds provided by the state to repair the leaking roof at the facility. In addition, the maintenance grant funds were also used to make water line repairs to one of the corporate hangars at the facility.

The maintenance funds had to be used by the end of the 2018-19 fiscal year.

As the new fiscal year began, the Airport Authority authorized funds from that year’s state maintenance grant to be spent toward additional renovations of the FBO building, including new flooring, security doors, replacement of ceiling tile, painting and the creation of a secure place where pilots and passengers could rest and relax after the FBO office is closed for the day.

PDC Consultants, the airport’s engineer firm, began work on an instrument approach for Runway 23 in March after receiving needed information from the state.

The engineering firm is also

Benchmarks B Story Index Improvements Continue At Greeneville Airport ...................................................2 Preparations Made For Beginning Of Downtown Redevelopment .......................3 Legal Dispute Between Clerk & Master, County Settled ........................................4 Infrastructure Replacement Causes Challenges In Greeneville ............................ 4 County Property Tax Rate Results In Governmental Tensions .............................6 Fire Training Center, Employee Clinic Among 2019 Highlights For Greeneville ......6 New Equipment, Opening Of Gun Range Among 2019 Highlights ......................8 Mosheim Mayor Says Town Is In Good Shape ......................................................8 Tusculum looks Back On 2019 Accomplishments ............................................... 10 Central Dispatch Process Moves Forward In 2020 ..............................................11

In November, the Airport Authority learned that VFT, a Florida-based company, was looking at relocating to Greeneville, which would be a more central location to its customer base. VFT is an aviation company that provides services including relocation of objects such as poles and other structures in remote areas, aerial firefighting and crop dusting.

After submitting a grant application for construction of a hangar to provide space for the new business, a $1 million grant was awarded in January by the state Department of Transportation.

The grant was available through TDOT’s Aeronautics Economic Development Fund

Automotive Guide ............................................................................................................11 Bulls Gap Guide ..............................................................................................................10 Greeneville Light & Power System ................................................................................... 5 Greeneville Water Commission ...................................................................................... 12 Heating & Cooling Guide.................................................................................................. 9 Insurance Guide ...............................................................................................................7 Town of Mosheim .............................................................................................................3

get thrown out with the junk mail. call 423-638-4181 to advertise, in print and online.

RELOCATING BUSINESS

that provides resources for new or expanding aviation programs.

VFT plans to add 12 new jobs initially and possibly 30 additional jobs by 2023. The median annual salary of the positions is $45,000.

The grant from will provide funding to construct a 25,000-square-foot hangar along with 3,000 square feet of office space.

However, the grant will not provided all the funding needed for the project, and the Airport Authority is exploring other grant opportunities for the project as well as the option of adding the construction of a new FBO building to the project.

To provide temporary space to house VFT’s five helicopters and an airplane, the authority approved a sublease by Sky Night LLC of a portion of its facility for the new business. The authority also approved funds for the necessary interior demolition needed to prepare the space for VFT, which was looking to relocate prior to the warmer weather months, its busiest time.

Benchmarks B Advertisers Index

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working to identify what needs to be done to remove obstructions from that approach. Currently, the airport has a conditional operational license from the FAA due to the obstructions, and they must be removed for the facility to acquire the full license.

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THE GREENEVILLE SUN www.greenevillesun.com

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 3

GRAPHIC SPECIAL TO THE SUN

A rendering by Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers and IBI Placemaking shows a portion of the block of Depot Street between Irish and Main streets and the materials that will be used to create a “festival” street along that block.

Preparations Made For Beginning Of Downtown Redevelopment

BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER Greeneville’s Downtown Redevelopment Project took the steps forward in 2019 to prepare for construction scheduled to begin this year.

In March 2019, preliminary streetscape design for the initial phase of the Downtown Redevelopment Project was unveiled in a public meeting. This initial phase involves streetscape improvements along a stretch of Depot Street from its intersection with Academy Street to near the railroad depot building.

With community feedback on the designs, work then began to create the construction documents to be used in seeking bids for a general contractor.

Bids are expected to be let later this year with work to begin once a contractor is chosen.

PRELIMINARY DESIGN The preliminary streetscape design for three blocks of Depot Street was unveiled at a March 12 open house.

That streetscape will feature wider sidewalks and landscaping with a focus on the block of Depot Street between Main and Irish streets as a “festival” location, according to the preliminary design presented during the event, hosted by the Town of Greeneville.

“You do really have great opportunities here in downtown Greeneville,” said Cliff Brooks, a landscape architect with CRJA-IBI Group’s office in Knoxville, who presented the preliminary design. “The architecture of Depot Street is really amazing.”

While creating an attractive streetscape is the goal, Brooks said that streetscape should be a compliment to the overall look but not detract from the architecture of the buildings and the visibility of the businesses.

“Our philosophy is that we don’t think a streetscape should draw attention to itself,” he said. “It is not there to cover anything up but to spotlight the buildings. And it will evolve over time.”

CRJA is working with Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers, which has contracted with the town to complete design work for the initial phase of the downtown redevelopment project, which focuses on the three blocks of Depot Street

between College and Cutler streets.

Getting feedback from the community is part of the final stages of the preliminary design of the streetscape, Brooks explained.

Much of that feedback involved the proposed parking in the initial design. The design proposed parking on only one side of the street rather than the parallel parking now found on both sides of the street.

“One of the reasons for the parking on one side of the street is so we can develop wider, more gracious sidewalks,” he said.

Improving the pedestrian experience along the street is of importance to the town.

“If you have more walkability on a street, the more the economic development,” Brooks said.

However, members of the Greeneville Parking Authority and others expressed concerns about the number of spaces that would be lost and suggested that perhaps angled parking be considered because it would provide more spaces than parallel.

As the community feedback was gathered, the firms worked on revising the preliminary design and began work on the the construction documents. A visible indication of that work came when soil samples from various locations along Depot Street were taken during April.

While Vaughn & Melton and CRJA were busy finalizing the streetscape design and the construction documents, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen turned its attention to providing more parking downtown as City Administrator Todd Smith was authorized to negotiate with the brothers who own Adams Building on Crowfoot Alley. No agreement has yet been brought to the town for approval.

DESIGN CHANGES The Board of Mayor and Aldermen allocated funding for the initial phase of the construction in its budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year.

In November, Vaughn & Melton and IBI Placemaking, formerly CRJA, provided an update about the work to prepare the construction documents.

Brooks told the board that two major design changes had been made as the result of community feedback.

After listening to concerns,

SUN FILE PHOTO

Property owners review a rendering showing the entirety of the streetscape work along Depot Street from Academy Street to the railroad depot during an informational meeting about the progress of the Downtown Redevelopment Project in November. Looking at the map from left are Jerry Hartsell, Robin Shepherd and Paige Mengel. At left talking are Scott Niswonger and Brad Peters, Greeneville town engineer and public works director.

it has been decided that onstreet parking will remain on both sides, he said. There will be a few parking spaces lost to be able to meet sight line safety standards. There will be around 31 spaces on the street.

The other major change concerns an elevated section of the street between Main and Irish streets in the preliminary design, Brooks said.

The elevated section was intended to be one of the features to make the block between Main and Irish a “festival” street for the community.

However, after talking to town officials and keeping vehicular traffic in mind, the decision was made to remove the elevation but keep the mid-block section marked with colored pavers as a distinct space for events, he said.

With the construction work planned, the engineers asked the businesses along Depot Street for their patience once construction begins.

“The goal is to make as minimal a disruption as possible while providing as much access as possible to businesses,” Vaughn & Melton engineer Randy Davenport told the board.

As the year began, construction documents were in finishing stages as the engineers worked with utilities and the town to finalize them.

Mosheim Welcomes

Business & Industry I

n Mosheim we’re ready to assist, develop and grow with Greeneville, Greene County and our industrial prospects and their projects. Infrastructure is readily available and includes water, sewer, gas, and electrical. Mosheim is a progressive community that is growing and a desirable location for families and new industries to locate.

Come out! Look us over!

Join us in our future growth and progress.

James Foshie ALDERMAN

Thomas L. Gregg, Jr. MAYOR

Dave Long ALDERMAN

David Myers ALDERMAN

Harold Smith ALDERMAN

More and more people and businesses are choosing to locate in Mosheim.

SUN FILE PHOTO

A crew from SME Engineering bores a hole in Depot Street in April to attain a soil sample as part of the process in preparing the final design and engineering plans for streetscape enhancements called for in the Downtown Redevelopment Plan.

Town of

Mosheim

Page 4

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Legal Dispute Between Clerk & Master, County Settled

BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRITER A resolution was reached in November 2019 in the protracted civil lawsuit between Greene County Clerk & Master Kay Solomon Armstrong and Greene County.

In 2017, Armstrong filed a lawsuit against former Greene County Mayor David Crum in his official capacity after the Greene County Commission failed to provide what Armstrong claimed was essential funding for additional positions in her office in the 2017-18 budget.

After a series of legal actions, the Tennessee Appellate Court upheld a ruling in Armstrong’s favor.

The civil action stemming from the 2017-18 budget dispute resulted in a Chancery Court trial, in which 1st Judicial District Chancellor John Rambo ruled the county must fund the addition of one full-time and one part-time employee for the operation of the office. The county appealed the ruling. The appellate court in 2019 upheld Rambo’s ruling.

County officials decided not to pursue any further appeal.

A second lawsuit was filed because the positions were not funded in the initial 2018-19 budget, but a settlement reached by Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison and Armstrong for the county to fund the positions as ruled by Rambo resulted in its withdrawal.

Legal expenses in the lawsuit ended up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees that must be borne by taxpayers.

The county commission also voted in November 2019 to end action in a separate lawsuit, filed by local lawyer Frank Santore on behalf of the public and as a Greene County taxpayer, in relation to the Greene County Commission’s appeal of the 2017 lawsuit.

Santore filed the lawsuit in November 2018 on a pro bono basis on behalf of the public, naming as defendants both sides of the issue.

In its November 2019 ruling, the Tennessee Court of Appeals also ordered a modification of Chancellor John C. Rambo’s judgment so that Armstrong be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the trial.

In its opinion, the Appellate Court upheld Rambo’s 2018 ruling that Greene County pay for the additional staff requested by Armstrong.

SUN FILE PHOTO

Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison and Clerk and Master Kay Solomon Armstrong respond to questions in a 2019 interview about a settlement agreement they reached in a lawsuit Armstrong filed against the county.

SUN PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE

Lawyers Matthew Grossman and Kevin Dean, from left, sit next to Greene County Clerk and Master Kay Solomon Armstrong in 2018 during a civil non-jury trial pitting Armstrong against former Greene County Mayor David Crum.

The appellate court’s judgment was the final legal word in the ongoing dispute.

“It’s our fervent belief that this concludes the case. We can now all move forward with the business of Greene County and not cost the taxpayers. I think that is what the clerk and master wants as

well,” Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison said of the judgment in November 2019.

Armstrong voiced similar sentiments.

LAWSUIT FILED IN 2017 The first lawsuit was spurred by the Greene Coun-

ty Commission’s decision not to include the funds requested by Armstrong for two deputy clerk positions in its 2017-18 budget.

Armstrong, in her official capacity, filed a lawsuit in August 2017 against Crum in his official capacity to provide what the civil

action claimed was essential funding to add a full-time position and one part-time employee.

A four-day, non-jury trial in Washington County Chancery Court concluded in April 2018. Third Judicial District Chancellor Douglas T. Jenkins, Armstrong’s

supervisor, recused himself from the case. The lawsuit was heard in Washington County by Rambo, 1st Judicial District chancellor.

Rambo wrote in a May 2018 order that the county should replace one “halftime” deputy clerk position in the office with one fulltime deputy clerk position.

The full-time position pays an annual salary of $24,375, according to court records.

The county and Armstrong together spent more than $450,000 in lawyer fees as of 2019. The appeal filed by the county was argued in October 2019 before the Court of Appeals in Knoxville. The Appellate Court came back quickly with a decision.

Greene County had the option of appealing the Court of Appeals judgment in the state Supreme Court, but Morrison said in November 2019 that both the settlement language and earlier action by the Greene County Commission directed that the appellate court judgment be final.

“Kay and myself in our negotiations made sure to comply with the order and to save taxpayers money,” Morrison said.

SEE LAWSUIT ON PAGE 5

Infrastructure Replacement Causes Challenges In Greeneville Street and the Tusculum Boulevard replacement was about at the halfway mark when crews were pulled from there to work on an emergency sewer line replacement on Old Tusculum Road due to a break.

The work to replace the 440-foot section of a 12-inch sewer line on Old Tusculum Road was completed within a few weeks, but traffic was detoured around the site using Moore Avenue and Haynes Boulevard.

McKee Street was completed by May with the Greeneville Public Works Department repaving the street shortly thereafter.

Public Works also repaved the section of Old Tusculum Road where the line was replaced. Repaving of the section of Tusculum Boulevard was finished in the fall by Summers-Taylor.

BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER Replacement of aging utilities and infrastructure caused challenges for both motorists and business owners during 2019.

Sections of McKee Street and Tusculum Boulevard were closed for replacement of aging sewer lines from January into the early summer. While the sections were reopened in the evenings and on the weekends, the work caused traffic issues along detour routes and challenges for businesses during daytime hours.

Travel in Greeneville experienced a greater challenge in May as the town had to unexpectedly close a culvert-type bridge on East Church Street, which remained closed for nine months.

As residents searched for other routes, some streets experienced large traffic increases, and the businesses in the area suffered as customers could not as easily access their establishments.

SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT Crews from Merkel Construction Co., the contractor for both the McKee Street and Tusculum Boulevard sewer rehabilitation projects, began work in mid-January on McKee Street. That state mandated the replacement of the sewer lines, and the aging

SUN FILE PHOTO

Crews work to replace a a 100-year-old sewer line on Tusculum Boulevard in the spring. The aging line was replaced between the Ye Olde Towne Gate and the new Walters State Community College building.

sections along the two streets were identified as the highest priority.

With the McKee Street project, crews faced a greater challenge than on Tusculum Boulevard as two existing lines had to be removed and replaced with a single line, according to Water Commission Engineer Eric Frye. The sewer lines were replaced along a stretch of McKee Street from just beyond the Bernard Avenue intersection to College Street.

Work began about a month later on Tusculum Boulevard, where crews had to replace a 100-yearold line from near the Ye Olde Town Gate to the new Walters State Community College building downtown.

All the lines were under the middle of the street, so the streets had to be closed as the lines were removed and replaced. The street sections were closed incrementally as the crews progressed in their work.

For McKee Street, residents in the area and those who used that route had to find alternate ways to travel using adjacent side streets.

While the McKee Street work affected primarily residents living along the street, that was not the case with Tusculum Boulevard, a commercial area that also included Greeneville High School.

Tusculum Boulevard businesses inside the work zone continued to be open,

and the contractors worked with businesses and motorists to help people reach a business inside the work zone.

However, there were some challenges with tractor trailers getting stuck on the residential streets that were part of the detours around the Tusculum Boulevard site. Business owners expressed concerns to officials about access to their businesses.

By April, work was almost completed on McKee

CHURCH STREET BRIDGE In March, the Town of Greeneville was directed by the state to close the East Church Street bridge due to safety concerns.

The culvert-style bridge about 150 feet from the intersection with Bernard Avenue consisted of three corrugated metal pipes that carried water under the roadway. In its inspection report, the state found that the three pipes were found to be in poor condition SEE INFRASTRUCTURE ON PAGE 5

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

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INFRASTRUCTURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

with “severe corrosion and large holes in the bottom of all the pipes” as well as sagging and crushed areas at the joints.

In response, the town made several requests for the state to consider options to allow the bridge to remain open during its replacement such as reducing traffic to one lane across the structure. Tennessee Department of Transportation officials responded that they had considered these options and determined none were a safe alternative. The town was told that if it did not close the bridge, its grant funds would be frozen.

Closing of the bridge followed on May 9 with the marked detour by the town including use of Bernard Avenue, Mt. Bethel Road, and a small stretch of Holly Creek Road to reach a destination on Church Street. Funds from the Department of Transportation were used for the expense to replace the bridge.

However, motorists began finding their own routes, which greatly increased traffic particularly on East and West Barton Ridge Road and Crum Street.

Residents of West Barton Ridge expressed their concerns to town officials and media about how many of the motorists were exceeding the posted 20-milean-hour speed limit and use by delivery trucks and sometimes tractor-trailers of the narrow residential street to reach the businesses on Church Street.

Initially, the town increased patrols by the Greeneville Police Department and did a traffic study, finding that people were averaging around 31 mph with about 1,800 cars a day on the street, which was expected to decrease as school dismissed for the summer. A speed hump was then installed to help slow traffic.

Some of the most deeply impacted by the closure were businesses near the bridge on East Church Street. Kritter Malone, a co-owner of Signs Plus and Still Water Antiques, described it as “devastating.”

Smokin’ Pig BBQ owner Jerry Hipps estimated traffic through the restaurant was down to a quarter of what it had been before the road closed. Both officials with Greeneville Oil and Petroleum and the Corner Market estimated that business had dropped 60% to 70% after the bridge closure.

City officials sympathized with the business owners. Peters said, “it’s a situation we regret and we apologize to the businesses and residents in the area.”

SUN FILE PHOTO

Heavy equipment was a common site through the fall for the replacement of the bridge on East Church Street with traffic detoured around the work site.

CONSTRUCTION DELAYS The start of work by crews from Whaley Construction, the general contractor for the project, was a welcome site for businesses and residents in early September.

The crews began work by removing the existing bridge and preparing for the installation of the new one. The entire project was contracted for 90 days, however that was extended due to weather and unexpected utility delays.

The bridge replacement faced a delay of about three weeks for unexpected utility work resulting from the new construction.

It was first thought that the depth of the

LAWSUIT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Rambo’s ruling said that when Greene County adopted the county’s budget for fiscal year 2017-18, Armstrong proposed a budget for her office that included the addition of one full-time and one “half-time” deputy clerk.

The Greene County Commission “failed to include funding for the positions,” in its adopted 2017-18 budget, Rambo’s ruling said.

“I am very grateful for the quick opinion that has been offered by (the appellate court) here. I am amazed. I expected it to be months and months,” Armstrong said in November 2019.

APPELLATE COURT ORDER In its appeal to the Appellate Court, the county argued that evidence “preponderates against (Rambo’s) decision to award additional funding for a new full-time assistant to replace a half-time assistant and that (Armstrong) was not entitled to recover any attorney’s fees,” the Court of Appeals judgment said.

“We hold that reasonable attorney’s fees were recoverable by (Armstrong) based on existing law,” the opinion states.

The Court of Appeals further found that “evidence does not preponderate against (Rambo’s) factual findings, including the trial court’s core finding that (Armstrong’s) workspace”

SUN FILE PHOTO

Traffic greatly increased on West Barton Ridge Road after the closing of the East Church Street bridge.

utility lines meant the construction would not cause the any issues.

However, the change in the design from having its load distributed evenly in the former bridge to the new concrete structure with two pressure points concerned utility officials.

A 12-inch water line was moved as a result and a section of a 20-inch water line had to be moved and replaced. To avoid

in the Greene County Courthouse “is so structurally inefficient that her office requires more staff.”

Rambo’s order on fees and expenses was modified by the Court of Appeals “to the extent it failed to award (Armstrong) expenses she paid out of pocket.”

The trial court was directed on remand to reimburse Armstrong “for her reasonable put-of-pocket fees and expenses” and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

In conclusion, an appellate court judge wrote that Rambo’s judgment “is affirmed, as modified, and this case is remanded to the trial court for collection of the costs below and for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”

The costs on appeal were assessed against appellant Morrison in his official capacity as mayor of Greene County, the judgment states.

The agreement stipulates that the county will provide funding for the additional staffing for the Clerk & Master’s office equal to fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Third Judicial District Chancellor Douglas T. Jenkins, Armstrong’s supervisor, recused himself from the case. The first lawsuit was heard in Washington County by Rambo, 1st Judicial District chancellor. The second lawsuit was assigned to Senior Judge Don H. Ash, of the 16th Judicial District in Rutherford and Cannon counties, by the Administrative Office of the Courts.

widespread water outages due to the 20inch line replacement, the Water Commission purchased two valves at a cost of $100,000 to stop water flow in the section being replaced.

The bridge work was delayed while the valves were ordered and installed. In addition, a gas line and phone cable had to be moved, causing further construction delays.

Additional delays came from multiple breaks in the sewer line at the bridge due to the construction. As construction continued, a storm drain also had to be relocated.

The bridge neared completion by mid-February after some further weather delays. Rain also delayed repaving the affected roadway by Summers-Taylor. The bridge reopened Feb. 19.

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GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

County Property Tax Rate Results In Governmental Tensions ect and only charge county property taxpayers for its repayment.

For decades, it had been the practice of the county to do the latter.

BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER In June, the Greene County Commission decided to set a single county property tax rate of $2.0145 per $100 of assessed value for the 2019-20 fiscal year for both property inside and outside the Greeneville corporate limits.

That action, a significant increase in property tax for Greeneville landowners, sparked tensions with the Town of Greeneville that remain unresolved.

In the meantime, the County Commission amended its earlier action, setting separate tax rates for those inside the town’s corporate limits and those outside, but it did not result in a lessening of the tensions.

As 2020 enters its second quarter, the town continues to seek legal options for obtaining $2.84 million city officials believe should be shared with the Greeneville School System. After a review of joint ventures with the county, the town also continues to explore the establishment of a municipal emergency medical service.

Greeneville officials say consideration of the municipal emergency medical service began about nine years ago. Research into the venture was conducted by the Greeneville Fire Department following a directive by town officials following the passage of the county property tax and review of the joint ventures.

No action has been taken in regard to the ambulance service.

INVOICE SENT With the original action of the County Commission, the property tax rate for landowners within the Greeneville limits would have increased by 16 cents.

The single tax rate was a change for the county legislative body. For decades, the board had passed two county property tax

NEW TAX RATE

SUN FILE PHOTO

Greeneville City Administrator Todd Smith addresses the Greene County Commission at its June meeting about a single property tax rate and sharing of revenues with the town’s school system. Commissioners approved the single property tax rate, and then amended it to increase the rate for those inside the corporate limits by 13 cents. At left is Greene County Budget Director Danny Lowery.

SUN FILE PHOTO

Greeneville ayor W.T. Daniels expressed frustration with an increase in the Greene County property tax for landowners in the city.

rates — one for land inside the Greeneville corporate limits and another for outside the town’s corporate limits. The previous year’s rate for town landowners was $1.8551 per $100 of assessed value.

Separate property tax rates have been set based on the payment of education debt service for the

Greene County Schools through the property tax.

Landowners inside Greeneville were not charged the amount dedicated for that payment since the town has its own school system.

However, in the current fiscal year’s budget, the county has designated that payment to be made with sales tax revenue.

That action brought questions and expressions of frustration from town officials.

“If you are going to raise taxes, give me a compelling reason why you are going to raise taxes,” said Greeneville Mayor W.T. Daniels. “You don’t raise taxes for the sake of raising taxes. Someone has to pay the bill.”

During a County Commission meeting, the increase was described as a measure to reduce the budget deficit and help fund allocations.

In response, the town sent an invoice for about $2.84 million to the Greene County Mayor’s Office. That amount is based on the current outstanding Greene County School System debt service, $8.8 million, multiplied by the Greeneville School System’s average student daily attendance percentage of .323.

“Essentially when city taxpayers fund the county school debt, then the city school system receives a proportional share of

that county school debt,” Greeneville City Administrator Todd Smith said at the time.

The invoice sought payment of the funds by Aug. 1, payable to the Greeneville City School System.

County officials did not pay the invoice as officials stated their interpretation of state law differed from the town’s and they do not believe they owe the funds.

Tennessee Code Annotated regulates how taxes are to be shared for school operations if there are separate municipal or special school districts operated in a county besides a county school system. State law also addresses debt that is incurred for capital projects or other improvements for school systems.

According to that state statute, a county taking out a bond for a school project has two options — it can borrow enough money to give a municipal school system within its border its share based on average daily attendance or it can borrow just the funds needed for the proj-

In August, the County Commission amended its earlier action and set separate property tax rates with the one for those inside the Greeneville limits at $1.98 per $100 of assessed value while keeping the same $2.0145 rate for those outside the town’s boundaries.

While that rate is a 3-cent reduction from the initially approved rate, it is a 13-cent increase over what city property owners paid the previous year.

In making the motion for the amendment, Commissioner Jason Cobble said efforts should be made to repair what had been a good relationship with the town.

“We should try to prevent any long-term damage to our relationship with them,” he said.

Town of Greeneville officials’ reaction was one of disappointment, frustration and a bit of indignation.

“The 3 cents is an insult to the people of the city of Greeneville’s intelligence,” Daniels said. “I think it is a sad day for our community. It is not right and it is not fair to the taxpayers of the city of Greeneville not to get credit for the tax they pay. What do they have to show in services for those taxes?”

The town continued to explore the option of the municipal emergency medical service. A feasibility study by the fire department was approved early in 2020.

Currently, the town does not allocate any taxpayer funds toward the operations of the EMS, nor does the county.

EMS operates as a self-sufficient entity from the revenues it receives from insurances, Medicare and TennCare.

SUN FILE PHOTO

Greeneville Mayor W.T. Daniels, second from left, prepares to cut the ribbon during the dedication in April of the Greeneville Fire Training Facility. Holding the left end of the ribbon is Bill Carroll, general manager of Greeneville Light & Power System, which provided the land for the facility. To the right of Daniels are Greeneville Administrative Chief Marty Shelton, Fire Chief Alan Shipley and Associate Chief John Craft, with members of the fire department standing behind them.

Fire Training Center, Employee Clinic Among 2019 Highlights For Greeneville

BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER The opening of a firefighter training facility, establishment of an employee health clinic, sidewalk improvements and a wellness award are among the highlights of 2019 for the Town of Greeneville.

The Greeneville Fire Training Facility opened in the spring, providing a place for local and regional fire and emergency personnel to train for a variety of situations.

The year also saw the establishment of a health clinic in coordination with the Greeneville Light & Power System, a next step in the town’s wellness initiative. Its wellness program was recognized with the Wellness Employer Award from Healthier Tennessee.

Residents along Carson Street have a new, wide sidewalk, one of the first to be completed as part of the town’s multi-year sidewalk project.

The town also saw changes in its leadership.

Long-time alderman Sarah Webster resigned from the board in April after she moved from town to a residence in the county. Scott Bullington was appoint-

ed to fill the vacant 2nd Ward alderman seat until the upcoming August municipal election. In the August 2019 election, a new alderman, Cal Doty, was elected to serve the 1st Ward.

NEW FIRE DEPARTMENT FACILITIES In April, the Greeneville Fire Department celebrated the opening its new training facility on Baileyton Road near the Greeneville Galaxy soccer fields.

The Greeneville Fire Training Facility features a mobile unit with two classrooms, exterior areas with props for a variety of training scenarios and a stormwater retention pond that serves as an area for firefighters to learn how to obtain water from a natural source when a hydrant is not available.

At the center of the two-acre training facility is a four-story drill tower that provides for simulating numerous scenarios of “real world” situations that fire or other emergency personnel may face.

SEE CENTER ON PAGE 7

SUN FILE PHOTO

The upper floors of the drill tower at the new Greeneville Fire Training Facility can be adapted for scenarios involving businesses, industries and schools as in this classroom setup, Fire Chief Alan Shipley explained during a tour of the facility.

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

2, an aging structure where safe access to adjacent roadways is becoming an increasing issue.

Changes for the Greeneville Police Department were a little less visible during the year. The department purchased new cruisers equipped to run on propane and renovated the department’s office to provide greater security for both its employees and the public.

CENTER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

“To be able to have a facility like this is amazing,” said Greeneville Fire Chief Alan Shipley. “We would not have had this place if it is was not for the community.”

The facility is located on Greeneville Light & Power System property, he said, the Greeneville Water Commission provided support in providing water service, and the information technology department of the Greeneville School System assisted in setting up technology for the classrooms.

Local businesses and industries also stepped up with their support. U.S. Nitrogen donated the shipping containers that were used to build the fire drill tower and scrap metal that has been used for props, he said. C&C Millwright and Innovative Millwright Service worked together to help the department put the containers together to create the four-story drill tower.

Greeneville firefighters completed 90 to 95 percent of the work at the facility, and it was designed by the department’s Training Committee after much research.

That design allows the facility to be easily adapted to meet changing training needs for emergency personnel and has the capacity for serving not just fire companies, but also other emergency and law enforcement personnel, utilities and industries.

With the additional train-

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

CLINIC, WELLNESS AWARD

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

The Greeneville Public Works Department completed a project to install new handicap-accessible sidewalks and paving on Carson Street in October.

ing opportunities and local access, the facility may help improve the department’s ISO insurance rating or the rating for others who use

it, Shipley said. Improved ISO ratings may result in lower insurance premiums for property owners in a department’s service area.

Design work for the new fire station on Carson Street continued during 2019. The new fire facility will replace Fire Station No.

In November, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved an agreement to establish an employee health clinic in partnership with Greeneville Light & Power and Ballad Health.

“This will take our wellness program to the next step,” said City Administrator Todd Smith. “Our wellness program has been successful. But we have gotten to a plateau with the wellness program.

Now there is a need for a clinic to address long-term health issues.”

The cost to the town involves rent for the office and equipment, Smith said. The overall cost is estimated at $250,000 per year, excluding the cost for medicines, and the town’s share would be an estimated $175,000 with GLPS covering the rest, he said.

The town’s wellness program also brought statewide recognition through the 2019 Workplace Wellness Award from the Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness.

Since its launch in 2014, the Town of Greeneville’s Wellness Program has

Page 7

rewarded employees for participation in a variety of activities designed to improve their health and performance at work. Those activities have included educational sessions, lab assessments with coaching sessions, weight-loss competitions, and fitness through walking challenges, basketball tournaments, training workouts for all levels of activity and rewards for participation in community running events.

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS Carson Street residents began enjoying a new sidewalk in the fall. The Public Works Department finished the project in October.

As part of the project, Public Works crews specializing in concrete work removed old sidewalks and curbs that were in poor condition and replaced them with new sidewalks that meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project also included backfilling dirt and sowing grass for a landscaping strip between the street and sidewalks. Six-tenths of a mile of Carson Street from the Asheville Highway to West Main Street was paved, saving an estimated $25,000 for the town in milling costs due to the raising of the street level allowed by the sidewalk replacement project.

The Carson Street sidewalk replacement is part of the town’s overall sidewalk plan, which includes replacement in different sections of the city through 2025.

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Page 8

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

New Equipment, Opening Of Gun Range Among 2019 Highlights For Greene County

BY EUGENIA ESTES STAFF WRITER The first phase of installation of a new radio system for law enforcement and emergency personnel, starting a replacement schedule for ambulances, purchase of the former Consumer Credit Union building to address facility issues and opening of the expanded gun range were among the highlights of 2019 for the Greene County government.

Installation began during 2019 to connect the Greene County Sheriff’s Department and the Greeneville-Greene County Emergency Medical Service to the state’s digital radio system, which the Greeneville Police and Fire departments are also using.

The county also approved funding for the purchase of new ambulances for Greeneville-Greene County Emergency Medical Services to continue a replacement schedule for the vehicles.

In the fall, the county purchased the former Consumer Credit Union building on East Andrew Johnson Highway to address space needs for the Greene County Election Commission and the Greene County Emergency Management and Homeland Security office.

In the spring, the county celebrated the opening of its Gun Range and Firearms Sports Complex, an expansion of the former law enforcement gun range that is now open for community use.

Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison

SUN FILE PHOTO

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Hunter Education Coordinator Tommy Whitehead, left, gives the signal for former members of the Range Oversight Committee to target clay disks at Greene County Range and Firearms Sports Complex in August 2018. The range opened to the public in May.

NEW AMBULANCES

NEW RADIO SYSTEM In June, a contract was signed with Motorola to provide a new radio system for the Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Medical Service.

The new system will allow for seamless communication between the county emergency agencies and the Greeneville Police and Fire departments. Greene County Sheriff’s Department officials have said

This is the first phase of the radio installation.

Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison has told the commission that with the cost of the radios, the equipping of the emergency agencies is planned in phases.

The county plans to equip the volunteer fire departments within the county, the Greeneville Rescue Squad and other agencies that need to communicate with emergency agencies, such as Animal Control, he said.

SUN FILE PHOTO

The Greene County Commission approved the purchase in August of a former Consumer Credit Union branch and property, just off East Andrew Johnson Highway, for office space and storage for the Greene County Election Commission and the office of the Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security.

using two different radio systems has caused some communication challenges in emergency situations.

With the two radio sys-

tems, 911 dispatchers have to relay communications between the two as the emergency communications system receives both

radio systems.

The Greene County Commission allocated $1.1 million during this fiscal year for the radio system, which

included the installation of equipment needed to relay the signal throughout the county as well as radios for both departments.

Funding for two new ambulances was approved for Emergency Medical Services by the County Commission during the 2018-19 fiscal year, covered by the county’s unassigned fund balance.

The new ambulances will be part of an ambulance replacement schedule for EMS. The schedule was based on the condition of its current fleet and would replace at least two vehicles each year.

Morrison, the county mayor, explained to the Budget and Finance Committee in June that the schedule would allow the EMS to replace its entire fleet every six years.

Ambulances would have approximately 280,000 miles of service at the end of a six-year period, which has been determined to be the service life for an ambulance.

In January, the County SEE COUNTY ON PAGE 9

Mosheim Mayor Tommy Gregg said the Mosheim Crossing project, announced in 2019, is ongoing.

Mosheim Mayor Says Town Is In Good Shape

BY CICELY BABB STAFF WRITER Looking back on the last year and forward to 2020, Mosheim Mayor Tommy Gregg said Mosheim is doing well.

The town kicked off 2019 with the opening of its municipal police department, something Gregg said last year had been on his 10year planning list.

New development for retail and industry in the area remains a priority to provide more services and conveniences for Mosheim residents, since the town does not collect property tax, Gregg said.

Multiple ongoing development projects are intended to bring such funding to the town.

After being mayor of Mosheim for seven years, Gregg announced in January that when his term ends in September, he does not intend to seek reelec-

SUN FILE PHOTO

Mosheim Mayor Tommy Gregg

tion.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ONGOING PROJECTS Gregg said the town saw intersection upgrades finished last year through the Tennessee Department of Transportation, including safety upgrades on

the highway near Dulaney Road, Ralroad Street and Spring Street.

The town also completed its part of paving on Blue Springs Parkway.

Among other projects, the Mosheim Crossing development project at Exit 23 announced last year, to include the construction of

a Shoney’s restaurant, is ongoing.

“That plan is not dead,” Gregg said, but the project is still in the planning stages.

Another plan approved last year by the Mosheim Planning Commission is between the Mosheim-Midway Post Office and the neighboring Parkway Car Wash.

The site, at 9150 W. Andrew Johnson Highway, was approved for commercial development in the fall, and Gregg said this is another area he hopes to see developed in the coming year.

A representative of Benchmark Design, an engineering and surveying firm, presented the plans to the Planning Commission saying that the proposed development would include two buildings with spaces to be leased to businesses as well as 60 parking spaces.

Commissioners expressed hopes and concerns at that meeting for what type of businesses might take up space in that development.

They said they would not want businesses categorized as “adult entertainment,” such as Intimate Treasures, in the area.

However, it was noted that existing zoning laws in Mosheim would prevent such businesses from moving within 1,000 feet of a church or school property, which is the case with the proposed site.

In discussion about businesses that would be welcomed in Mosheim, at that site as well as at others proposed in the future, commissioners said they would especially like to see a hardware store.

“We’d like to attract an auto parts store, a hardware store, a doctors office,” Gregg said. “Any type of business. A drive-in

restaurant like Sonic or Pal’s. Certain conveniences we don’t have yet, and we’d like to work towards that.”

“Business is our lifeline,” Gregg said.

On the note of providing conveniences and services, Gregg said he encourages all Mosheim residents to be counted in the census this year “online, on paper or if someone comes knocking on the door.”

THE FUTURE FOR MOSHEIM As far as upcoming projects for the town, in addition to commercial development, Gregg said a priority will be to address flood control, particularly at Spring Street below Town Hall, 1000 Main St., as well as further infrastructure work on the town’s sewer system.

Aside from changes in SEE MOSHEIM ON PAGE 9

GreenevilleSun.com

COUNTY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Commission approved the purchase of two ambulances and heart monitors for EMS. The cost for the two ambulances is estimated at $380,000, and $310,000 is estimated for nine heart monitors. The $690,000 in funds for the purchases will be taken from unassigned fund balance reserves.

Agency officials told the EMS Board earlier in the month that if the ambulances are ordered soon, the vehicles can be manufactured as part of the current production

MOSHEIM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

the town relating to new development or road work, residents will also see a change in leadership later this year as Gregg announced in January that he does not intend to seek reelection when his term ends in September.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

The Greene County Commission approved the purchase of the former Consumer Credit Union building off the 11E Bypass in August to provide needed space for the Election Commission and the Emergency Management Agency.

The negotiated purchase price between the county and J&J Warehousing was $425,000.

The purchase includes the 7,445-square-foot building on the site and about 13.24 acres of land.

Morrison said the Greene County Election Commission approached him in July about a need for more storage space.

The Election Commission was awarded a federal grant to purchase about 90 new voting machines and 25-30 additional bins for secure storage of paper documentation of votes.

Those bins are about the size of the receptacles the town uses for residential trash collection, and more space will be needed to

Gregg explained that he has been having vision problems, which makes spending time reading on a computer difficult, and that he is ready to retire.

Gregg said he is looking forward to having more time to relax, spend with friends and family, and devote to his interests and hobbies, especially his work on classic automo-

biles and car shows.

Anyone interested in running for mayor must be qualified by noon on April 2, Gregg said. Part of being qualified includes gathering 50 signatures from registered voters in the municipality. Information must match voter registration documents exactly.

“I would hope the next

schedule and delivered later this year along with the ambulances ordered last year as part of the replacement cycle.

BUILDING PURCHASE

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 9

In early May, the new Greene County Range and Firearms Sports Complex

opened. The new complex was upgraded from the firing range, which was previously used for law enforcement training.

In the works for years, the revamped site offers numerous opportunities for the public, including hunter safety courses and trap and skeet shooting.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency helped fund the nearly $2 million project. The county and Town of Greeneville provided financial support, as well as labor and project oversight.

The Range Committee is exploring options for offering more opportunities

for the public, such as a sporting clays course and a “cowboy town.” A TWRA grant is being sought that would fund the additions.

One of the additions being explored is a sporting clays course that could be used for either individual use or for competitions.

The sporting clays course would involve a series of shooting stations for participants as they progress through the course. The course would also provide three-dimensional archery targets. A “cowboy town,” is an “Old West”-themed shooting course.

mayor comes in with open eyes and big vision,” Gregg said, to continue working toward adding businesses and conveniences to the town.

“The main thing in years to comes that there will be occasions the sales tax revenue may fall,” due to a variety of factors, possibly including the Coronavirus, Gregg said.

“That can affect revenue and budgeting, but overall Mosheim is doing well.

We’re financially stable and we’ve got a good crew working for us in all our departments.”

Gregg also said he feels there is “good cooperation going on between mayors and municipalities in Greene County,” and that the town and volunteer

fire departments work effectively together.

“Mosheim is my hometown. I’m proud of Mosheim. We’ve got good businesses, and we need to take care of them. We try to do that, get along with them, and whatever we can do within our budget we’re glad to do it,” Gregg said. “2020 will be a good year for Mosheim.”

store them, Morrison said.

In addition, about $75,000 to $100,000 in repairs and improvements are needed at the building currently housing the Election Commission and the EMA offices on North Main Street, he said.

If the county did decide to make the repairs to the North Main Street building, there would still be the space problems as well the parking issues around the building, he said.

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Page 10

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

GreenevilleSun.com

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Tusculum Looks Back On 2019 Accomplishments

BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRITER There were some notable developments in 2019 in Tusculum, and projects that should come to reality over the next year in the city, Mayor Alan Corley said.

In 2019, Corley said discussions with the state continued about the future of the Greene Valley Developmental Center property after a meeting with Governor Bill Lee early in the year.

Multiple uses have been proposed for the property.

They include a Veterans Affairs center, an annex to the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, a Ballad Health mental health and substance abuse treatment facility and a Tennessee College of Applied Technology campus.

“No final decisions have been made, but progress has been made,” Corley said in March.

NEW BUSINESS IN CITY One priority of city officials has been attracting new business to the community. In October 2019, the Tusculum Planning Commission approved a site plan for Everhart’s Pioneer Miniature Golf at 4555 E. Andrew Johnson Highway.

The 18-hole miniature golf course should be open by spring, owners Thomas and Sherie Zilz Everhart said.

A new utility truck with the Tusculum Public Works department was also put into service in 2019.

Grocery stores began selling wine in the corporate limits of Tusculum following the passage of a 2018 referendum.

Seventy percent of the Tusculum residents voting in the Chuckey-Doak and Doak polling precincts voted in favor of the wine sales.

Corley said he was excited about the results of the referendum and how it could positively affect the city’s development.

“This helps us to be more effective in governing retail development,” he said.

Tusculum has no property tax and depends upon sales tax revenues to help provide services.

To help spur economic development, a promotional portfolio was developed and printed in 2019 “to highlight the city’s areas available for commercial development,” Corley said.

The portfolio will be distributed to potential developers and businesses.

Tusculum’s finances are sound for the 2018-19 budget year, an audit released in 2019 showed.

“The city once again received a ‘clean’ audit with no findings for its 2017-2018 budget year, and revenues exceeded expenditures,” Corley said.

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Local and state officials met with Gov. Bill Lee in 2019 about the future of the former Greene Valley Developmental Center campus. From left are State Sen. Steve Southerland, Greeneville City Administrator Todd Smith, Greeneville Mayor W.T. Daniels, Lee, Tusculum Mayor Alan Corley, Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison and State Rep. David Hawk.

Tusculum Mayor Alan Corley

The 2019-2020 Tusculum city budget includes funds to purchase an automated garbage collection truck.

The city purchased a truck with a mechanism that hoists trash containers to dump refuse into the storage and compacting area, eliminating the need for two-man crews.

In anticipation of the new truck, the City of Tusculum purchased 750 gray-color heavy-duty totes, similar in appearance to the green ones used by Greeneville.

The trash totes must be used with the new truck.

They are available from the city for $75 apiece, or residents can purchase them elsewhere as long as they are compatible with the new truck, Corley said.

The city bid farewell to a longtime public servant who served over the years as planning commission chairman, commissioner and mayor. Robert K. Bird announced his retirement in 2019.

Bird had served for many years as chairman of the Tusculum Planning Commission when he decided to step down. Dale Landers

SUN FILE PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE

Tennessee Department of Transportation workers discuss safety improvement project plans at the project site, the intersection of U.S. 11E and State Route 107 in Tusculum. Preliminary work got underway in early March. Work should be done by mid-November, a TDOT spokesman said.

was named new chairman following Bird’s retirement.

Law enforcement and fire service officials in Tusculum also continue training and other exercises to make the departments more efficient and knowledgable.

Tusculum Police Chief Danny Greene and Officer Dustin Jeffers attended a week-long “Tactical Clandestine Lab Entry School” to become certified in clandestine lab investigation and mitigation at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Greene and Jeffers “are the only two officers in the county to have that certification,” Corley said.

LOOKING AHEAD Corley looked ahead to anticipated developments

in the city in the year to come.

The city applied for a Tennessee Department of Transportation Mobility Grant of up to $125,000 to study future transportation, “particularly around Tusculum University and the Linear Trail, with regards to vehicular and pedestrian safety and alternative modes of transportation,” Corley said.

Grant approval was pending as of March.

Also in March, work began on a long-awaited TDOT-funded project to make safety improvements at the intersection of U.S. 11E and Route 107/Erwin Highway.

The project includes includes a section of road about four-tenths of a mile long and incorporates a number of improvements.

It is scheduled to be completed by mid-November.

Safety improvements will be made on U.S. 11E/East Andrew Johnson Highway from south of Tusculum Heights Road, which runs beside Craven Ink, to south of Ball Road.

The installation of metal support poles and roadwork to increase sight lines for drivers are two components of the project. Improved traffic signals will also be installed at the intersection.

The project also includes installation of LED signal lights brighter than the ones in current use.

In February, Dr. Scott Hummel was welcomed as the new president of Tusculum University.

Improvement plans for city properties are also being developed.

Options continue to

be evaluated to provide additional space for the city recorder and Tusculum Police Department, “perhaps through new construction and/or renovation of current space,” Corley said.

The Chuckey Utility District plans to construct its new office on the Tusculum Bypass in 2020, “which will provide a much more convenient location for its customers,” Corley said.

The one-story, 2,400-square-foot office building will be built next to the Farm Bureau Insurance building at 195 Tusculum Bypass, also known as Route 107.

Another new business slated to open this spring in Tusculum is the Taylor Made Grooming Lounge at 907 Erwin Highway. The business also has a location in Johnson City.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Page 11

Central Dispatch Process Moves Forward In 2020

BY KEN LITTLE STAFF WRITER Significant strides were taken in making the Greene County 911 Central Dispatch concept a reality in 2019.

Progress continues in 2020.

Sheriff’s deputies have been at 911 Dispatch at 111 Union St. alongside dispatchers and Greeneville police officers since February. Greeneville officers began working at dispatch in 2019.

Funding questions remain, but $100,000 of provisional funding in the 2019-20 agency budget was designated to train and hire a first group of four dispatchers.

Up to eight new full-time dispatchers will be hired for Central Dispatch, 911 Director Jerry Bird said.

Many vocal backers are moving the project forward, including Tim Ward, 911 board of directors chairman and Greeneville Police Department chief.

County Mayor Kevin Morrison is another.

“No longer is it an option to let 911 wither on the vine.

I know we had some funding issues, but we overcame all the problems,” Morrison said in February.

Central dispatch is already part of a coordinated response plan in most emergency communication districts in the state.

With the digital radio rollout, all first responders in Greene County “will be able to talk seamlessly” in emergency situations, Morrison said.

Deputies and Greeneville officers are working with dispatchers as the transition process goes forward.

“We’re fortunate to have everybody under the same roof. It’s going to benefit the citizens for sure,” Jon Waddell, assistant county 911 director, said in February.

When 911 dispatchers are trained and familiar with duties currently handled by law enforcement, “We’ll take it over,” Waddell said.

Sheriff Wesley Holt is another advocate of Central Dispatch “Having all agencies in one building cuts down on confusion on calls if multiple agencies need to respond.

The most important factor is to the public as they do not have to wait on a call being transferred from 911 to our office,” Holt said in February.

Holt explained what happens with 911 calls in the system used for years in Greene County.

“If it was a call for the

SUN FILE PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE

The Greene County Sheriff’s Department began transitioning February to central dispatch with Greene County 911. Dispatcher Dale Dodds, left, works alongside Deputy Ben Stewart at the 911 Dispatch center at 111 Union St. Greeneville police officers have been working with dispatchers since 2019.

SUN FILE PHOTO BY KEN LITTLE

Greeneville police Sgt. Alan Dotson works at one of the dispatcher stations at county 911 headquarters, 111 Union St. Greeneville police dispatchers moved over to county 911 in July 2019 as part of the conversion to the central dispatch system.

police or sheriff, 911 would transfer that call over. The person had already told 911 their emergency and had to repeat it again to our dispatchers. Now, they tell their emergency one time and help is on the way, cutting down on critical minutes in an emergency,” Holt said.

“It’s a great benefit to the citizens of Greene County and to our officers being in the same building.”

Holt said sheriff’s deputies and Greeneville police

officers will remain at 911 Dispatch until at least mid2020.

“911 will train their new dispatchers and we will transition our officers back out on patrol. The (Greeneville) police department will do the same and those new trained dispatchers will be employees of Greene County 911,” Holt said.

Greeneville police and sheriff’s deputies are familiarizing dispatchers in law enforcement procedure,

including learning to use the National Crime Information Center database. In turn, dispatchers are showing officers how the 911 system functions.

Existing interlocal agreements stipulate that county 911 Dispatch provides “sufficient personnel to handle dispatch services for the county 24 hours a day, seven days a week” and handle dispatch and radio traffic for Greene County-Greeneville EMS, 15 volunteer fire de-

partments, the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad, county Office of Emergency Management, medical investigator and transfer law enforcement calls to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

Greene County 911 logged 74,251 calls for all services in 2019. The number of calls will increase as initial contacts now made with the police and sheriff’s departments are handled by central dispatch.

Including a sheriff’s deputy at 911 “is just another step forward,” Bird said.

“Everybody’s under one roof and they’re all here,” he added.

Greene County currently allocates $120,000 annually to 911 Dispatch, with the Town of Greeneville providing $40,000. The City of Tusculum and towns of Baileyton and Mosheim also make contributions based on the population of each community.

The funding formula for recipients of Greene County 911 services may change in 2020 to reflect expenses connected to hiring additional dispatchers and other costs. Another factor is the existing state funding mechanism for 911 districts. Some officials believe Greene County has been shortchanged compared to other counties in the state.

One means of funding Central Dispatch my come from revenues derived from an increase in the statewide 911 surcharge rate on landline and cellphone bills, to $1.50 monthly. The increase was pending ratification in spring 2020 by a joint resolution of the state General Assembly.

The current monthly surcharge as of spring 2020, set in 2014, is $1.16 a month.

General Assembly action would restore the rate to $1.50 per line, which was authorized in 1998 “to be a reasonable surcharge rate for life-saving 911 services.”

The increased fee revenues to Tennessee 911 districts could help fund salaries for dispatchers hired to work in Greene County’s central dispatch system, Bird said.

Software and equipment has been purchased for use in the 911 building addition already in place. The addition was built after the purchase in 2017 of an adjacent property at 109 Union St. Part of the lot was converted to a parking lot for increased staff.

Ward said in early 2020 that all facets of Central Dispatch should be up and running in Greene County by year’s end. He cited the presence of law enforcement at 911 Dispatch as one sign of the progress made in 2019 and this year.

“This is a significant step towards our goal of a true central dispatch. This streamlines the 911 call taking-dispatching to improve response of critical services to our community,” Ward said. “This has been a long journey, but we are very close to our destination.”

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Page 12

The Greeneville Sun Benchmarks Edition

Saturday, March 14, 2020

GreenevilleSun.com

Like most states, Tennessee suffers from aging infrastructures.

A

bout 45% of the annual sewage flow treated in wastewater facilities originates from groundwater or rainwater leaking through deteriorated sewage pipes, joints, or manholes.

This clear water leakage is generally called Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) and represents the most significant and fundamental problem for sewage treatment and sewage collection systems.

The effect of I/I is to steal capacity from treatment facilities and piping systems. It also may cause or exacerbate sanitary or combined sewer overflows, releasing untreated or partially treated sewage to watercourses and the environment.

Finally, this additional flow results in both increased capital and annual O&M costs.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT I/I O&M COSTS ARE ABOUT

$217 MILLION

ANNUALLY IN TENNESSEE.