Commission votes to strip control of sanitation, maintenance from mayor

JACKSBORO, TN., (WLAF) -The Campbell County Commission voted Monday night to take control of the sanitation and maintenance departments away from Mayor E. L. Morton and place them under direct supervision of the commission.Ralph Davis, chair of the Environmental Services Committee, made the motion without explaining in public why he felt the change was necessary. When sanitation director Walt Sutton retired in December, Morton recommended two other candidates for the job but both were rejected by the commission in favor of Bill Rutherford.
Rutherford had a strong resume with years of experience at Waste Management, Inc. but his relationship with Morton appears to have been shaky at times.
Davis announced his intention to offer the resolution transferring direct supervision of Rutherford and his department to the commission at last week’s workshop. Scott Kitts and Davis sparred over the need for the change, but Kitts was one of only three votes cast against Davis’ motion at the regular meeting.
Morton protested at first that Davis had not included the maintenance department when he brought up the issue at the workshop and thus was not on the agenda, but Davis “called for the question,” which if approved would shut off any further debate or discussion.
Morton again attempted to comment on the resolution, but Davis challenged Morton, pointing out Morton had to relinquish the chairmanship before he could enter the debate.
Kitts moved to table Davis’ motion until more information could be provided, but the motion to table was voted down 9-3 with only Cliff Kohlmeyer and Robert Higginbotham joining Kitts.
Davis’ motion to cut off debate then passed 10-2 with only Kitts and Kohlmeyer voting “no.” The motion to transfer control then passed 9-3. Scott Stanfield seconded the motion while Johnny Bruce, Charles Baird, Carl Douglas, Sue Nance Zachary Marlow, Lisa Lester and Rusty Orick cast the other “yes” votes. Tyler King, Whit Goins and Dewayne Baird were absent from the meeting.
Davis then made a motion to appoint Charles “Goat” Baird as the commission’s liaison to the sanitation and maintenance departments. County Attorney Joe Coker told commissioners last week it was within their authority to take direct control of the departments if they chose, but questioned how supervision could be carried out if all decisions had to be approved at a commission meeting.
The appointment of a liaison would resolve that problem, Davis pointed out, by allowing Baird to make decisions needing immediate action on behalf of the full commission. The motion to appoint Baird passed 10-2 with only Kitts and Kohlmeyer voting “no.”
Davis then twisted the knife by announcing the East Tennessee Development District (ETDD) had informed him that Campbell County had been named the most improved environmental services department in the state.
Morton, not pausing to see if anyone else wished to add an agenda item, then called for a motion to adjourn and declared the meeting over.
Before the contentious discussion over Davis’ resolution, the commission handled mostly routine business, accepting all committee reports, approving applications for notaries and approving an extension of the county’s contract with the Scott County landfill.
Commissioners received some good news on insurance costs. Insurance Committee chair Rusty Orick announced the county’s employee health insurance would remain at the same level as last year with no change in cost or benefits.
He added an initial 17 percent increase in liability and property insurance through the local government insurance pool had been renegotiated to a 9 percent increase while insurance covering the school department had actually decreased from the previous year. All of the policy renewals were approved unanimously.(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 06/18/2019-6 AM)