JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – County commissioners began their regular May meeting on a high note, welcoming the CCHS tennis teams with resolutions presented by Commissioner Zach Marlow to proclaim Wednesday, May 19 as “Cougar Tennis District Champion Day” after the boys and girls teams both advanced in the tournament, with one championship game being an all Campbell County final with two Cougar pairs advancing to the finals.

The commission then invited all the county’s school principals and Director of Schools Jennifer Fields to the front to be recognized in a motion by Commissioner Robert Higginbotham for the school system’s outstanding job in keeping education on track during the past pandemic-stressed year. Fields thanked the commission but made the point that the real heroes are the teachers and support staff who kept the schools going.

The commission then moved smoothly through most of their agenda. Unanimously approving budget amendments and a resolution approving litigation tax increases to cover General Sessions Court. Mayor E. L. Morton pointed out that the past year of COVID-19 shutdowns resulted in a decrease in revenue needed to cover the court’s costs and the state requires the county to fund those operations from local litigation taxes.

Commissioenr Rusty Orick then made a motion to approve a resolution enabling the school board to use federal ESSER funds to pay for several roofing projects that had already been funded with bond proceeds. The bond funds can now be used to improve dilapidated parking lots at most county schools, a use that is outside the scope of the ESSER program. At the workshop last week, Orick had questioned whether the school board had its priorities straight by using the money for parking lots. The motion passed unanimously.

The commission also unanimously approved a motion by Commissioner Scott Kitts to approve transfer of a federal ARC grant to Highland Telephone Cooperative, which will then take responsibility for expanding broadband service from Elk Valley to other areas of the county including Newcomb, Stinking Creek and White Oak.

The commission was by this point well on its way to completing business in under an hour with only one item remaining. That item was the property acquisition question brought up by Morton at last week’s workshop, as six tracts of land adjacent to Campbell County High School are being auctioned off online by Ayers Auction & Realty.

Morton had suggested that the county should attempt to acquire at least two of the lots nearest to the school property for use in the eventual expansion or replacement of the aging high school. A handout prepared by the Finance Department showed that the county has over $800,000 available in the industrial development budget for industrial property acquisition that could be used for the land purchase.

Several commissioners had reservations however, in part because the county would need to bid against other buyers for the land while any bid the commission made would have to be approved at a public meeting, leaving the possibility of someone pushing the bid higher. The current bids after a week range from $10,000 to $140,000 for the largest tract.

Kitts asked if the commission could empower the mayor to bid the fair market value but County Attorney Joe Coker responded “No,” explaining that by law the county’s offer has to be voted on at a public meeting.

Kitts then offered a motion for the commission to purchase all six tracts but his motion failed to get a second. Kitts tried again, making a motion to purchase only tracts 1, 2, 5 and 6. That motion also failed for lack of a second. Not giving up, Kitts then moved to purchase only tracts 5 and 6. Again not one commissioner would second his motion, and finally Kitts moved to purchase only the largest tract, 27 acres in tract 6. Again, nobody offered a second.

Having unsuccessfully offered five motions, Kitts then made a motion to hold a special called meeting on May 25, the day the bidding closes, for the purpose of considering a bid. His motion again failed to receive a motion but then Higginbotham offered a motion to hold a special called meeting at 6 pm on May 24. Orick seconded that motion and after it was amended to add a second called meeting for May 25 if needed, Higginbotham’s motion was approved unanimously. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/18/2021-6AM)

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