JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – In a meeting loaded with the business of passing motions to keep the county moving into the new fiscal year, the most notable item at the county commission meeting on Monday required no vote, at least not yet. Watch the meeting HERE on demand.

The long-overwhelmed Towe String Road transfer station will soon be cleaned up, Chairman Johnny Bruce told commissioners, reading a letter from Finance Director Jeff Marlow outlining the Environmental Services Department’s plans for cleaning up the overflowing pile of garbage by the end of the month.

Marlow wrote that the plan presented by Sanitation Director Bill Rutherford “appears both feasible and fundable,” requiring the use of existing Sanitation Dept. equipment and personnel along with additional equipment leased from a private contractor.

“If by September both compactors are fully functional, the county should be able to keep up,” Marlow added. He added that the long term solution involves spending on an additional tag along trailer and an excavator with both pieces of gear costing around $380,000 which could come from the expected $3.8 million in federal ARPA funds. He added that the financing can be handled through future budget amendments.

The commission kicked the meeting off on a high note, honoring the players and coaches of the Campbell County Blue Jays all-star baseball team, which finished as the runner-up in the State Championship Tournament. The commission proclaimed Mon., Aug. 15 as “Blue Jays Baseball Day.”

The regular agenda included several motions to renew contracts with various agencies, including renewal of the five-year lease with the city of LaFollette for space for the Campbell County Record Commission to store old legal records and minutes that by law must be preserved. The lease agreement passed, but Commissioner Rusty Orick successfully struck out a default clause that would require the county to pay the entire five-year rental fee if they ceased to use the facility at some point.

Other motions that passed unanimously extended the ETHRA grant to the Senior Citizen Center, extended the lease of space to the District Attorney General’s office and extended agreements involving state payments for inmate psychiatric care.

Commissioner Zachary Marlow introduced a motion to establish a Community and Economic Development Committee for the commission, consisting of a commissioner from each district along with Mayor-elect Jack Lynch.

Commissioner Ralph Davis, attending his final meeting as a commissioner, offered a motion to establish annual tonnage thresholds for municipal solid waste from incorporated cities and towns. Any tonnage beyond the threshold would be billed to the municipality at the usual rate for commercial waste.

Davis’ motion failed to be approved, however, as three commissioners voted “no,” one abstained and with only 10 commissioners present at the meeting, the motion failed to gain the required eight votes for passage.

The commission got a bit of good news from Orick, who reported that the independent Joint Economic and Community Development Council voted last week to provide a $20,000 local commitment to bring a national fishing tournament to Norris Lake next year. A representative of the Tennessee Dept. of Tourism Development requested the county’s financial support at last week’s workshop but the commission was now only required to pass a “resolution of support” for the tournament. That resolution, costing no taxpayer’s money, was quickly approved.

Of the five commissioners who will not be returning in September, only Davis attended this last meeting. Also absent was outgoing Mayor E.L. Morton. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/17/2022-6AM)

Related