County to assume airport debt

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HUNTSVILLE — By separate 13-0 votes, County Commission Monday night approved accepting the long-term indebtedness of the Scott County Airport Authority and authorized issuing a $434,103.05 capital outlay note to facilitate consolidating and refinancing the debt.

Most, if not all, the funds necessary to retire the debt are expected to come from income generated by the Scott County Airport Authority over a 12-year period, with the purpose of transferring the debt being an effort to lower the interest rate to expedite liquidation of the indebtedness.

According to Commissioner Paul Strunk, who represents the Commission on the Airport Authority Board, $32,000 to $34,000 in cash on hand will be transferred to the county to pay most of the principle on the next payment, and income generated from hangar rental fees, as well as all profits from fuel sales, and income expected to be forthcoming from contractual agreements with the Big South Fork Airpark and the Pegasus Group will also be provided to the county.

The agreement will not be finalized until a final vote is taken by the Airport Authority next month.

In other business in Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Commission approved a one-year extension of a lease of the old Capital Hill School building to the Morgan-Scott Project, and granted that organization’s request that it be allow to sublease the facility to the newly-formed Scott County Homeless Shelter, Inc.

It was explained that the sublease will allow a separate, non-profit corporation to be established, which will open the door for receiving federal grant funds for future operational costs.

While the vote came without any discussion among the commissioners, a brief discussion followed the vote, as commissioners heard comments from Morgan-Scott Board President George Taylor, Executive Director Ella Smith and Shelter Director Jerry Voiles.

Voiles informed the Commission that since its establishment, the Homeless Shelter had served the needs of 94 people and provided 1,870 “bed stays” for the homeless. He also added that by virtue of the Commission’s vote, the Homeless Shelter is expected to receive its 501(c)3 [non-profit] status on December 28.

Also Monday night, the Commission:

• Authorized County Mayor Rick Keeton to apply for an Energy Efficiency Block Grant of up to $100,000 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), to be used for energy upgrades on as many as six county-owned buildings. Mayor Keeton identified the targeted buildings as the Scott County Office Building, the Huntsville Library, the Emergency Communications District building, the Health Dept./Dental Office/Ambulance Service building, the Finance Dept. building and the Scott County Visitors’ Center building. In a related matter, Mayor Keeton asked that action on establishing an Energy Plan for use of ARRA funds be postponed until the January meeting of the Commission;

• Approved the annual practice of providing a $25 gift certificate to all full-time county employees to enable them to purchase food items for the Christmas holiday;

• Gave Mayor Keeton the authority to submit an application for a 2010 Community Development Block Grant for up to $500,000 to be used for wastewater line extension projects, with a local match of 7% of the project costs. If approved, the grant could be used to connect an estimated 90 households currently being surveyed, Mayor Keeton stated;

• Rejected by a 7-6 vote to approve a resolution establishing the 2010 holiday calendar for county government, due to a disagreement among the commissioners as to just how many days off should be given to elected officials and their employees in the year ahead. Eight votes are required for approval;

• Approved a proclamation designating January 2010 as Radon Action Month in Scott County;

• Voted its support of State House Bill #204 and State Senate Bill #208 in the upcoming session of the Tennessee General Assembly, which could result in the doubling of funds coming in to local Emergency Communication Districts with an increased tax on both land-line and cellular phones;

• Approved a request from Scott County Ambulance Service Director Jim Reed to elevate EMT IV Brandon Smith to full time status with the Ambulance Service;

• Voted to approve hiring the consulting engineering firm of Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon to provide engineering services for an upcoming sewer project;

• Heard a report from Scott County Director of Schools Sharon Wilson, which included an update on the construction projects at Robbins and Burchfield Elementary schools, which have thus far experienced three change-orders, namely: 1) $26,000 for mediation fees due to an environmental issue; 2) A little over $400 to correct a problem concerning fire alarm system wiring in one classroom; and 3) $8,500 to relocate a sewer main at Burchfield at the request of the Oneida Water & Wastewater Dept.; and,

• Heard a report from VeRhonda Hembree concerning the annual Christmas gift-giving project for needy children and families by the combined efforts of the Unicorn Fund, Morgan-Scott Project and Salvation Army. She reported that 70 volunteers turned out for the project on Saturday, which served 42 foster families, 500 needy families and provided gifts for 1,500 children.