Commissioners Balk At Two Agenda Items

July 28, 2005

HUNTSVILLE — County Commissioners Monday night voted to ratify much of what had been approved by standing committees the week before, but balked on two items — overdue lease payments on “borrowed” land adjacent to the old county landfill site and transferring a piece of property to the Industrial Development Board for a plant expansion project at the Scott County Airport.

During the 90-minute formal meeting of the commission, action was deferred on a resolution to pay landowner Ernest Billingsley $5,000 in overdue lease payments for property the county used to obtain fill dirt while closing out the old landfill.

The lease had been executed in 1998 and $1,000 a year payments had been made to Billingsley up to 2001, but for some reason payment was stopped while the land was still being used for fill dirt and storage of heavy equipment, according to County Mayor Dwight Murphy.

Commissioner Jeff Watson did not question whether or not the back lease payments were due and payable, but did express concerns about continuing to make the annual payments for property the county did not need.

Although Murphy explained that the county needed to reclaim the property (by seeding it), he agreed to “carry it forward” to Monday night’s work session and possibly “go on site” to see what needed to be done.

The resolution is expected to be brought back up for a vote during the August meeting of the commission.

The commissioners were also hesitant to adopt a resolution which would transfer the deed to a 50-ft by 640-ft strip of property at the Airport Industrial Park to the Industrial Development Board, which could then sell it to a plant for the purpose of expansion.

Murphy explained that a new building (and the possibility of up to 50 new jobs) planned by Elmer Hughett’s battery plant would infringe upon the county-owned property and suggested that it be turned over the ID Board which could then sell it to Hughett’s company for the expansion.

Commissioners expressed concerns about not having the property appraised in advance of transferring a deed, determining a fair price, and whether or not the full 640 feet length (rather than just over 400 feet which would be directly affected by the new structure) should be sold.

After a lengthy discussion, the commissioners voted to authorize Community Development Committee Chairman Ernest Phillips along with fourth district Commissioners Rick Russ and Rick Keeton, as well as first district Commissioner Odeva Byrd to work out the details of the transfer with representatives from the Scott County Airport Authority and Industrial Development Board. Ultimately, the specially-appointed committee was given the authority to execute the deed and to transfer the property.

By a unanimous roll-call vote, County Commission adopted a resolution asking Gov. Phil Bredesen and the Tennessee General Assembly to act immediately to create a “safety net” for TennCare recipients who have been cut off and who do not have the financial means to obtain health coverage.

Speculating that the resolution might not do any good at all, Murphy said he felt it was imperative that state officials be made aware of the fact that hundreds of Scott Countians are now having to make a choice between medical care or food and shelter.

The full text of the resolution introduced by Mayor Murphy and adopted by the commission Monday night follows:

“Whereas, many Scott Countians have lost their TennCare coverage due to recent actions by the State of Tennessee; and

“Whereas, this has created hardships for many Scott Countians especially the very sick and elderly; and

“Whereas, many Scott Countians are having to make a choice between needed prescription drugs and medical care or food and shelter; and

“Whereas, many of the people that have lost coverage cannot get insurance anywhere else, and if they could the cost is prohibitive for them to purchase.

“Now therefore be it resolved that Scott County Mayor Dwight Murphy and the Board of Commissioners goes on record in publicly appealing to Governor Bredesen and the State Legislature to look for ways to prevent the loss of TennCare for those that must have health coverage to survive.

“Further, that County Mayor Dwight Muprhy and the Board of Commissioners request Governor Bredesen and State Legislature to act immediately to design a safety net for those Scott Countians that so desperately need TennCare.

“Further, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Governor Bredesen and the members of the State Legislature upon its passage by the Board of Commissioners of Scott County.

“Dated this the 25th day of July 2005.”

The commissioner also heard reports from the directors of both the Oneida and Scott County schools systems and Veterans Service Officer Ron Keeton, as well as a report from Huntsville resident VeRhonda Wilson, who promoted the upcoming “Rubber Duck Race” in Knoxville. She said all local sales of the ducks will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Scott County. Wilson also announced that the upcoming Scott County Auction-Telethon hosted by WBNT-FM and Cable TV Channel 4 would benefit the Children’s Center of Scott County, and that plans had already been approved for next year’s Auction-Telethon to benefit the Scott County Rescue Squad.

Oneida Special School System Director of Schools Henry Baggett told the commissioners the system would be emphasizing technology, family engagement and work toward reduction in class sizes during the upcoming school year. Baggett also invited Mayor Murphy and the Board of Commissioners to attend an August 2 staff development meeting at the First Baptist Church in Oneida from 8 a.m. until 12-noon to hear a motivational speaker.

Scott County’s Director of Schools Mike Davis took the floor to commend the commission for its support of county schools, saying they would be remembered for a legacy of providing better educational opportunities for the students of Scott County.

Davis also updated the commissioners on the ongoing move to the new Winfield Elementary School, saying the final walk-through on the building project had been conducted and, that new furniture was arriving, and that teachers and staff are already making the move from the old facility to the new one.

In other business Monday, the commissioners:

• Approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Murphy to execute a contract with South Build of Memphis to design a new jail facility for Scott County, following a work session involving all county commissioners and the Judicial Committee to develop the type of facility needed for the county;

• Authorized Mayor Murphy to obtain an appraisal (for both lease value and sale value) of the former Industrial Development Board/Chamber of Commerce building on the four-lane section of U.S. 27 in Oneida, and report back to the Building and Grounds Committee in order for the committee to make a recommendation to the full board of commissioners;

• Gave Mayor Murphy the authority to accept a deed to 13.37 acres of property in the second district from Steve and Sonja Yancey and Wayne and Sharon Tharp — property containing the historic coke ovens in the Glenmary area — and to pay for both the survey of the property and an appraisal. The property is to be used to develop a park in an effort to preserve and showcase the historic coke manufacturing industry in southern Scott County;

• Authorized County Mayor Murphy to execute a deed transferring property adjacent to Burchfield Elementary School from Scott County to the Scott County Board of Education;

• Adopted a resolution giving Mayor Murphy the authority to employ Greg Overton as a sewer plant operator at the county-owned sewer plant in Helenwood in the absence of the regular operators, both of whom are on sick leave;

• Gave the Finance Department the authority to keep four residential sewage pumps on hand at all times;

• Voted to allow the Scott County Ambulance Service to increase the cost of taking blood alcohol samples for the Sheriff’s Department from the present $40 to $100, effective immediately;

• Voted to transfer from the Ambulance Service to the Sheriff’s Department the next box-type ambulance to be retired for use as a field operations vehicle by the Sheriff’s Department; and,

• Voted to begin August 1 replacing vandalized or damaged street signs throughout the county at the rate of 35 per month with a new design developed by the county’s maintenance department and to continue the project until all missing road signs have been replaced.

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