LOUDON — The Loudon County Commission on Monday wrapped up
its last regular meeting of the year addressing several
controversial topics that will set the stage for discussion
next year.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an agreement that
would terminate the Loudon County’s emergency and
nonemergency transportation services contract with
Rural/Metro Ambulance Service.
The contract was originally scheduled to end in December of
2015. However, during a County Commission workshop meeting
several weeks ago, Rural/Metro officials asked to be let out
of the current contract because it was no longer
economically viable for the company.
County Mayor Buddy Bradshaw said he will be working with
Rural/Metro to manage the transition to a new ambulance
service in the coming year. He said the county has already
received four responses to its request for proposals from
ambulance companies seeking to provide service.
The County Commission also heard an update on the issue of
about 400 delinquent lots in Tellico Village. The county has
been at odds with the Tellico Village Property Owners
Association for several years over back property taxes owed.
Loudon County was originally going to sell these lots in a
delinquent taxes sale. Officials, however, balked at the
move when it was discovered that under state law if the lots
did not sell then the property would belong to the county,
which would then be responsible for up to $500,000 in annual
proper owners association fees. A Chancery Court judge
approved of the county’s move.
The commission received a copy of a letter from the Tellico
Village organization asking for continuing negotiations and
decrying rumors that suggested the homeowners association
was trying to leverage the county into paying past dues and
even demanding a $1.4 million payment to pay off the debt to
the Tellico Village library.
County Commissioner Van Shaver said he believes the deal to
pay off the library was placed on the table. He doesn’t
understand why the property owners association is backing
off the proposal.
“Somebody is lying. I want everyone involved in one room so
we can lock the door until we figure out who is lying,”
Shaver said.
Winston Blazer, general manager of Tellico Village, said as
far as he’s concerned he and representatives from the county
are still in discussions and an agreement is being worked
on. “We’re confused about what is happening,” he said.
Shaver responded that the only thing to be worked out was
the property owners association dues. “If they waive the POA
fees we will put the lots into the next tax sale. We’ll even
have a special sale for those lots,” he said.
Commissioners on Monday also addressed the issue of paying
for the next phase of the school building program. The
county recently finished phase one of the program. The next
phase, which targets improvements at Loudon High School and
traffic problems at North Middle School, is projected to
cost about $10 million.
Mayor Bradshaw said he has been working with county
financial advisers to review possible terms. He said he
wants to go with a fixed interest rate of 2.7 percent to
borrow the money. A variable rate of 2.17 percent was
available.
Commissioners Shaver and David Meers said they agreed that
the fixed rate was the way to go, with Meers pointing to a
Wall Street Journal article this week that predicted rising
interest rates in the coming years.