NO Daytime Commission Meetings!
By Pat Hunter
Commissioner Wayne Gardin made a
motion to alternate commission-meeting times, one evening and one day
meeting, as per Mayor Doyle Arp’s earlier request. Mayor Arp said that
when meetings were held, the meetings were held at 9:00 AM. Commissioner
Gardin was the sole vote in favor of changing the meeting time but his
motion failed.
Mayor Arp said that he placed this
matter on the agenda because he had requests from individuals on 2nd
and 3rd shifts. He commented how he didn’t want to spend
allot of time arguing about it.
At least two commissioners Earlena
Maples and Chris Park said that they worked during the day. Commissioner
Miller commented how alternating meetings from evening to days might
just add to confusion. Commissioner Franke said that he supported
keeping the meeting at night. Commissioner Marcus agreed with Franke.
Commissioners decided that having day meetings would not best serve the
working people of our community.
Here are the rest of the highlights
to Monday’s Jan. 7, 2008 Loudon County Commission meeting.
$175,000 Elevator Bid Awarded to low
bidder
Commissioners unanimously approved
the installation of an elevator for the courthouse Annex. The bids
ranged from $300,000 to the lowest bid, which was for $175,000. Leo
Bradshaw commented how the county would use a barrel system for the
hydraulic system for the elevator.
Previously at the Capital Projects
Committee meeting, Commissioner David Meers spoke about his concerns
about past flooding to the basement Annex.
Meers asked once more about adding a
third floor to the Annex. Bradshaw commented how the expense would be
considerable more but he gave no dollar figure. His reasons for the
additional cost were a change in building codes since the original
construction of the Annex.
The US Department of Justice
informed the county that there were no options or exceptions and that
the elevator must be installed by July 1st. Mr. Bradshaw
confirmed that the bid was awarded to Johnson Construction and that he
would notify them by letter about the elevator bid approval.
Commission approved a
recommendation, TASS Waste Treatment Plant Expansion $9 Million TDEC
Loan.
Loudon County will be responsible for $4.5 Million, one half of $9
Million and Monroe County will be responsible for the remaining $4.5
Million. According to EDA director, Pat
Phillip’s TASS
is to repay the loan. Pat Phillips explained how Loudon County will pay
the loan and then will invoice TASS for repayment. Phillips commented
how a separate grant is pending up to $1 Million. The waste treatment
expansion is needed for the Christenson Yacht plant.
Commissioner Franke mentioned how County Commission never received any
financial information from TASS and the County was liable for the loan.
TASS officials said that they would send information to commission.
$18K Approved for
More Renovations to County Office Building
Left Side Must Match
Right Side Entrance
Chairman
Roy Bledsoe asked if more repairs were being considered and Bradshaw
commented that the next phase would be the outside façade (front) area
of the County Building.
With a motion from Commissioner
Wayne Gardin, seconded by Commissioner Shirley Reno, commissioners
unanimously approved spending an additional $18,000 in taxpayer monies
to renovate the left side of the county building to match the side of
the mayor’s office renovations.
Presently, the left side of the
county building is occupied by the Loudon County Board of Education. The
additional renovations will include replacing ceiling tiles, sheetrock,
and paint hallway. Buckhead Construction will do the remodeling work
because the maintenance Dept is over taxed according to Leo Bradshaw,
County Maintenance and Purchasing Director.
County Headed to Court over Building
Permits and TRDA!
Mayor Arp commented how the
Tennessee Reservoir Development Agency (TRDA) served Summons to Loudon
County, over the issuance of building permits. TRDA has asked for a
Summary Judgment. Commissioner Don Miller suggested a meeting between
Commissioner Franke, Mayor Arp and attorneys Bud Gilbert and Wayne
Henry. Attorney Wayne Henry said that he had possession of court records
for 6 days and he welcomed background information about the building
permit matter. Henry will represent Loudon County in this legal
entanglement.
Commissioners voted that building
permits would be issued but will withhold the building permit fee until
the matter is resolved with TRDA. Commissioners did not think that it
was fair for consumers to pay for two different building permits, one
from Loudon County and one from TRDA.
Building
Commissioner Bill Cox announced that Loudon County would adopt the
International Building Codes and that copies are available for viewing
at the Annex.
In other matters,
County Commission approved the appointments to
the Construction Board, Eric Good and Gregg Reynolds 2012, Alternates
Leo Bradshaw and Andy Huing.
Capitol Projects
Meeting
$10K Study
for Tech Center Use, Tabled by Capital Projects Committee
Maintenance and Purchasing Director
Leo Bradshaw said that he had a proposal for a Study on the use of the
Tech Center on Harrison Rd. in Lenoir City. According to Bradshaw, Cope
and Associates would look at the 47,000 sq. ft. Tech Center structure
and make a recommendation as to whether the building would be used for
classrooms or Board of Education administrative offices.
Commissioner David Meers said that
the EDA and planning office had extensive water damage at the Williamson
House and that they wanted to relocate to the County Office Building.
Commissioner Duff asked if the BOE
had expressed their views about moving the BOE administrative offices to
the Tech Center or using the Tech Center for a school. Luttrell and Ms.
Pauley, BOE member commented how the BOE had not discussed the matter.
Greenback parent, Ms. Lisa Russell asked if the BOE county offices were
required by Tennessee law to be located in the county seat. The Capital
Projects Committee decided that they would not make a recommendation at
this time and that they would ask the BOE to look into this matter and
get back to them.
School HVAC System –
Heat and Air Conditioning units
Leo Bradshaw explained that 211 school units
needed to be replaced and mentioned how it was a waste of time and money
because parts were difficult to get for many units because of the age of
the units. Bradshaw said that the units needed to be replaced. Most of
the units were 20-years old, and some were 35-years old and at least 30%
are not working. Bradshaw mentioned that they were having problems with
no heat in some of the classrooms.
Mr. Bradshaw also gave a report about the Loudon High School auditorium.
The auditorium is nearly 50-years old and it will cost between $300,000
and $400,000 to repair nearly 200 seats in the auditorium, stage and
lighting repairs. The Fire Marshall will have to look at documentation
to make a determination as to whether the high school building is a Type
4 or Type 5.
Bradshaw commented how the BOE Board would be making a decision on
hiring an architect firm and how they got the name of a firm from the
State Fire Marshall’s office because they worked well with the Fire
Marshall.
There was also discussion about others life safety issues including no
fire alarm system in the Greenback gym.
The
Capital Projects Committee recommended that Mr. Headlee and Mayor Arp
look at their calendars and set a joint meeting between Loudon County
Commission and the Board of Education to discuss the school issues.
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