County moving forward with EDA r

Loudon County Commission approved Aug. 7 the appointment of a committee to review an interlocal agreement with the Loudon County Economic Development Agency.

Commissioner Chase Randolph told fellow commissioners during a July workshop of the intent to create the committee.

The EDA was formed as a joint venture between the county, Lenoir City and Loudon to provide economic and community development programs.

The committee will include Commissioners Randolph and Rosemary Hines Quillen and Loudon City Council members John Cardwell and James Webb. Lenoir City Mayor Tony Aikens refused to appoint representatives on the committee.

Randolph said the agreement had not been altered since 2008 and suggested the need to go through the document, find common ground and address differences.

Commissioners recently raised questions regarding the impact of the EDA. Commissioner Van Shaver had on the Aug. 7 agenda a resolution pertaining to the EDA but requested the matter be moved to next month.

In an unrelated matter, Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis told commissioners he would be signing a memorandum of understanding with Loudon County Director of Schools Mike Garren regarding state grant funding for county school resource officers.

The grant is part of nearly $200 million approved by Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly to increase school security measures and includes $140 million to place a full-time, armed SRO at every public school in the state.

Local law enforcement agencies were able to apply for the grant with amounts not to exceed $75,000 per year per school.

Davis also said LCSO was looking into a new program to prevent drug use in county schools through the nonprofit Law Enforcement Against Drugs. Davis said the program is taught beginning in the third grade to hopefully prevent drug and vaping use.

During the public comment period, Bud Guider, a pediatric physician in the area for more than 40 years, spoke in opposition to a resolution commissioners sent to Gov. Lee and state representatives opposing gun restrictions in the form of red flag laws.

Commission approved the letter in a May 1 meeting after Lee’s office released a statement in April that he would call for the general assembly to convene a special session to pass legislation to strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.

The special session has been scheduled for Monday to focus on priorities such as mental health access and the safe storage of firearms.

Guider talked about the extreme risk protection order, which would temporary remove firearms from an individual after court order, and some of the measures the special session seeks to cover. He also presented Vanderbilt polls showcasing 82% of registered Tennessee voters support action to decrease gun violence.

While many claim the Second Amendment is a “God-given right,” Guider said God gave the 10 Commandments and not the Bill of Rights. He asked commissioners to reconsider the resolution of opposition.

“We all know that something needs to be done regarding gun violence,” Guider said. “Unfortunately, answers don’t come easy. I certainly don’t have all the answers, maybe don’t have any of them, but his extreme risk protection order that is coming up for discussion in a special session seems to me like a logical, basic and sensible start to something.”

Commissioners briefly discussed the matter but made no indications to change the resolution.

Commission also heard from Cindy Purdy, director of the Loudon County Schools Family Resource Center, about the #GetYourSelfie2School campaign to decrease chronic absenteeism rates in local schools.

Several commissioners took a selfie to participate.

The next commission meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 4.