Lenoir City approves employee raises

Jeremy Nash news-herald.net

Lenoir City Council approved Monday a 2.5 percent cost-of-living raise for all city employees.

Councilman Eddie Simpson motioned, and Councilmen Jim Shields and Douglas “Buddy” Hines simultaneously seconded, to approve the raise. The vote passed 5-0. Councilman Bobby Johnson Sr. was absent.

Raises are retroactive to July 1.

“I am elated that we were able to do this,” Simpson said. “As chairman of the budget committee, it was a tough year, but we’ve had some good revenues at the end. I think COVID kind of pushed people to go to our shopping centers and stuff like that, and the tax revenue was OK so I’m, as I say, elated that we can give these employees what they’re well deserving.”

Lenoir City Administrator Amber Scott said raises will cost about $130,000.

“My experience with working with everyone here, you all go above and beyond — employees do — anything that can really be asked,” Jennifer Wampler, councilwoman, said. “We are a small town growing in leaps and bounds and everything that we’ve asked of them they’ve done. It was well deserving. So glad that we were able to get the money.”

New projects coming

Council also passed a resolution accepting an application to form a Health, Educational and Housing Facility Board.

Councilmen James Brandon and Hines motioned and seconded, respectively, with the vote passing 5-0.

“Think of this as an application to form this board,” Jack Qualls, Loudon County Economic Development Agency executive director, said. “This board’s duties once formed will allow development incentives for housing especially throughout Lenoir City. Currently, we have a similar type board like the (Industrial Development Board), but they can only allow for developments inside the central business city, which is basically downtown. Since this is housing-related, it’s a little different.”

The seven-person board will include the same members as the Lenoir City IDB.

Council also passed resolutions allowing the new board to negotiate and accept payment in lieu of tax agreements for three projects.

The first was for the $28 million, 265-unit apartment complex Universal at Town Creek off Town Creek Parkway.

“The pay in lieu of tax will go to provide infrastructure in the form of water and sewer for the development,” Qualls said. “Every one of these that you’re going to be looking at tonight is basically we’re not incentivizing the development, we’re just trying to offset a lot of the infrastructure improvements that are associated with each one.”

Another was for the Cityview development off West Simpson Road. Qualls said the project would include a 10-year PILOT and have an investment of $14 million for an 80-unit apartment complex.

Lenoir City Mayor Tony Aikens said he owns the property but has no involvement in the project.

The final consideration was a West Point Place development off U.S. Highway 321. Qualls said the project would be a $25 million investment to construct apartment 250 units.

“This project is also helping assist with another project but for the most part it’s putting in an infrastructure in for that,” he said. “This investment is looking at 20-year PILOT. ... There will be 200 houses associated with this at a later time.”

Wampler believes additional housing in Lenoir City is needed.

“For the last several years this council has — we’ve been told from the big box stores, from Mr. Qualls and others this is what’s needed — more housing, more housing, more rooftops — and certainly we’re giving them that opportunity to build in Lenoir City,” Aikens said. “Certainly I think it’s something that Lenoir City will be proud of and keep moving Lenoir City forward.”

In other news, Lenoir City Council:

• Approved full-time employment for Public Works Department employee Joseph May.

• Approved Greenback Asphalt at $145,000 for various city paving projects.

• Amended the Tennessee Department of Transportation contract for the Simpson Road Widening Project from Dec. 31, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021.