News
Unemployment reaches 16.7 percent in
Haywood County
The
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce
Development released the May unemployment figures on
June 28, and Haywood County’s rate jumped from 14.8
percent in April to 16.7 percent in May. The state’s
seasonally adjusted rate is 10.7 percent, and the U.
S. rate is 9.4 percent.
All
neighboring counties also saw an increase in their
rates except Tipton:
County
April
May
Crocket County 12.4 percent
12.5 percent
Fayette County 10.6 percent
11.0 percent
Hardeman County 11.2 percent 12.2
percent
Lauderdale County 18.2 percent 19.2
percent
Madison County 9.9
percent 10.7 percent
Shelby County
8.9 percent 9.6 percent
Tipton County
12.7 percent 12.4 percent
According to the report, unemployment rates
increased in 88 counties, decreased in six counties
and remained the same in one county in Tennessee.
County commission will fund
lawsuit settlement
June 17, 2009
With the exception of only one no vote, county
commissioners acted this week to settle a lawsuit
brought in February 2007 against the county school
system.
The
suit alleged that the school system wasn’t treating
female athletes the same as males. While the suit
has gained the most notoriety from the refusal of
school system leaders to build a girl’s softball
field on the high school campus, there were numerous
other allegations.
In
an agreement signed by Haywood County Schools
Superintendent Marlon King and School Board Chairman
Harold Garrett, the settlement was contingent upon
the county commission paying the litigants lawyers.
According to County Mayor Franklin Smith, the school
system’s attorneys have been paid by the school’s
insurance.
School officials and their lawyer have appeared
before the county commission’s budget committee and
convinced them that if the suit isn’t settled, court
proceedings will yield a loss for the school and an
estimated $350,000 bill from the litigant’s lawyers.
Smith says he’ll pay the bill immediately and settle
the suit.
Education committee resurrected
County Commissioners voted unanimously to restart
the county commission’s education committee. County
Mayor Franklin Smith did away with the committee
because the school board is an elected body.
After this week’s lawsuit discussion, County
Commissioner Robert Green introduced a resolution
resurrecting the committee. In making his
recommendation, Green said the committee will, “…
open a line of communication … to ward off problems”
like the lawsuit settlement.
Mayor Franklin Smith said he would make appointments
to the committee.
Soccer field to be built at East
Side
A new soccer field will be built on county-owned
property located next to East Side School. Parks and
Recreation and the school board will fund the
$37,000 installation jointly.
Mayor Franklin Smith said scholastic and
recreational soccer leagues will use the field.
Government considering paying for
air ambulance service
For the past several years Haywood Countians have
gotten used to fairly frequent low-flying air
traffic. It’s not uncommon to see Hospital Wing’s
helicopters flying over the city numerous times
every day. The not-for-profit company operates one
of its three bases in Brownsville. The facility is
located at the ambulance authority in the industrial
park.
At
this week’s county commission meeting two of the
company’s employees appealed to the county
commission to participate in a plan that will
completely fund air ambulance service for virtually
every Haywood Countian. The plan comes as Hospital
Wing says they are losing money.
Rita McCoy and Miles Dunavant made the presentation.
McCoy is a registered nurse and Dunavant is a pilot.
According to their presentation, the local
helicopter makes two to four trips per day from the
local base.
According to McCoy, the service costs at least
$7,000 per trip and can be much more. The service
can be covered by insurance.
Under a plan developed by the company, individuals
and families can buy a “membership” that provides
the service for free, regardless of whether you are
insured. The annual membership fee is $60 per
family.
Dunavant and McCoy, however, were promoting a
county-wide plan they hope county government will
fund. The county would pay $112,000 annually to
provide the same coverage for every household in the
county. The fee is based on a cost of $1.25 per
household, per month. There are 7,500 households in
the county.
County commissioners seemed enthusiastic about the
idea and directed the budget committee to study the
proposal.
Commissioners approve county use
plan
The county commission this week as adopted by the
county’s planning commission approved a plat of land
use. The plat depicts commercial, industrial,
residential, and agricultural and forestry zones
within the county. (To see a copy of the plat,
click here.)
The
latest version shows industrial sites that include
the power generating installations near Nutbush and
the Megasite neat Exit 42.
County seeking broadband funds
Mayor Franklin Smith says he’s looking for federal
stimulus funds that might provide broadband Internet
service throughout Haywood County. Broadband
Internet allows for faster speeds. Broadband is
available in Brownsville, but not in rural areas of
the county.
Smith told county commissioners this week he is
seeking funds that might wire the county with the
fast service.
June 10, 2009
Brownsville nervously preparing
budget
City leaders are vowing to hold the line on property
taxes, but likely that means deep cuts in spending.
Budget makers are facing two big hurdles. City Clerk
Jerry Taylor reported to aldermen Tuesday, June 9,
at the monthly meeting, that they could expect no
additional income from property taxes. The city
hasn’t grown during the last year. Even more
troubling is the likelihood that state government
won’t be contributing as much to city coffers during
2009/2010. The city’s fiscal year ends June 30.
Tennessee has, so far this year, sent Brownsville
$967,000. Taylor says how much the city can expect
in fiscal 2009/2010 is only guesswork. The state
hasn’t passed a budget bill, but that could come as
early as this week.
Based on his projections that include a guessing at
state funding, Taylor thinks the first draft of the
budget could be in the red, spending outpacing
income by more than $500,000.
Mayor Webb Banks has said he’s prepared to cut
spending even if it means decreasing some city
services.
The city board has called a special meeting for June
18 to focus on the budget. Aldermen may even pass a
first reading on the budget during the session. So
far no one has said what city services might be cut
or if there will be the loss of jobs. Taylor said
Tuesday night that while the city has no debt, city
government has less than a million dollars in the
bank. The June 18 meeting is at 6 p.m. at city hall.
Aldermen approve changes to employee rules
The city’s employee manual has undergone another
overhaul. Language has been changed in about a dozen
areas of the book.
According to City Clerk Jerry Taylor, many things
“we don’t do” have been eliminated including how the
city recruits employees and how potential employees
are tested.
Other highlights of the changes include:
-
The city’s
nepotism rules were made more clear allowing
city leaders to fire “the junior” employee in
case two city workers marry.
-
Tattoos and body
piercing that can be seen aren’t allowed under
the city’s rules.
-
National
Guardsmen will be paid for twenty days of
absence due to military service instead of 15.
-
City employees
“must live within a 45-minute drive of their
workplace.”
Brownsville Energy Authority
decreasing rate
Utility rates will decrease for customers of the
Brownsville energy Authority. Alderman Joe Taylor,
who serves on the board, reported Tuesday that
customers would pay less for electricity and natural
gas starting July 1. Electric rates will fall 4
percent and natural gas rates wll plummet to between
18 and 20 percent.
May 18, 2009
County Commissioners lift tower restrictions
When they met on May 18, county
commissioners liberalized a zoning ordinance
regulating telecommunications towers.
The
county’s planning commission recommended, and the
commission approved, changes to language allowing
towers to be built closer to one another. Language
deleted from the zoning resolution prohibited towers
from being built within two miles of each other.
With the deletion of the language, there is no
restriction.
A
public hearing, required to change zoning
ordinances, was conducted at 6:30 Monday night,
prior to the county commission meeting.
County
Mayor Franklin Smith said proposed tower
construction must be presented and approved by the
county planning commission.
New payment options for county
transactions
Paying county government taxes, citations, fines at
the courthouse? Until this week, that required cash
or a check. But thanks to a resolution passed this
week by the county commission, some county
government offices will begin accepting major credit
cards.
The
county’s solid waste department urged the new
payment option. Solid waste also won approval to
begin a bank draft program. Under the new program,
residents and businesses may pay their solid waste
fees by automatic monthly bank debit.
Mayor
Smith said acceptance of credit cards will be
available in other county offices but it will be up
to those elected officials in charge of each office
to decide if they can be used.
Study could mean big energy savings
Could county government save hundreds of thousands
of dollars in energy bills in the coming years?
Ameresco, a company specializing in engineering
energy savings strategies believes the answer is
yes.
Ameresco’s Frank Banks and Ben Buckner made a
presentation to county commissioners this week.
Preliminarily they believe county government could
save more than a half million dollars in utility
bills over a 15 year period. The plan means
installing more modern fixtures from plumbing, to
electrical to gas.
The
school system is not included in the plan.
Banks
and Buckner did not estimate the cost of the
equipment required to save the energy, but said
Ameresco guarantees that the cost, when amortized
over an agreed upon period, will not be more than
taxpayers would have paid for energy. Ameresco’s
presentation to county commissioners was based on 15
years.
Other
benefits include the environmental impact resulting
from the use of less energy. Banks said the county
could also advertise itself as a “green” government.
The
survey is necessary, Banks said, to prepare the
county for what he called the “feast” that’s
expected on energy grants likely to be made
available by the Obama administration via state
government.
Ameresco fees are built into the overhaul of energy
savings equipment. Buckner said they are paid on
“margins” built into the price of equipment. While
Ameresco does not sell equipment or perform
installation, they will contract for the purchases.
Once
the survey is completed, if county commissioners
decide not to use Ameresco, taxpayers will ante up
$5,500 for the company’s report.
Commissioners learn state of
recreation
A report heard about two months ago by the
Brownsville City Board of Mayor and Aldermen was
presented to county commissioners this week. The
report provides an assessment of the
Brownsville/Haywood County Parks and Recreation
Department.
Gerald
Parish, regional representative for the Department
of Environment, and the former director of parks and
recreation here, says the park system needs
immediate attention given to safety of some
playground equipment and compliance to Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Much
of the equipment tagged as dangerous has been
removed.
Parrish says “nine out of 10” people interviewed
during the process said they’d support a property
tax increase to raise money for more indoor
recreational opportunities.
Haywood County has about 120 acres dedicated to
parks. Parrish says the state recommends communities
have “10 acres per one thousand residents,” which
would require about 200 acres based on Haywood
County’s population of 20,000.
Williams new library board member
County Commissioners confirmed the appointment of
Marty Williams to the county library board. Williams
replaces Bob Nolan, whose term is expiring.
City applies for millions in economic grants
May
12, 2009
Action
taken by the Brownsville City Board of Mayor and
Aldermen this week will help nurse the wounds
created last week when MTD/Cub Cadet announced their
plant closure. The city council applied for $1.75
million in grant funds to help build infrastructure
for the community’s next round of growth.
Leaders hope for $750,000 to help extend water and
sewer lines to the new industrial park at Windrow
Road and the bypass. While the 500-acre tract
currently has no prospective tenants, providing the
utility infrastructure is critical.
Last
month aldermen and the mayor approved a $250,000
grant application they hope will help build the
first roads into the park.
Federal disaster aid could help run water under I-40
at Exit 56. The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) has named Haywood County eligible for cash as
the result of the February 2008 storms. The
designation allows Brownsville access to “Special
Needs” assistance and that could, according to the
city’s advisors, make $1 million available for the
utility work. Aldermen approved the grant
application Tuesday.
The
request is enhanced by a plan from Jackson,
Tennessee, developer David Hunt who says he’ll spend
$8 million south of Exit 56 and create 100 jobs.
Hunt says he’ll build a motel there. The motel had
been planned for north of Exit 56, but Hunt says
those plans have been abandoned.
City/county likely to hire expert
Mayor Webb Banks told aldermen this week he and
County Mayor Franklin Smith want to hire an expert
to review and make recommendations for community
enhancement.
The
idea stems from the expected jobs boom most believe
is inevitable because of the mega-site industrial
complex being developed at Exit 42 in Haywood
County.
Political leaders believe state government could
spend up to $47 million on the 1700-plus acre tract
this year. Governor Phil Bredesen says our mega-site
is the number one industrial project in Tennessee.
If a major manufacturer chooses the mega-site,
thousands of jobs will result.
Banks
and Smith say they want Haywood County to be
attractive to workers as a place to live. “This is
so important we ought to hire a professional
consultant,” the mayor said. Banks said though
thousands of jobs have been created in the last
decade, many workers and company executives have
chosen to live elsewhere, something he and Smith
would like to see change.
No
firm has yet been chosen and the mayor did not
suggest a budget for the proposal.
Additional streets to be paved
Construction workers are busy repaving two city
major streets in Brownsville and city hall announced
a third street has been added to the plan.
Pavers
are working on Hatchie Street and a portion of
Anderson. Mayor Webb Banks says the city has
contracted to also pave East Main from Anderson to
the bypass.
Utility to reduce propane costs
Alderman Joe Taylor, who is a member of the
Brownsville Utility Board, reported this week that
the utility will reduce its charge for propane.
Beginning June 1, propane will be reduced from $1.99
to $1.60 per gallon.
Stanton board meets in regular session
The
Stanton Board of Mayor and Aldermen met in regular
session Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the town hall. A number
of items were on the agenda during the one and
one-half hour session.
Among
the items on the agenda was the issue of special
events and insurance. It is now definite that the
Farmers’ market that has been so successful will
return in 2009. The board voted unanimously to
purchase special events insurance that would cover
the 12 Saturdays of June-August 2009. The board is
also bringing back the Christmas parade this year
after several years’ absence due to safety issues
regarding collapsed downtown buildings.
In
other action, the board agreed to participate in a
recycling proposal that was extended by Clinton
Neal, the director of the Haywood County Solid Waste
Department. Neal gave a presentation regarding the
benefits of recycling as well as the wide variety of
items that can now be recycled. Residents
participating in the recycling program will be able
to pick up their recycling bags at town hall and
bring the filled containers back to town hall. Neal
said if they had a place to store the containers,
his department would pick them up once or twice a
week and possibly more if necessary. Mayor
Sterbinsky said he thinks the building adjacent to
town hall could be used to store the items to be
recycled.
The
board also took steps to get the downtown area
cleaned of debris that resulted from fallen
buildings.
The
Stanton Planning Commission originally gave the
landowners 90 days to clean up the property and 60
days have already passed. After some discussion,
Alderman Emma Delk made a motion that the town of
Stanton place ads asking for bids to clean up the
area and be ready to take action on day 91. A.D.
Miller seconded the motion and the motion passed.
In
other action, the board voted to cancel a 20-year
lease with Dr. Clarice White and implement two
separate leases with Dr. Clarice White and Hardeman
County Community Health. A building maintenance fund
would be established with the rent proceeds.
The
town let it be known at the meeting that it will no
longer provide free lawn service for individuals.
Steps were taken to establish plans for enforcing
the code forbidding grasses taller than 10-1/2
inches. If the town cuts the grass it will pass the
cost down to the landowner or property.
Mayor
Sterbinsky reported to the board that Barker
Brothers will increase the costs of garbage disposal
to Stanton by 4.5 percent. Since fuel cost is
relatively low at this time, the board voted to
absorb the cost for now and if the fuel surcharge
should increase, the board may need to pass the
costs to the residents of Stanton.
The
next Board of Mayor and Aldermen will be held at the
Town Hall on May 19 at 7 p.m.