Council tackles several resolutions during February meeting
Published 12:52 am Monday, February 17, 2020
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A large crowd was in attendance at the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Elizabethton City Council on Thursday.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Councilman Jeff Treadway (L) asks a question during Thursday's Elizabethton City Council meeting as Councilman Wes Frazier listens in.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Councilmen Michael Simerly (L) and Richard Barker (R) listen intently during a business item discussion.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
After a couple of months of light business to address, the Elizabethton City Council met for their regularly scheduled February meeting with a full docket of business matters to address.
The Council presented a state highway sign to the Elizabethton Board of Education and Cyclone head football coach Shawn Witten which will be installed in front of the school recognizing the 2019 State Champion Football team.
Also, Elizabethton Police Department Chief Jason Shaw presented two of his officers, Patrolman Jesse Richardson and Corporal James Deese with the Medal of Distinguished Service for their response to the capture of a suspect in September 2019.
The Milligan College Cycling Classic also received approval for another year. The event will be held on Sunday, March 29th. Milligan College will be using city streets for a loop racing course.
By unanimous decision and with Elizabethton City Mayor Curt Alexander abstaining from the vote due to a potential conflict of interest, the board approved a resolution to authorize the issuance of not to exceed $4.4 million dollars of General Obligation School and Improvement Bonds for the City of Elizabethton for the issuance, sale, and payment of said bonds.
A total of $1.2 million of that amount will be used toward the renovations at T.A. Dugger Junior High with the half-cent school tax being used as payment.
The remaining $3.2 million mainly will be used for improvements at the Elizabethton Police Department and obtaining a pumper fire truck for the Elizabethton fire department.
In other new business, the Council also voted unanimously to approve an agreement with Burleson Construction Company, Inc. to be the project manager in overseeing the Elizabethton Police Department renovation project.
City Council also appointed Jason Holly as the interim Municipal Judge for the City of Elizabethton. Holly’s appointment was necessitated by the recent passing of Judge TJ Little, Jr.
The vote was 5-1 in favor of Holly with Councilman Kim Birchfield passing due to a conflict of interest. Holly was selected over Teresa Smith who was the other nominee.
Because Elizabethton has a State Law Charter, Holly will serve until August which is the next election date for either the city or county. At that point, Holly may choose to run again and if elected will serve for three months until the November election at which time he would have to run once again and be elected to retain the full-term judgeship.
The situation is a unique anomaly with the timing of Little’s death and to change the charter for Elizabethton, it’s sister city of Union City would also have to agree to the change.
However, according to City Manager Daniel Estes, the time frame has passed to get the approval to have anything changed midstream in regard to the unique situation.
Estes and Elizabethton City Attorney Roger Day will follow up to see what changes can and need to be made going forward in situations such as this.
Holly was scheduled to be sworn in on Friday at City Hall by Judge Stacy Street.
