We received a major disappointment with the announcement from Washington, D.C. listing recipients of the Empowerment Zone Grants.
We applied for the first grant several years ago and were told at that time that we were very close to receiving approval. We were instructed this year to be sure and file again for a zone that included northern Campbell County, Tennessee; southern Whitley County, Kentucky; and western Bell County, Kentucky. The grant total was $ 40,000,000 (non-matching).
A committee was formed representing all those areas that did a tremendous amount of work on the grant application and several of our citizens got involved. Joann Watts and Roy Price especiallly spent countless hours, made trips and obtained advice from virtually every source. The total committee developed an outstanding and comprehensive application that was then further refined by a consulting firm.
We were very happy when the application was commended by the appropriate federal agency and we became very excited when the committee secretary was called and told to remain near a telephone for a very important call on the day of the announcements.
But that call never came and grants were announced for Knoxville ($ 100,000,000) and the Rutledge Area Zone ($ 40,000,000).
But in the words of William Shakespeare, "It is an ill wind indeed that blows no good" and we will receive some good from all of the work that went into the grant application. All areas in filing zones will be given extra points when filing for other types of federal grants in the future.
Several have asked questions concerning the contract executed between the City of Jellico and our new City Administrator, Mr. Mike Jones.
The contract was drawn up by City Attorney Tom Barclay and is very comprehensive to include duties, salary, benefits, length of contract, allowable expenses for the office, reasons for termination, etc., etc.
Mr. Jones was hired by the City Council and will serve at the pleasure of the Council with a salary and benefit package totalling $ 37,449.32. Termination can take place at any time based upon cause. There is provision in the contract for termination without cause but requires a payment of twenty-five percent of one year's salary should that action be taken.
One of Mr. Jones first assignments will be to complete a comprehensive survey of all departments to be furnished to the state planning office. That will give him a chance to become thoroughly familiar with the operation of each department as well as meeting and working with City of Jellico and Jellico Utilities Department personnel.
We badly need our street maps updated; identifying of designated but undeveloped right of ways; schematics of water and sewer lines; and a mutlitude of similar improvements.
Someone has contacted the Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) concerning who can and who can not serve on the Jellico Utilities Board.
In the MTAS publication, "Tennessee Town & City" dated January 11, 1999 the following direct reference was made to Jellico, "12. KENTUCKY RESIDENT MAY NOT SERVE ON JELLICO UTILITY BOARD. A resident of Kentucky may not be a member of the Board of Public Utilities organized by Jellico under the Municipal Electric Plant Law of 1935. O.T.A.G. 98-158 (Aug. 24, 1998)."
That comment was apparently a reference to my comments in an earlier article when I mentioned that I would consider someone from areas outside the City of Jellico including Kentucky before filling the opening on the Utilities Board.
A second comment, although not specifying Jellico, cited who can work for a municipality and serve in a governmental position.
"2. UTILITY BOARD EMPLOYEE SERVING AS MAYOR OR COUNCILMEMBER. Any city employee may run for any city office except for membership on the governing body". (quote extracted from a much larger article citing sections of Tennessee code annotated and state attorney general opinions).
A majority of Councilmen aparently want to appoint the City Administrator to the Utilities Board and would enact an ordinance to provide for that action. However the City Attorney pointed out during our special call meeting of January 7th that state law does not permit such an appointment.
However the comments from MTAS appear to create that possibility since the Administrator will be a hired employee rather than an elected governing official. And even more surprisingly to me, the article also states, "An employee may run for membership on the governing body if the city has enacted an ordinance expressingly authorizing city employees to run for election to the governing body." I.E. Mayor and Council.
We have had several citizens from outside our city limits asking that we explore the possibility of future annexation. And the Tennessee State Legislature last year established some extensive regualtions and directives concerning future annexations anywhere within the state.
County wide committees have been established to deal with the issue and myself and the Council have named Mr. Roy Price as our representative on the Campbell County Committee. We took that action since Mr. Price has served for several years as Chairman of our City Planning Commission and has taken a lot of his time to become familiar with zoning laws, service requirements for any potential annexed areas, etc.
The new state laws require that all property within a county and outside city boundaries be designated as falling into one of three categories- urban growth area, planned growth area or rural area- by July 1, 2000.
Our planning Commission recently met with Mr. Colin McLeod of the State Planning Office to begin establishing the required area designations.
Final note: Gary Lundy's recent article in the "Knoxville News-Sentinel" describing Coach Philip Fulmer's early beginnings as a football coach brought back some memories to me.
As my friends all know, I often express my great regard and admiration for Phil Fulmer. And that admiration is based upon over twenty-five years of association with him.
While working toward the Doctorate in Administration and Supervision at the University of Tennessee, I was hired as a Graduate Assistant in the football office and worked under Wayne Stiles and then head coach Bill Battle. Fulmer was working as a student coach after having been an outstanding player for the Vols.
We sometimes shared the same office and at other times he utilized an office just across the hall. We worked very well together and often had opportunity to just sit and talk about school, future plans, our families and any number of subjects. I was extremely impressed with his ability and his way with people and I told him then that I believed that he would someday be a head coach at a Major University. And I hoped it would be at the school we both loved - The University of Tennessee.
I can remember travelling to another city with Phil to recruit an outstanding high school player who was apparently headed for a school in the Big Ten. However we were not in the player's living room more than a few minutes until Phil, the prospect and his father were all involved in a conversation about bird hunting. I knew then that we had him and he signed with Tennessee on National Signing Day.
As typical college graduate students, we were not overly blessed with money. We normally ate free of charge at the team training table but the dining hall was closed on Sunday evenings and we were on our own for that meal. Sometimes we went to the "Smoky Mountain Market" on Chapman Highway where we could get three hot dogs for a dollar. For two dollars we could have a soft drink, a small cake or some other dessert and possibly a piece of fruit. That is if we had the two dollars.
He eventually left U.T. after being named the Offensive Line Coach at Wichita State University and we corresponded while he served in that capacity.
He later was hired at Vanderbilt University and I visited with him outside the Vandy dressing room following the Tennessee- Vanderbilt game.
I was extremely happy when he returned to U.T. and it was a great day for me when he was eventually named head coach.
I now generally only see him a couple of times a year unless we just happen to meet by accident. I usually attend spring practice at least one day and I always go to practice during the week before the Kentucky game. I know the demands upon his time and I make sure that our meetings are short although he always assures me that he has time for me. And when he introduces me to someone, he always refers to me as "his very good friend". It is hard to describe the pride that I feel.
I almost never contact him after a big win because I know that a lot of people will do that. But I always write or call and leave a message of encouragement after a rare loss or a poor performance by the team. And he always responds with a note of appreciation.
I would feel the same way about him if the team were 0-11 rather than 13-0 and National Champions because I know what kind of person he is. A man who can go from having difficulty in raising two dollars to earning close to a million and a quarter dollars a year while receiving tremendous acclaim and still remain humble and remember his old friends is, to me, a "National Champion" as a human being. I am extremely honored that he still continues to call me his "very good friend".
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