Crossville City Council approves changes to Adult Business Ordinanace

By Jim Young

June 25, 2006

Crossville City council approved the first reading of an ordinance updating the city's adult oriented establishment regulations based on recent legal rulings and changes in the law.

The ordinance passed unanimously and requires two additional readings before the changes become final. Because the city currently has no businesses that fall under the regulations and has not had to use its regulations yet, the proposed changes would not affect any existing businesses.

Earlier this year, the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) that consults for city's across the state, reviewed the city's existing ordinance and recommended some changes. While MTAS said the ordinance adopted in 1998 was a good one, their recommendations were designed to help tighten up the ordinance while protecting Constitutional rights and allowing enforcement measures that can be backed up in court.

The city of Crossville commended the action of local medical group Physicians Associates for allowing the use of their building near Brookhaven Subdivision following the tornado that struck the area on April 7, 2006. Representatives of Physicians Associates allowed their building to be used as shelter and a command center for emergency operations as well as a temporary shelter for residents whose homes were badly damaged or destroyed.

Crossville Fire Chief Mike Turner pointed out that even though the doctor's office building suffered some damage, the building was freely and immediately offered for emergency use by Dr. Ernie Buchanan.

Crossville Mayor J. H. Graham III read the commendation in part, “The Mayor and city council of Crossville, Tennessee issues its highest commendation to Physicians Associates, LLC and its owners for their mos generous offer offer in providing a lifesaving facility for the protection of emergency service workers and its follow up use as a command center for operations to assist those in the area in the house following the storm.”

Council voted to move forward with a request from Volunteer Energy Cooperative to purchase additional property next to their current offices on O'Brien Drive in the Crossville Industrial Park. The location would house VolFirst's operation and could employee up to 25 jobs over the next 3 years. The building proposed for the site would cost $200,000 or more.

The 9.7 acres sought by VolFirst lies between the new headquarters of the US Chess Federation and the current Volunteer Energy offices. Council approved a motion made by Councilman Boyd Wyatt to have an appraisal done on the site to establish value of the land.

Council approved signing an agreement with the State of Tennessee for a grant to construct sewer facilities to serve the Cumberland Mountain State Park. City Manager Jack Miller explained to council that the delay in the contract was because a new law that allowed the deal between the state and the city was just passed by the Tennessee General Assembly. According to Miller, Crossville will be the first city to do this kind of project under the new law.

Council approved the bids of Tennessee Asphalt over Highway's, Inc for the purchase of asphalt for pickup and asphalt paving. City staff had recommended Highway's bid for the pick up of asphalt, but the council disagreed and gave the bid to Tennessee Asphalt. The council is still uncomfortable after the problems with billing of paving several years ago that resulted in a refund of several hundred thousand dollars back to the city by Highway's Inc. Council approved Hudson Materials' bid for supplying cold mix street patching.

The vote to approve Tennessee Asphalt over Highway's, Inc. on both bids was unanimous.

Council also approved the low bid of K & N Painting Co, Inc. for the repainting of the Lantana Road water storage tank. The cost of the job is $229,200. Council rejected both bids received on the same service for the Woodmere Mall water tank because the cost was much higher. Engineers Hart Freeland Roberts recommended that the bids be rejected and rebid at a later date. The low bid for Woodmere Tank was $435,000.

Council deferred action on the new strategic plan for technology developed by Epic Technology for the city. The plan outlines the next five years of technology for city use. A work session on the plan will be held in the near future.

Council also deferred any action on a fuel surcharge as part of the contract between the city and Waste Connection of Tennessee for residential garbage pickup. Council wants to further study the proposal and bring it back at the next council meeting.