Top Stories In This Week's Fentress Courier, Jamestown Tennessee

City Council Meets In Routine Session

The Jamestown City Council met in regular monthly session on Monday, May 14, and took action on a number of routine business items.

With all members present, the meeting was called to order by Mayor Gwenith Duncan.

After dispensing with the reading of the minutes of the previous session, the first order of business was approval of financial statements, which showed $118,594.34 in the General Fund, $679,905.41 in the Water Fund,  and $2,792,224.77 in the Gas Fund, for total available funds of $3,590,439.52.

Next, the voted to pay monthly bills in the amount of $349,077.27 on a motion by Danny?Hayes, seconded by Charles Cooper.

Amanda Mainord,  who previously worked with the Upper Cumberland Development District as a Community Development Consultant, then addressed the council, stating that she had recently left the UCDD and started her own consulting company, Grass-roots Planning & Consulting, and asked that since she had been working on two grant applications for the City of Jamestown, that she be retained to continue this work.

This was approved unanimously on a motion by Keith Conatser.

City Building Inspector Bob Lane then reported on several construction projects in the city, stating that McDonalds was currently undergoing a major renovation, and they should have the interior portion done soon; that work was progressing on the old Shell Station on North Main Street, where the US Cellular office currently on the square would be relocating, that Potter’s warehouse was nearing completion, that the Global Force Church project was nearing completion, and the roof project at the hospital was also nearing completion.

Judy Wallor, representing Best Friends Sanctuary, then presented the council with a lease proposal from Fentress County which would provide property in the industrial park for the group to construct a building.

The Jamestown City Council had previously agreed that if the county would provide the property, they would provide utilities for the group.

City Recorder Gail Dishmon estimated that it would cost the city about $4,300 initially to install the services for the building, after which the city would furnish water, gas and sewer.

Building Inspector Lane said that he would require that the building meet all current codes to reduce energy costs, and suggested that he would donate his services to inspect the facility.

It was pointed out that when the building is built, Best Friends Sanctuary would begin a pet adoption program for local residents.

City Street Superintendent Lawrence Blevins then thanked Bill Potter for donating several traffic cones to the city.

The meeting then adjourned.

EARLY HARVEST:   Fentress County Sheriff’s Office investigators recently made an early harvest of some 165 marijuana plants.  No arrest has been made at this time, as the investigation is continuing.

Alvin C. York Institute Recognized As Reward School For Its Progress

Last fall, Tennessee Commissioner Kevin S. Huffman applied for a waiver that would exempt Tennessee schools from certain portions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  In accompaniment to this waiver, the State Education Department had  to set new targets for improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps.  They also had to put into place accountability systems that would recognize and reward high-performing schools and schools that were making significant gains while also taking steps to help the lower performing schools.

Under this waiver, Tennessee proposed to raise overall achievement by 3 percent to 5 percent each year.  This would eventually cut any achievement gaps in half over an eight year period.

To track progress, three groups of schools were required to be identified, and the data is tracked over a three-year period.

The first group was called Reward School.  These schools are the 10% in the state with the highest overall proficiency and the top 5% with the fastest overall growth.  Schools in the category are assigned based on perform-ance or progress, or both.

The second group is identified as a Focus School. This includes any high school with a graduation rate below 60% who is not identified as a priority school.

The third group was called Priority School.  This would include schools with any sub-group at less than 5% proficiency and those with the largest achievement gaps.

This knowledge is open to the public and found via a link through the Tennessee State Education website at http://www.tn.gov.

Recent data is based on two years of achievement data except when the TVASS composite index score was used.  This score included three years of data.

Alvin C. York Institute has been recognized as a Reward School for Progress.  A recent faculty meeting was held in celebration for the hard work and dedication of the YAI Faculty.  Congratulations also go out to the students of YAI and their guardians who work hard to adapt to the changing face of education.

The truck was demolished in the accident, which was investigated by Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers Slaven and Grasty, Lt. David Allred and CIDOfficer Troy Human, who were assisted at the scene by officers from the Fentress County Sheriff’s Office.

Chicken Festival, Car Cruise-In Set May 26 in Jamestown

The Jamestown Rotary Club’s annual Chicken Festival will be held Saturday, May 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ( at the Fentress County Fairgrounds in Jamestown.

Created to promote the broiler industry in the Upper Cumberland area in 1957, the festival features some of the best open-pit cooked chicken halves to be found anywhere.

In addition to the great food that the festival provides, the Southfork Cruisers Car Club will be holding their 10th Annual Memorial Day Weekend “Chicken Run” Cruise-In on the carnival grounds at the Fairgrounds.

This year’s “Chicken Run” is dedicated to the memory of Southfork Cruisers charter member Bill Waters who passed away last fall.

The past two years has seen more than 70 vehicles each year participate, from old classics and antiques through muscle cars, custom cars and trucks.  The event will feature 100% payback of entry fees, as well as drawings for cash and door prizes.  Swap meet vendors are invited to attend.

For more information contact Bill Bowden at (931)879-4040 or Lynn Delk at 879-3670. Full story available in this week’s Fentress Courier.

Term Limits, Public Vote on Tax Increases Are Topics of Charter

Commission Meeting May 8^th

The Fentress County Charter Commission met in their third session on Tuesday, May 8, with all members present to continue work on the draft for the proposed charter, which will change the county’s form of government if approved by the people by popular vote.

At the present time, only two counties in Tennessee:  Shelby County (Memphis)  and Knox County (Knoxville), both large municipal areas, have a charter form of government, and Knox County is reviewing their charter at this time.  Giles County will be voting on a charter form of government in the August Election, and the Fentress County Charter Commission is patterning their charter similar to the one Giles County is proposing (Home Rule Charter).

The meeting, which was attended by about a dozen spectators including representa-tives of the local news media and the Fentress County Finance Office, was called to order by Chairperson Sharon Garrett, followed by reading of the minutes of their organizational meeting by Secretary Kristen Rosecrants.

Fentress County Attorney Paul Crouch was present, and advised the committee that he had been notified by the State of Tennessee Open Records Counsel that a complaint had been filed, alleging a violation of the open meeting law, and that he had attempted to contact Commission Chairman Sharon Garrett of the issue, but had not heard back from her.

Mrs. Garrett said that she had answered the open records request.

Chairman Garrett then said that the commission was setting up a blog, which should be up and running within a few days.

It was also noted that minutes of the charter commission meetings are on record in the County Clerk’s office as well.

Vice-Chairman Jacob Rosenbaum then read from a proposed draft about legislative powers and duties.

One of the proposals in this document stipulates that anyone holding a public office could not be appointed by the County Executive to any other paid position without first stepping down from their office.  This would prevent anyone serving as County Commissioner to hold any other paid county position, and would prevent any county-paid employee from serving as county commissioner.

On the proposal that “Any property tax rate increase shall require an affirmative vote by the citizens of Fentress County in a voters referendum,” Attorney Crouch noted that this was in conflict with the state Constitution and referred to an Attorney General’s opinion stating this fact, and that the Attorney General’s opinion carries the weight of law until challenged in court.

Kristin Rosecrants then commented:  “I wouldn’t have wasted all my time if I didn’t think our county commission has gone against the will of the people.”

Crouch then said: “You’re misleading the people by suggesting these things which are in conflict with state law.”

Rosecrants answered:  “We’re voting on the possibility of being able to change.”

Fentress County Finance Director Marsha Delk then said:  “What you told people in the charter petition is misleading, as most things you propose are in conflict with state law.”

The commission agreed to ask State Representative John Mark Windle to request an Attorney General’s opinion on the constitut-ionality of the public vote on the property tax.

There was also some discussion about term limits, with the general proposal to set a limit of two 4-year terms, and that no one could serve more than two terms within a 12-year period.  Another proposal presented would be to reduce the term to 2 years, with a 2-term limit. 

John B. Millinix of WDEB Radio than asked the commission if they could, at their next meetings, to provide the local media with more information, and possibly provide an agenda of the meeting.

Jacob Rosenbaum pointed out that at this time, their proposals were still in draft form, and asked everyone to bear this in mind.

In order for the charter form of government to be voted on in the August election, the final draft must be finalized and submitted to the election commission by June 1.

After setting their next meeting for Tuesday, May 22 at 6:00 at the Fentress County Courthouse, the meeting adjourned.

Following the session, Vice-Chairman Jacob Rosenbaum spoke with the local news media, stating:

“We were presented some information tonight about some Attorney General opinions which were in general were not favorable to those interested in restructuring the rights to levy taxes by the commission.  We did agree to request more information by the state on that in order to get it into the charter, and we’ll see where that leads us.

“On term limits -- many people I’ve spoke to, and many people in general, are in favor of term limits, and we have been establishing those in the charter as we go through and the various offices are discussed.”

James W. Conatser Is Constable Candidate

James W. Conatser has announced his candidacy for the office of Constable in the Second District, and issued the following statement:

TO THE VOTERS OF THE 2ND CIVIL DISTRICT OF FENTRESS COUNTY:

“I would like to take this opportunity to announce my candidacy for the office of Constable in the Second District of Fentress County.

My name is James W. Conatser, and in October, 2011, I was appointed by the Fentress County Commission to serve out the remaining vacated term of the past 2nd District Constable.

I would like to thank you for your support for the past 7 months, and respectfully ask for your votes and continued support at the polls on August 2nd.

Your vote and support will be greatly appreciated.

            Thank you,

            James W. Conatser