County Mayor Allen Foster’s Notes – June 21st, 2021
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COVID-19 Update
According to the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), there are 9 active cases of COVID-19 in Cumberland County, and there have been 140 deaths as of the date of this newsletter. If my records are correct, 9 active cases are the lowest total in Cumberland County since Sunday, March 29, 2020 when we also had 9. For reference, Cumberland County had our first positive on Thursday, March 19, 2020.
Cumberland County Population Vaccinated
-Number of vaccines (shots) administered (including first and second doses): 43,306
– County Population with at least one dose of any manufacturer: 23,131
– County Population Fully Vaccinated: 21,614
State Vaccination Dashboard:
Cumberland County Commission Update (COVID-19 Update Follows)
The June meeting of the Cumberland County Commission was held tonight with all Commissioners in attendance except Sue York.
The following resolutions were on the agenda (resolution sponsor in parenthesis):
RESOLUTION 06-2021-1 – TO ACCEPT OFFER(S) TO PURCHASE DELINQUENT TAX PROPERTY OWNED BY CUMBERLAND COUNTY (HYDER). The following delinquent tax properties were approved for purchase and will now go back on the tax rolls. The commission approved the resolution unanimously.
* William Gregg Upchurch and Lena Jordan-Upchurch – Map 149P Group B Parcel 009.00 / 4018 Tonto Drive – $253.10 plus $45 advertising fee
* Angela Spitler – Map 149N Group B Parcel 001.01 / Cherokee Trail – $252.40 plus $45 ad fee
* Karen R. Hicks – Map 150J Group J Parcel 45.01 / 3011 Shawnee Road – $254.20 plus $45 ad fee
* Ronald and Tammy Moore – Map 138P Group B Parcel 18.00 / 4045 DeSoto Drive – $276.70 plus $45 ad fee
* Nickolas Kitzmiller – Map 138P Group D Parcel 39.00 / 2042 Alapattah Circle – $323.00 plus $45 ad fee
RESOLUTION 06-2021-2 – TO ESTABLISH A REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE (FOSTER). This committee will be charged with setting the voting districts, within state and federal law, when the US Census data is finally released to show counts on the county level. More details of how the process will work are to come. The committee, approved 17-0, consists of County Commissioners Chad Norris, Nancy Hyder, Rebecca Stone, Charles Seiber, Terry Lowe, Wendell Wilson, Jerry Cooper, Jim Blalock, Colleen Mall, and Election Administrator Jill Davis.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-3 – TO DONATE PROPERTY TO THE STATE OF TENNESSEE FOR THE NORTHWEST CONNECTOR PROJECT (JACK DAVIS). The State of Tennessee, in conjunction with the City of Crossville, is working to finish the Northwest Connector. This agreement gives an easement for the widening project on the newly acquired county property at the corner of Highway 70 and Northside Drive. The resolution was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-4 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, DEBT SERVICE FUND $6,004.00 (SHERRILL). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions and was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-5 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT $12,452.00 (KYLE DAVIS). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions and was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-6 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL FUND/SANITATION FUND/ HIGHWAY FUND (KYLE DAVIS). This resolution gave part-time county workers meeting specific employment requirements a bonus of $750. The total cost of the resolution was $67,013 and it was approved 17-0.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-7 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, SOLID WASTE/SANITATION FUND $42,154.00 (THREET). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions and was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-8 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL FUND, COUNTY COMMISSION $77,282.00 (SHERRILL). This resolution approved final payment to the Barrett Group for work completed in the review of income and sales tax distribution. It represents the fee from recovered monies that came back to the county and was approved 17-0.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-9 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL FUND/GENERAL CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND $280,125.00 (SHERRILL). With the rising costs of construction, the Archives building construction came in approximately $280,125 over the budgeted $1.6 million amount. This resolution amended the budget to cover the cost and was defeated 9-8 (10 votes are required to pass a motion). Commissioners Norris, Stone, Threet, Sherrill, Wilson, Baldwin, Holbrook, Mall, and Patterson voted for the resolution. Commissioners Kyle Davis, Hyder, Gibson, Seiber, Jack Davis, Lowe, Cooper, and Blalock voted against the resolution.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-10 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, RAILROAD AUTHORITY, OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUND $298,187.00 (HOLBROOK). This resolution, approved 17-0, moved passthrough money from the State to reflect actual receipts of grant funding for railroad improvements.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-11 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL FUND $512,319.00 (THREET). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions and was approved unanimously.
Note that resolutions 12 – 22 were voted on in a block and were approved 16-0-1 with Commissioner Cooper abstaining.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-12 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, BOE CENTRAL CAFETERIA FUND $4,000.00 (NORRIS). This resolution accepted additional funding from the GENYOUth grant for the schools.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-13 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FUND $4,723.00 (NORRIS). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-14 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FUND $7,010.00 (NORRIS). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-15 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, CENTRAL CAFETERIA FUND $8,500.00 (NORRIS). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-16 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, CENTRAL CAFETERIA FUND, $10,500.00 (NORRIS). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-17 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FUND, BUS ROUTING SERVICE $14,660.44 (NORRIS). Savings were realized in the transportation department, and these saving were allocated to purchase software for bus routing.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-18 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, BOE CENTRAL CAFETERIA FUND $25,000.00 (NORRIS). This resolution was approved 16-0-1 with Commissioner Cooper abstaining to receive additional USDA foods/commodities.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-19 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FUND, LEARNING CAMPS TRANSPORTATION GRANT $141,913.27 (NORRIS). This resolution accepted the Learning Camps Transportation Grant for reimbursement for student transportation costs during Summer Learning Camps.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-20 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FUND, REMOTE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY GRANT $178,714.00 (NORRIS). This resolution accepted Remote Learning Technology Grant funds for partial reimbursement for student devices purchased for remote learning during COVID-19.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-21 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FUND $846,496.38 (NORRIS). The State of Tennessee awarded funding for summer learning programs.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-22 – BUDGET AMENDMENT, GENERAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FUND, FISCAL YEAR 20-21 BUDGET CLEAN UP (NORRIS). This was one of several typical year end cleanup resolutions.
RESOLUTION 06-2021-23 – APPROVING AMENDMENTS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BOND (KYLE DAVIS). This was a very technical resolution needed to change the index rate on certain bonds from LIBOR to SOFR as LIBOR is going away. The resolution was approved unanimously.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Sales tax collections for the General Purpose School Fund came in at $1,178,207 which is $302,295 above projections. Year to date we have collected $10,009,342 and are $1,297,126 above budget. I have mentioned before that the County Commission decided to have a third party conduct a revenue audit. The increase in sales tax revenues is due in part to that audit. Adjustments will be made to allocate the adjustments appropriately.
Property tax collections year to date are 99.99% of budget compared to 99.6% at this point last year.
Cumulative Hotel/Motel taxes are $655,193 which is 98% of the budget. The budgeted amount was revised down this year to $668,166 from $817,283. Last year, with the larger budgeted amount, we had collected $583,431, or 71.4% of budget, at this point.
Cumulative Prisoner Boarding collections are $372,684, or 61.87%, of the $602,396 annual budget. Last year we were at $450,021, 60.6%, of an annual budget of $743,000.
Cumberland County Health Department
Early (7:00 AM) and late (5:30 PM) vaccination appointments are also available until further notice. Please call 931-484-6196 to schedule.
CCHD is also available to do onsite vaccinations for employers. Please contact Rachael Nichols at 931-456-1707 for more information.
Thank you for being part of the solution and thank you for the opportunity to serve as your County Mayor. If you are interested in hearing my thoughts and views on news, events, and activities in Cumberland County, please subscribe to my newsletter (http://eepurl.com/c_Zx-L) , and follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/allenforcctn/) , Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/allenforcctn/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/allen_foster) .
Thank you,
Allen Foster
Cumberland County Mayor
http://allenfoster.net (http://allenfoster.net/)