[5:13] like to call the Bristol City Council
meeting September 1st, 2026 to order. Uh
[5:18] Mary Lee, would you call the role?
>> Yes, sir. Fire Robin
[5:22] » here.
>> Graham
[5:23] » here.
>> Powers here.
[5:25] » Akard here. Turner
>> here. Welcome everyone this evening and
[5:30] uh thank you for attending. Uh there are
two opportunities to speak on matters of
[5:34] city business this evening. Uh first
attendees are invited to speak regarding
[5:39] one public hearing item and I will
announce when this opportunity is open.
[5:43] Uh if your comments relate to that
subject of the hearing uh please speak
[5:49] at that time. Uh and there was no need
to sign up for that. Uh second will be
[5:54] our appearance of citizens which got the
signup sheet here um for any other
[6:01] matter you would like to speak on of
city business. Um right now I'd like to
[6:05] ask police chief Matt Austin if he would
lead us in our invocation and pledge of
[6:10] allegiance.
[6:18] Good evening.
Let us pray. Father God, we thank you
[6:23] for this day. We thank you for the many
blessings that you give to us each day.
[6:28] Lord, we thank you most of all for the
gift that you have given to us through
[6:32] the the victory that you've given
through us for the sacrifices of your
[6:35] son. We come here tonight, Lord, that we
come together to do the work for the
[6:40] city that has granted us the uh the
positions, Lord, to to to to have the
[6:46] wisdom to to have a discussion about the
things that are going to um help with
[6:53] the the the hopes, the dreams, the
well-being of all those that call this
[6:58] city home. Lord, we ask that you grant
this council the wisdom to be able to
[7:04] hear, to discuss, Lord, and to to have
the vision that is beyond in just
[7:10] themselves, but to look to do the
greater good for the entire community.
[7:14] Lord, we we won't fail to praise you and
honor you and grant you all the w all
[7:19] the glory. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
[7:24] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America.
[7:30] to the republic for which it stands. One
nation under God, indivisible, with
[7:36] liberty and justice for all.
>> Thank you, Chief.
[7:42] » Mr. Slegel, are there any additions this
evening?
[7:46] » No, Mr. Mayor, there are none.
>> Okay. First, we have three proclamations
[7:51] this evening. Uh the first one is a
proclamation for Child Pastor Safety
[7:56] Week. Buckle up for life. First, uh,
this is designating September 20th
[8:02] through 26, 20th
to the 26th of 2026 as child passenger
[8:09] safety week. And Councilwoman Fire Robin
will read this proclamation and fire
[8:14] Captain Steve Hicks and police officer
JC McCrae will be accepting.
[8:18] » I'm happy to read it, but I don't have a
copy of it
[8:21] » here.
>> It's not on there.
[8:26] And it's not on our agendas, which I
don't know if that was oversight or
[8:31] anything, but it's not
>> it's not on mine
[8:34] » on my digital agenda.
[8:44] » Whoever is receiving it can go ahead and
come on up and then I'll join you in
[8:47] just a minute.
[8:51] [clears throat]
[8:55] Great. Thank you.
>> Where whereas children are our future
[9:00] and it's the responsibility of parents
and caregivers to keep Americans
[9:04] children safe. Whereas Tennessee child
restraint laws restrict that all
[9:08] children ages eight and younger be
buckled up in a car seat or booster
[9:13] seat. And whereas more than 127,000
children were injured in car crashes in
[9:19] 10 2024. According to the National
Highway Safety Administration and
[9:24] according to the National Digital Car
Seat Check Form database, 73.7 of all
[9:31] car seats checked by child passenger
safety technicians in 2025 were
[9:36] incorrectly installed and used. Whereas
research shows when installed and used
[9:43] correctly, child safety seats decrease
the risk for injury in classes by 71 to
[9:48] 82% for children when compared to seat
belt use alone. And whereas uh research
[9:56] shows booster seat can you can reduce
the risk of serious injury by 45% for
[10:02] children ages four to eight. Whereas
parents and guardians must make sure
[10:07] that children ages 13 and under always
ride in the back seat, buckled up and
[10:12] properly installed child safety seats
and a rearfacing child seat should never
[10:18] be placed in front of a motor vehicle
equipped with a passenger airbag. And
[10:23] whereas children riding in the right
front seat for their age and size can be
[10:27] accomplished by a car seat inspection
that ensures the safety of a child while
[10:32] traveling. And whereas the city of
Bristol, Tennessee encourages parents
[10:36] and caregivers to implement best
practices for traveling safely with
[10:41] children. And whereas the city of
Bristol, Tennessee is committed to
[10:46] working closely with our partners and
safety advocates such as Buckle Up
[10:51] Appalachia to help make choices that
will keep children alive and safe.
[10:56] Therefore, be it resolved that the mayor
of Bristol, Tennessee, does hereby
[11:00] proclaim the week of September 20
through 26 as child passenger safety
[11:06] week in Bristol and September 26,
2026 as seat check Saturday. We
[11:13] encourage all citizens to help reduce
injuries and the tragic loss of life by
[11:19] buckling up themselves and their
children every trip, every time.
[11:27] » [applause]
[11:37] » This was
[12:01] Hello, I'm Officer McCrae with the
Bristol, Tennessee Police Department.
[12:04] Um, I just wanted to say a few words and
um say thank you to our city council for
[12:11] uh
uh having us get this proclamation. Um,
[12:17] we're super excited to continue to
ensure the safety of our uh, young ones
[12:22] in our community and the uh, safety of
others. Um,
[12:27] as the police department and as the fire
department, we take child safety very
[12:32] seriously um, in our community.
I will also add that we do have
[12:40] technicians readily available um at the
police department and at the fire
[12:44] department uh on almost I believe almost
all of our shifts. Um, and if you are in
[12:51] need of any kind of installation or just
a basic seat check to ensure your
[12:57] child's safety, uh, to make sure you let
one of us know, whether it be at the
[13:01] police department or a fire department,
or call our non-emergency number, and
[13:05] we'll be able to make sure that we get
those little ones and buckled up safely.
[13:10] Um and
um
[13:17] we encourage everybody uh that has
little ones to come on by at any time,
[13:23] any point uh to get your seat checked as
well. So, thank you so much. I really
[13:28] appreciate it and um we hope you all
have a good rest of your evening. Thank
[13:33] you.
>> Thank you so much.
[13:36] [applause]
[13:39] » All right. Next, uh, we have a
proclamation designating, uh, suicide
[13:44] prevention awareness month. Uh, Vice
Mayor Powers will read the proclamation.
[13:48] Miss Corey Johnson, the Northeast
Regional Director of Tennessee's Suicide
[13:53] Prevention Network, will be accepting
the proclamation.
[13:57] » Thank you, Mayor. Whereas suicide is a
tremendous form of suffering and one of
[14:01] the most disruptive and tragic events a
family and a community can experience.
[14:05] with more than 1,200 lives lost in
Tennessee each year and an estimated 25
[14:10] attempted suicides for each suicide
death. And whereas suicide is the 11th
[14:15] leading cause of death in Tennessee, the
third leading cause of death among youth
[14:20] and young adults ages 10 to 24, as well
as the fourth leading cause of death of
[14:25] adults ages 35 through 44 and the eighth
leading cause of death for adults ages
[14:31] 45 to 54. Whereas suicide prevention has
been declared a state priority by
[14:36] Governor Bill Lee in the Tennessee
legislature. 988 suicide and crisis
[14:41] lifeline provides 247 free and
confidential support for people in
[14:46] distress prevention and crisis resources
for you or your loved ones and best
[14:51] practices for professionals in the
United States.
[14:54] And whereas Suicide Prevention Network
Advisory Council has been appointed to
[14:59] coordinate the implementation of the
Tennessee Strategy for Suicide
[15:02] Prevention. And whereas the Tennessee
Suicide Prevention Network, also known
[15:06] as TSPM, is a grassroots collaboration
of Tennessans and organizations working
[15:12] to eliminate the stigma of sui of
suicide,
[15:16] educate the community about the warning
signs of suicide, and ultimately reduce
[15:20] the rate of suicide in our state. And
whereas TSPN encourages all Tennessans
[15:26] to become trained and play a role in
suicide prevention to support quality of
[15:30] life. And whereas everyone can play a
role in suicide prevention by learning
[15:35] and sharing the risk and warning signs,
decreasing the stigma as means to
[15:40] promote helpseeking by talking about
suicide using safe messaging and sharing
[15:44] the available resources. And whereas we
as a council encourage all Tennessans to
[15:49] take the time to inquire as to the
well-being of their family, friends and
[15:54] neighbors, a simple phone call, a text
message, a handshake, or a hug may go a
[16:00] long way towards helping someone realize
that suicide is not the answer.
[16:05] Therefore, be it resolved that the mayor
of Bristol, Tennessee, hereby proclaim
[16:09] September 2026 as suicide prevention
awareness month. And we urge all
[16:14] citizens to work to prevent suicide and
to raise awareness and compassion around
[16:18] all people affected by this tragedy, the
first day of September, 2026.
[16:27] [applause]
[16:52] Thank you all uh so much, council
members, Vice Mayor Powers, Mayor
[16:56] Turner, for continuing to support tsp.
Uh I know we've received this
[17:01] proclamation from Bristol City for
several years, and we're just really
[17:04] appreciative of your work and the things
that you all do and just recognizing it.
[17:08] I'm going to pull out some notes so I
don't miss this. Um, as Vice Mayor
[17:13] Powers mentioned, um, based on our most
recent data, over,200 Tennessans died by
[17:19] suicide, um, annually. That's typically
around the number what it's been the
[17:23] past few years. We have seen a lot of
progress and we've seen a lot of work
[17:28] that's um, really helped people become
more comfortable talking about things
[17:33] that we struggle with. We know that
suicide does not discriminate. It
[17:37] affects people of all ages, all races,
all uh demographics, socioeconomic
[17:42] classes. Um and we also know that
suicide is the most preventable form of
[17:47] death. Um people that die by suicide,
attempt survivors have repeatedly told
[17:52] researchers that oftentimes they don't
really have a desire to die. They just
[17:57] are struggling with some problem, some
pain that just seems insurmountable to
[18:02] them. And so we know that if we continue
to work and recognize that suicide is is
[18:07] happening around us, recognize that
there's help available. The 988 Suicide
[18:11] and Crisis Lifeline, which is located,
our location is located in Johnson City
[18:16] at Turning Point Crisis Walk-in Center,
um is a really great resource. If we
[18:21] continue to work to let people know that
there are resources available, um we
[18:25] know that lives can be saved. Um, as
they mentioned, I'm the Northeast
[18:28] Regional Director for the Tennessee
Suicide Prevention Network. So, I have
[18:31] the privilege to cover the eight
counties here in Northeast Tennessee.
[18:35] Um, our mission at ESPN for the past 25
years has been to reduce suicide related
[18:40] deaths, behaviors, attempts, and the
stigma surrounding suicide. We provide
[18:45] lots of nocost and lowcost training,
education resources and we also help
[18:50] with something called post vvention
which is providing support for families,
[18:54] organizations, communities, schools um
after a suicide death. Um again, I just
[19:00] want to thank you all so much for
recognizing September as suicide
[19:03] prevention awareness month, for
continuing to support the efforts that
[19:07] we have in Northeast Tennessee. Um and
for for mentioning the things that are
[19:11] important. Um, a little bit of hope can
go a really long way when somebody's
[19:15] struggling. So, like they said, uh, it
is not a small thing to share a hug or a
[19:20] smile or just a phone call or just say,
"Hey, how are you today?" It can really
[19:25] be the smallest things that actually
save someone's lives. Thank you all
[19:28] again and thank you all for being here
and I just appreciate you all a lot.
[19:32] » Thank you. [applause]
[19:37] » All right. Lastly, we have a
proclamation designated national uh
[19:42] senior center month. Uh council mgram
will read the proclamation and parks and
[19:47] recreation programmer Denise Bourne will
be accepting the proclamation. Thank
[19:52] you, Mayor.
Whereas odor adults are valued members
[19:57] of our communities whose wisdom,
experience, talents, and contributes
[20:02] enrich the city of Bristol and
strengthen the quality of life for
[20:06] citizens of all generations. And whereas
senior centers are more than places to
[20:13] gather. There are vibrant community hubs
that provide opportunities for older
[20:17] adults to remain active, connected,
engaged, and independent. And whereas
[20:24] the Slater Community Center serves
adults aged 50 and older in Bristol and
[20:29] the surrounding communities by providing
a welcoming environment that encourages
[20:34] healthy and active aging. And whereas
the Slater Community Center provides
[20:40] opportunities for older adults to stay
active physically, mentally, socially
[20:45] while building friendships, learning new
skills, and discovering new interest and
[20:50] remaining connected to their community.
And whereas senior centers affirm the
[20:57] dignity, self-worth, and independence of
older adults by recognizing their
[21:02] experiences, skills, knowledge, and
continued contributions to the community
[21:07] in which they live. And whereas during
September,
[21:12] the Slater Community Center will
celebrate Senior Center Month with a
[21:17] theme, discover your senior center,
offering e activities and events that
[21:23] invite both current members and those
who have never visited to connect,
[21:28] explore, engage, and discovered all the
center has to offer. Therefore, be it
[21:33] resolved that the mayor of Bristol,
Tennessee, does hereby proclaim the
[21:39] month of September, 2026
as Senior Center Month in the city of
[21:45] Bristol, Tennessee, and encourages all
citizens to recognize the important
[21:50] contributions of older adults and to
acknowledge the dedicated staff,
[21:55] volunteers, community partners, and
participants in the senior in in the
[22:01] Slater Community center. We work
together to enhance the well-being and
[22:06] quality of life of the older citizens
throughout our community. Signed by the
[22:11] mayor, Vince Turner.
[22:15] [applause]
[22:44] Hello. Thank you so much for your
support for our senior center and we
[22:48] truly value your support and everything
it does for us. It helps make our job a
[22:51] lot easier. We hope to reach as many
seniors in our community as we can. and
[22:55] they're such a vibrant and important
part of our community. And we really
[22:59] hope that by
honoring them this month, we can show
[23:05] them how important they are to our
community. And so we've planned so many
[23:08] exciting opportunities this month for
the seniors to participate, the members,
[23:12] and we also welcome those that aren't
members yet and don't know about us to
[23:16] come try us out and take a tour and let
us show you what our community at the
[23:19] Slater Center is all about.
>> Thank you.
[23:23] » [applause]
>> So, mayor, can I just say that when
[23:28] using the term community, I think is
really important. And I've heard from
[23:33] lots of people over the years that um
that's what they value the most about
[23:38] being here is the community that they
have with lots of other people. So,
[23:43] thank y'all for creating that community
for for people. So, thank you.
[23:49] » All right, we have no presentations
tonight. So, next we have our board of
[23:53] education report.
Dr. Tudtor.
[23:59] » Good evening everyone. It's good to see
you all. Um, feeling a little bit old. I
[24:04] didn't realize I was a senior citizen.
I'm over 50. So, [laughter]
[24:07] I need to check out the Slater Center.
Um, I wanted to begin by thanking you
[24:11] all for recognizing suicide prevention
awareness month with a proclamation. As
[24:16] you all know and are aware, mental
health of our students is one of our top
[24:19] priorities. We uh partner with Frontier
Health and other agencies to support our
[24:24] educators so that our students mental
health needs are are taken well care of.
[24:28] Um as you know, we also have therapy
dogs. So we got our fourth therapy dog
[24:32] this year that um he it's our first male
started at Fairmont at the beginning of
[24:37] the school year. We're also now in the
process of securing our fifth therapy
[24:41] dog who will be assigned to Holston
View. So hopefully that'll happen this
[24:45] fall and they'll get their dog in the
spring. Um the speaking of therapy dogs,
[24:50] I wanted to let you know a couple of
important dates. First of all, we're
[24:53] recognizing our therapy dogs before the
VT week uh before the VT game on
[24:58] September 18th. This year, Tennessee
High School hosts that game which is on
[25:02] um September 18th. We also are going to
have a community pep rally similar to
[25:08] last year when Virginia hosted they had
a pep rally in Cumberland Park. We are
[25:13] having a pep rally in partnership with
the city. Thank you for that. at
[25:16] Anderson Park. That will be on Thursday,
September 17th from 5:30 to 6:30. That's
[25:21] hosted by Tennessee High School's um
their kind of parent organization called
[25:25] Vikings United. Um also want to let you
know about celebrating Hannesfield
[25:30] Elementary School's homecoming. That is
their 100 year of existence is this
[25:36] school year. So we're super excited
about Hannesfield Elementary School
[25:39] being 100 years old. That will happen
actually on September 19th, that same
[25:43] weekend from 1 to 3 PM. Former students,
staff um are are invited back to
[25:49] celebrate that milestone, tour the
school, tell stories obviously of their
[25:53] time at Hannesfield, and check out
artifacts and things. So, that should be
[25:56] a fun time. Um the seven 74th annual
Music in the Castle is October 3rd. I
[26:03] won't see you again until after that
event has happened. So, I wanted to let
[26:05] you know about that. And then our third
annual athletic hall of fame is that
[26:10] same Sunday, October 4th from 3:00 to
5:00 pm. You all are welcome to attend
[26:14] any of those events. That's all I have
unless you have questions for me.
[26:19] » Thank you so much.
>> Thank you.
[26:23] » All right. We have one public hearing on
tonight's agenda. It's the amendment of
[26:26] the appropriation of funds the budget
for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 through
[26:32] June 30th, 2027.
This public hearing is now open and
[26:39] Holly Von, our finance director, will
present.
[26:57] Good evening, mayor and city council
members. Um, tonight the public hearing
[27:01] is for ordinance 2614 to amend the uh
budget for fiscal year 2027.
[27:07] The first reading was at the meeting in
August and tonight's the public hearing.
[27:11] Um, the general fund is proposed to
increase to 40,890,297.
[27:18] It's an increase of $22,518
and it's available to be covered in fund
[27:24] balance. The capital equipment fund is
proposed to increase to2,626,813.
[27:32] That's an increase of $4,413
for a piece of equipment. And that will
[27:37] be transferred from the general fund to
cover to cover that in capital projects.
[27:41] So that will also increase that transfer
to $424,413.
[27:47] And the capital facilities fund is
proposed to increase to 42,824,500.
[27:54] And that's a $270,000
increase and it is to be used for an
[28:00] improvements at the current animal
shelter facility and that has already
[28:05] been made by donations into the police
benevolent fund and then that will be
[28:09] transferred into the capital facilities
fund to pay for those expenditures.
[28:13] » Okay.
>> And then that's this will be on second
[28:15] reading later on the agenda.
>> Okay.
[28:19] » Thank you. Is there anyone in the
audience that would like to address
[28:24] council on this matter?
Seeing none, this public hearing is now
[28:30] closed.
Next, we have our appearance of citizens
[28:34] um opportunity to speak on any matters
of city business that is not was not
[28:40] currently under the public hearing
portion. Um, we had a signup sheet and I
[28:46] had one person, Denise Oberry.
[28:52] » Thank you.
>> Good afternoon. My name is Denise Oberry
[28:58] and I live at 2400 Broad Street. Uh,
Steven Herride and I reside there. Um,
[29:04] we requested the abandonment for the
alleyway connected to 24th Street
[29:09] between Broad and Anderson.
We own both the Broad Street and the
[29:14] Anderson Street side. The reason we're
requesting this is for two primary
[29:19] reasons.
Number one, theft and trespassing
[29:24] is a big issue. Our last theft was on
June 20th and we've had many, many
[29:30] thefts uh and bad situations. We love
the Bristol Police Department and they
[29:36] take good care of us. Uh and the other
is possible future incorporation between
[29:42] our Broad Street property and the
Anderson Street property.
[29:47] That is something that we would like to
have done. That's our main motive. So we
[29:52] appreciate you considering that tonight
and thank you for your time.
[29:57] » Okay. Thank you.
[30:01] Is there anyone else that would like to
address council?
[30:07] All right,
we have one appointment this evening uh
[30:11] to the Industrial Development Board and
we have one candidate uh for one
[30:15] position uh Miss Nancy Cook. Would
anyone like to speak on Miss Cook's
[30:21] behalf?
>> We both can go ahead. You go first.
[30:26] » Nancy has uh is previous is currently
serving on the Industrial Development
[30:30] Board. uh she is constantly well
informed and uh very engaged with the
[30:37] industrial development board. So for
that reason I'll be supporting Nancy
[30:41] Cook this evening.
>> Um yeah ditto I've worked with Nancy on
[30:45] various things and I just thrilled that
she is on our um industrial development
[30:51] board. She's retired civil military and
I think she works hard to uh do a great
[30:59] job. And I'm looking back there at Tom
and um she keeps him straight for any of
[31:04] the materials that come out and agendas
etc. Um and she takes it very seriously,
[31:10] ask lots and lots of questions. Um so
which helps everybody participating, not
[31:17] just answers her questions. So I'm
thrilled that she still is um going to
[31:21] serve.
[31:27] Councilwoman Fire Robin has Nancy Cook.
Vice Mayor Powers has Nancy Cook.
[31:34] Councilman Graham has Nancy Cook. And
Councilwoman Akre has Nancy Cook. And
[31:38] Mayor Turner has Nancy Cook.
Thank you.
[31:43] Right. Next, we have one ordinance on
consideration tonight is ordinance
[31:47] 26-15,
the abandonment of a portion of alley
[31:50] located between Anderson and Broad
Street. Mr. Ross Peters, the director of
[31:55] planning services, will present.
Thank you, Mayor Turner. And good
[32:00] evening. Uh
up for consideration on first reading
[32:04] tonight is uh is this request for uh an
abandon of alleyway between Broad Street
[32:10] and Anderson Street from 24th Street. Um
as you can see on the map located on the
[32:16] screen, that area is highlighted and
hatched in red. Um, and this item was u
[32:24] was considered uh for a recommendation
at our planning commission meeting back
[32:28] on August 17th. Uh, the property owners
uh Steven Herod and Denise Oberry uh
[32:34] were the requesters of this abandonment.
Um, on the screen before you, uh, I've
[32:40] got some photos prepared. Uh, this is an
an aerial drone shot, uh, showing
[32:46] showing the area there. Um in in red is
that is the strip where the alleyway um
[32:53] is located. Um it does end there in the
approximation of of Hensley Street there
[33:00] near close to the top right of the
screen.
[33:04] Um this is a picture taken from 24th
Street looking down what would be uh
[33:10] that unnamed alleyway there highlighted
in red uh to give a to give an idea what
[33:15] that looks like from the 24th Street
side. Uh these are some photos taken
[33:19] within that uh unnamed alleyway uh there
behind uh 2400 Broad Street and uh and
[33:26] beyond uh showing uh some of uh of the
mature trees and some of the fences and
[33:33] uh accessory structures that are located
in that area with within this abandoned
[33:39] uh with this abandonment request.
Uh part of any uh rightaway abandonment
[33:45] request uh staff uh analysis looks at uh
different components. Uh zoning is is
[33:52] one of those components. Uh the area
that uh that we're looking at tonight is
[33:57] zoned R2. Um and there are 26 partals
that uh that are adjacent or adjoining
[34:04] to this alleyway. Um and so uh under
this analysis the proposed abandonment
[34:11] uh is consistent with that of the
joining properties with that zoning
[34:14] there. Uh under the terrain uh we do
look at terrain um and part uh part of
[34:21] this uh this alley is part of that
second section of the old Delaney
[34:25] addition to Bristol uh dating all the
way back to 1930. Um and and it appears
[34:31] that uh many of these uh adjacent parts
uh have improvements such as fences and
[34:36] accessory structures as shown in those
photos a little bit earlier.
[34:41] Uh infrastructure and assets uh are are
also looked. We did not find any
[34:46] city-owned assets or infrastructure
within within this alley abandonment
[34:50] request. Uh and those are the items such
as uh listed on the screen like fire
[34:55] hydrants or sidewalks or any physical
improvements that may be there and none
[34:59] were found. Uh utilities are also looked
at. Um and we do send out letters to all
[35:06] the local uh utility companies to uh
identify any type of assets that may be
[35:12] within that rideway such as uh gas lines
or power lines or cable lines, telephone
[35:17] lines, uh anything of like that nature.
uh and uh and the utility companies came
[35:23] back with with nothing uh nothing there
located. Um and so therefore utilities
[35:28] easements would not need to be reserved
uh because of the of the infrastructure
[35:33] not there. Um, again with this type of
request, a public notification is made
[35:39] and we do send out letters uh notifying
all the adjacent property owners of this
[35:43] request. And we did receive uh five
comment letters uh in favor of the
[35:49] abandonment uh from those folks that we
sent out the letters to. Um, we also
[35:53] received two comment letters uh that uh
that they were neither for or against um
[36:00] the request. And we did receive one
phone call uh in favor of that. Um
[36:07] planning commission recommendation from
that August 17th, 2026 meeting. uh
[36:12] planning commission did vote 6 to2 to
send a favorable recommendation to
[36:15] council uh to wait for the completion of
alley network study prior to deciding on
[36:21] this alley abandonment request
and these are the anticipated next steps
[36:26] of of the process.
>> Anyone have any questions for Mr.
[36:32] Peters?
I actually do of um I guess maybe
[36:38] Danielle could help with this of where
we have these alleys like this with
[36:44] these trees of from a liability
standpoint from the city of
[36:51] in these alleys that we have right now
that are filled with trees and they're f
[36:55] filled with brush whatever it may be and
those fall on someone's structure then
[37:00] there's some is there some liability
there for the
[37:05] That is actually a question that would
be really complicated. It would depend
[37:08] on the facts of of the case that comes
before us. So [clears throat] I think
[37:13] that that I wouldn't really want to
answer that yes or no right now without
[37:17] having an actual case in front of us to
to address.
[37:20] » Right.
>> I mean there's always the potential of
[37:22] being sued.
>> Yeah.
[37:24] » Well, I can I will say that from I have
own personal
[37:28] dealing with of an abandoned. It's an
unincorporated alley on a piece of
[37:35] property that I have that there was a
dead tree and we I called and they came
[37:43] and it was dead and having to and I'm
say that in these situations if they're
[37:50] and this may be something whether I
guess we have to go out and maintain
[37:56] those
trees if especially if we have someone
[38:00] they're if they're head
of
[38:04] » Sure. Yes. It's a case byase situation.
Um um you know a lot of these uh
[38:10] unimproved alleyways or unnamed
alleyways as this um do have those
[38:16] situations arise from time to time with
a dead or dying or falling tree. And so
[38:21] it's a case by case. We we do have some
things in place, I think, policy-wise
[38:25] that u our our crews can go out and and
remove those if need be if if it's
[38:32] wanted.
[38:36] So, um, we did talk a little bit and I
appreciate the planning commission's,
[38:40] uh, recommendation and obviously this
looks like it's one that should be
[38:45] closed, but the amount of staff time it
takes to do these and we've had several
[38:50] alley requests recently and if the study
is going to do some of that homework,
[38:57] um, that waiting till that study's done
and let the study that we're paying for
[39:04] take their time and their money to be
able to do this study to come back
[39:09] rather than our having our staff um with
all the work that's done. It's a lot to
[39:16] do it thoroughly. So, I would support
the planning commission's recommendation
[39:21] that's to wait till the alley study's
done and I would hope that we won't take
[39:27] on other alleys again till it's done. Is
that my corre is that they voted to wait
[39:35] » six to their recommendation was to wait
on the alley network study.
[39:38] » Yes,
>> I think that's wise.
[39:40] » So I guess that other so you brought
that up. I think with the alley study
[39:45] that we're having
it's going to be the same process of
[39:50] going through that we will be even if
the study comes back and says we should
[39:54] abandon this alley. It's going to go
through the same process of notifying
[39:59] all of the uh houses that are along that
alley. So the as far as
[40:05] » they may have done the pictures and all
that. Sorry.
[40:08] » Yeah.
>> Um they may have the pictures and what's
[40:10] there and all that. That would be
helpful.
[40:15] » Ross, I've got two questions about this.
Um
[40:18] » sorry.
>> The um aerial that you show where the
[40:22] alleyway stops abruptly.
>> Yes. Why does it stop abruptly? And then
[40:28] segueing into uh as you look at this, is
there any way in the world we're ever
[40:34] going to open this thing up for through
traffic?
[40:37] Um so yes, so uh from our research, um
like I spoke about that Delaney
[40:43] subdivision plat that created that alley
from 1930. Um the the plan at that point
[40:49] was uh to have a cross street which is
now known as Hinsley Street would have
[40:56] crossed that block and that alleyway
would have intersected and made that
[41:00] connection um at some point.
>> Can you pull that aerial up?
[41:03] » Sure.
>> If you don't mind. Thank you, sir.
[41:07] » That one. So, Hinsley Street that you
see there kind of at the top right
[41:11] corner of uh of the screen would
continue from the right side of the
[41:16] screen to the left side at the at the
top [clears throat] of that red red
[41:19] line. Um that's what was originally
planned from that 1930 subdivision plat.
[41:24] Um for whatever reason that street was
never uh finished or never built. Um and
[41:30] there's actually a home setting there uh
today. Um if if that would have been uh
[41:36] if that street would have continued on
and that street would have been built,
[41:39] then that alley would have connected
24th Street and what is known now as
[41:42] Hensley Street if that would would have
taken place, but it did not. So that's
[41:47] why um that uh alley rightway does end
what we could call midblock, if you
[41:53] will. It does not connect to another
street because of that reason.
[42:00] » Do you ever see us using the alley for
anything?
[42:04] um
with with uh some
[42:09] improvement and some hard work possibly,
but obviously with with all the things
[42:14] that are in place there, uh it would be
a tall order to fill to to put it into
[42:19] to use.
>> What's the upside for the city to uh go
[42:23] through there, clean it up, uh level the
uh the platted right away that's through
[42:29] there, the alleyway that's through
there? What would be the upside for the
[42:32] city?
>> Um, as far as the city goes, I'm I'm not
[42:37] sure. It would probably it would
probably favor uh those adjacent
[42:41] property owners more to give them access
to the rear uh to rear of their lots or
[42:46] the to the rear of their homes uh where
they do not have that now. Um that would
[42:51] probably be the biggest benefit if that
if that could take place.
[42:55] » But of course, all the people that did
respond said, "Yeah, they're in favor of
[42:59] closing the alleyway."
>> Yes, we did. We did receive those five
[43:02] in favor to close. Yes.
[43:08] » So, I see three points. Number one, uh
with the uh Hinsley Street not going all
[43:14] the way through, it does dead end and
for it to actually be
[43:20] of greater use, it would be important
that it be completely cleaned out
[43:24] because there is the potential for
liability. So, we have a deadend alley
[43:29] and it's been brought to us and I would
recommend to the planning commission
[43:34] that if we don't want to hear or see any
more in regard to alleys that we have a
[43:40] moratorum until the alleyway study is
complete or we're going to continue to
[43:44] have this. But back to my points,
Hinsley Street is not a cutthrough.
[43:50] It is overgrown with the potential of
liability.
[43:54] Um my experience has been that trees
fall and whomever the property owner is
[44:01] at the time bear some liability. And uh
the third thing is that we have had
[44:07] residents that have said that they would
be in favor of the alleyway abandonment.
[44:13] So, having said that this, I would uh uh
find myself in the position to vote to
[44:21] abandon the alleyway. And if we want to
truly hold all of this off until the
[44:27] alleyway study can be complete, the
planning commission would need to bring
[44:32] to us their recommendation based on
staff's research as to the uh how and
[44:39] wise to that. But for that reason, I I'm
going to support the alleyway
[44:44] abandonment.
[44:47] » Do I have a motion to take action on
ordinance 26-15?
[44:56] I make a motion to approve
ordinance 26-15.
[45:03] Is there a second?
>> Second.
[45:05] » We have a motion and a second. Is there
any further discussion? Can I I'll I can
[45:11] do it as a separate but I want to make a
motion for the moratorum for the
[45:15] planning commission. So,
>> but uh can we have clarification as to
[45:19] what a yes vote would yield and what a
no vote would yield?
[45:22] » A yes would be of abandoning
the abandonment of the alley. Is that we
[45:29] are correct?
>> Yes, because that's what you said first
[45:31] is verification.
>> Right. Okay. So, we have a motion and a
[45:35] second. Further discussion. Mary Lee.
>> Fire Robin.
[45:39] » Yes.
>> Graham,
[45:41] » yes.
>> Powers,
[45:42] » yes.
>> Akard,
[45:44] » yes.
>> Turner,
[45:45] » yes.
>> All right.
[45:49] » We have one ordinance on second reading
for consideration tonight. Ordinance
[45:54] 26-14
and the appropriation of funds and
[45:57] budget for the fiscal year July 1
through July 30th. This item was
[46:01] presented earlier uh during the public
hearing. Are there any questions for
[46:06] Miss Varane on this matter?
[clears throat] Do I have a motion to
[46:11] approve ordinance 26-14?
>> Motion to approve resolution 26-
[46:18] 14.
>> Have a motion. Second.
[46:20] » Second.
>> Motion and a second. Any further
[46:23] discussion? I think it should be noted
as Holly pointed out that the revenues
[46:28] that will be appropriated for the um
animal center are through a donation
[46:35] » through the police the police fund. Yes.
>> So I just want to make be sure that the
[46:40] public understands that this is not
money that's being pulled from the
[46:44] general fund but rather monies that are
being appropriated through donation.
[46:50] » Okay.
Mary Lee,
[46:53] » Firero, Robin,
>> yes.
[46:55] » Graham,
>> yes.
[46:56] » Powers,
>> yes.
[46:57] » Aker,
>> yes.
[46:58] » Turner,
>> yes.
[47:00] » I have two resolutions this evening. Uh,
resolution 26-134
[47:06] entry into a grant contract with
Tennessee Department of Transportation
[47:09] for surface transportation block grant.
Uh, this item will be presented by Nate
[47:16] Mikaloosa. Was that
>> Maka?
[47:18] » Maksa. Okay. Sorry.
>> Thank you. No, no worries. Um, but
[47:22] » I actually hadn't then I totally
butchered it when I said it. [laughter]
[47:25] So,
>> well, um, once again, thank you for
[47:29] letting me be here. Uh, we've got a lot
of, uh, awesome projects. Happy to talk
[47:34] about this project, um, in particular.
Um so what what we have is a a contract
[47:41] that was presented um in which we were
awarded
[47:46] um $59,52
[47:50] in our surface transportation block
grant. Um, we worked um
[47:56] d this has some recent history, but in
March of 2024,
[48:00] we had some public complaints, some
concerns about safety um coming off of
[48:06] the Beaver Creek Road trying to enter uh
394. Um, this was brought about just
[48:13] with the recent construction and ending
of phase three at the Fox Meadows
[48:19] development where as they've built out,
a lot of folks have chose to reside
[48:25] there and it's becoming increasingly
challenging to enter the highway safely.
[48:31] Um so [snorts] this this project in
particular does align with our long
[48:35] range transportation plan um and has
been incorporated [snorts] into our
[48:39] active tip. Um so with that being said,
we we were able to receive this grant.
[48:47] Um so currently um in fiscal year 27, we
do have $54,000 budgeted. Um this would
[48:55] help us in the design phase of the
project. Um and we would need to uh
[49:01] budget u an additional $73,288
[49:06] um in fiscal year 28 to consider or to
continue to move this project forward.
[49:12] Um this project also um covers our plan
of services that was recently
[49:20] approved and adopted as part of the
annexation of the of a small say 3.66 66
[49:26] acre lot on Beaver Creek Road where we
um were to install a traffic light as
[49:32] part of the plan of services. So we're
we're able to meet that with this
[49:37] project. So
big win, right? Ultimately, so it's a
[49:42] exciting project. Uh what this
resolution would do would authorize the
[49:47] mayor to formally uh enter into this
contract and we would have support to
[49:51] move it forward.
>> Great. Is there any questions?
[49:57] » I just wanted to say as we listen to
this and I know my husband said read
[50:02] about it in today's newspaper said that
sounds good but how long things take
[50:07] that first off it's how long things take
to get approved and money to be acquired
[50:12] etc. But also just the studies and the
work and the engineering etc to make
[50:17] things happen. So, we can get excited
about it, but it's still a year and a
[50:23] half away
>> before we'll actually see a light at
[50:26] that intersection
>> potentially. I mean, it seems like we
[50:30] have u so when it's when the state is
running a project with us, there's
[50:37] always that fear of concern that it
might take a longer than we we would
[50:41] like. But we're we're seeing,
you know, um
[50:46] constant communication and engagement
out of out of those offices. So that
[50:51] that's a good sign, you know, that it's
not a stagnant project or, you know,
[50:56] rolling slowly. Um but yes, as much as
we possibly can push the project, we
[51:02] would like to do so.
>> Right. Great.
[51:05] » Thanks.
>> Is there a motion to approve resolution
[51:07] 26-134?
>> So moved.
[51:10] » Second. We have a motion and a second.
Any further discussion? Mary Lee,
[51:15] » Fire Robbin,
>> yes.
[51:16] » Graham,
>> yes.
[51:17] » Powers,
>> yes.
[51:18] » Aker,
>> yes.
[51:19] » Turner,
>> yes.
[51:21] » Next, we have resolution 26-135,
designate members of the city council to
[51:26] serve on city boards and quasi municipal
and non-municipal agency. This item will
[51:32] be presented by our city manager, Matt
Slake.
[51:35] » Thank you, Mayor Turner. Uh, slight
error on the presentation there. the the
[51:40] resolution 26135 whereas a number of
city boards quasi municipal and
[51:44] non-municipal agencies include a board
seat to be filled by a member of Bristol
[51:48] city council whereas city council
desires to assign the various board
[51:51] seats now therefore be it resolved the
city of Bristol Tennessee that the
[51:55] following designations are made to
boards and agencies so planning
[51:58] commission would be Lee Powers and Vince
Turner sewer oversight Vince Turner Ray
[52:04] Akard Library board be Margaret Fire
Robin power board Vince Turner Networks
[52:10] Solment Partnership, Lee Powers, Kelly
Graham, Bristol Metropolitan Planning
[52:16] Organization, Ross Peters, Industrial
Development Board, Lee Powers, Parks and
[52:21] Recreation Commission, Ray Akard, School
Board, Ray Akre, City of Bristol,
[52:25] Virginia, Ray Akard. Sullivan County,
Tennessee. Uh, all mayors, all members
[52:30] of council, uh, Vince Turner, Lee
Powers, Ray Aker, Margaret Fire, Robin,
[52:34] Kelly Graham, Home Consortium, Margaret
Fire, Robin, First Tennessee Human
[52:39] Resources Agency, Vince Turner, First
Tennessee Development District, Vince
[52:43] Turner, Birthplace of Country Music, Lee
Powers, Train Station Foundation Board
[52:48] to be Margaret Fire Robbin, Believe in
Bristol, Lee Powers, Chamber of
[52:52] Commerce, Vince Turner, Homeland
Security, District 1, Vince Turner,
[52:57] Rhythm and Roots, Terry Nap, here.
Explore Bristol, Lee Powers and Kelly
[53:01] Graham, Sullivan County Health
Department Health Council Margaret Fire
[53:05] Robbin and Tri Cities Airport Commission
Vince Turner whereupon the mayor
[53:09] declared the resolution adopted his
signature be below directed that the
[53:14] same be recorded.
>> Is there a motion to approve resolution
[53:19] 26-135?
>> Motion to approve resolution 26135.
[53:25] » Second.
>> Have a motion and a second. Any further
[53:28] discussion?
>> Mary Lee.
[53:30] » Fire Robin.
>> Yes.
[53:32] » Graham.
>> Yes.
[53:33] » Powers.
>> Yes.
[53:34] » Akard.
>> Yes.
[53:35] » Turn. [clears throat]
>> Did you have something that you
[53:37] » I was just going to welcome Mr. Graham
to the council since he uh this is his
[53:44] first formal meeting. He's been at a
work session. So, um and that's why we
[53:48] had to do this second council. Oh, I
missed all.
[53:52] » I watched it.
>> I'd like to welcome you back to S.
[53:54] » I [laughter] watched it. I watched it. I
watched it. I watched it and I would
[53:58] have voted on with you on [laughter] one
of them. So, sorry I wasn't here. You're
[54:03] right.
>> Okay. Next, we have the consent agenda.
[54:07] Mr. Segel,
>> sir, we have the minutes of the August
[54:10] 4th, 2026 city council meeting. We have
the minutes August 25th uh 2026 city
[54:16] council work session. We have resolution
26136
[54:20] is a resolution rescending resolution
25158
[54:24] and reauthorizing the purchase of a
procore aiator for Steals Creek Golf
[54:28] Course through Sourcewell. Resolution
26137 is a resolution authorizing the
[54:33] purchase of a 2027 Kimworth T280 series
dump truck with snowplow and salt
[54:38] spreader under the Sourcewell contract.
26138 is a resolution authorizing the
[54:43] purchase of bulk ice control rock under
the salt bulk ice control rocks under
[54:48] the state contract. Uh resolution 26139
is a resolution awarding a bid for the
[54:54] purchase of bulk concrete products.
Resolution 26140 is a resolution
[54:58] awarding a bid for sidewalk replacement
to Jones Road and Bridge. Resolution
[55:02] 26141
is a resolution authorizing the
[55:06] temporary use of public property and
public rideway by the birthplace of
[55:09] country music for the sale,
distribution, and consumption of beer
[55:11] during rhythm and roots. 26142 is a
resolution authorizing the temporary
[55:16] establishment of an open container area
for the service and consumption of
[55:19] alcohol during Bristol rhythm and roots.
26143 is a res resolution authorizing
[55:25] entry into an agreement with data driven
for configuration of a connection
[55:28] between records and systems authorizing
payment of invoices associated with
[55:32] their services. 26144 is a resolution
authorizing entry into an agreement with
[55:37] Bristol, Virginia relating to the
sharing of assets following for forfeite
[55:41] proceedings. 26145 is a resolution
authorizing entry into a memorandum of
[55:47] understanding [clears throat] related to
the East Tennessee regional forensic
[55:49] facility and training program. 26146
is a resolution accepting a grant from
[55:55] the Tennessee Department of Safety and
Homeland Security related to providing
[55:58] school resource officers and authorizing
entry into a memor memorandum of
[56:02] understanding between the Bristol
Tennessee city school system and the
[56:05] city of Bristol for the school resource
officer program.
[56:09] Resolution 26147 is a resolution
authorizing entry into a master
[56:13] agreement with Ross Fowler to provide
professional design planning services
[56:17] and approving service order one relating
to Steels Creek Park master plan and
[56:21] service order number two relating to
Shelby Street master plan. Resolution
[56:25] 26148 is a resolution authorizing entry
into a grant contract with the Tennessee
[56:30] Department of Transportation for service
transportation block grant funds for
[56:34] volunte volunteer parkway signal
grouping. 26149 is a resolution
[56:39] authorizing entry into [clears throat] a
project agreement for the use of
[56:41] Commonwealth transportation funds for
fiscal year 2027.
[56:45] » Great. Anyone like anything removed from
the consent agenda? Do I have a motion
[56:51] to approve the consent agenda?
>> Move to approve the consent agenda.
[56:55] » Motion second.
>> Second.
[56:57] » Have a motion and a second. Mary Lee.
>> F Robin.
[57:01] » Yes.
>> Graham.
[57:02] » Yes.
>> Powers.
[57:03] » Yes.
>> Aker.
[57:04] » Yes.
>> Turner.
[57:05] » Yes. Right. Next to our city managers
report.
[57:09] » Thank you, mayor, vice mayor, members of
council. I just want to take a moment
[57:12] here to thank our council, our
employees, and community for the support
[57:16] and encouragement I've received here in
this first month. Um, one thing has
[57:20] become abundantly clear. Bristol has a
incredibly talented group of employees
[57:24] who care deeply about this community. As
we move forward, my focus will be on
[57:28] supporting those employees,
strengthening our collaboration across
[57:31] the organization, and making sure we're
focused on execution, accountability,
[57:34] and providing excellent service to our
citizens. We have a lot of work, but
[57:38] excited about that work and capitalizing
on Bristol strengths. Busy agenda for
[57:42] September. So, we've got coming up some
events. Pepperfest September 5th. We
[57:47] obviously got Rhythm and Roots September
11th to 13th in partnership with our
[57:52] city schools. We've got Kim University
beginning September 17th. We're looking
[57:55] forward to that. Uh Bristol Motor
Speedway race weekend September 17th to
[58:00] 19th. Uh Bristol Sessions night
September 18th 7 to9. Uh September 12th
[58:06] we've got our Dale Burns esports NFL
flag football games. Those begin then as
[58:10] Dr. Tudtor mentioned September 17th
looking forward to our VT game rally
[58:15] with the Bristol big screen night.
Hopefully not getting rained out this
[58:18] time. Uh looking forward to that and
appreciate the partnership with our
[58:21] school system on that. [clears throat]
uh movie showing will be at 7:45.
[58:25] Uh last thing, don't forget the farmers
market open every Wednesday uh 2 to 6. I
[58:30] want to also with that farmers market
announcement say that our Bristol NO
[58:34] shared some information [clears throat]
for the next round of public engagement
[58:37] on the Bristol Trolley service. Um so
that will be a consultant team will be
[58:41] holding pop-up events there um at the
farmers market and also at the
[58:45] birthplace of country music.
Okay. Thank you.
[58:49] » All right.
Next we have city council comments. Um
[58:56] I just have one of um
Councilman Graham. We have a
[59:03] proclamation that you have with us. If
you would care to read a proclamation
[59:08] for the 95th anniversary of the
Paramount.
[59:12] » I'd be happy to. Last Saturday night,
uh, the Paramount had a, um, party
[59:19] celebrating 95 years of being in
existence. You were so kind as to draw
[59:24] up and sign a proclamation, which I'm
now going to read into the record, and
[59:29] then I'll be presenting it to the
executive board later this week.
[59:34] This [clears throat] is a proclamation
rec recognizing
[59:37] the Paramount
Bristol Paramount 95th anniversary.
[59:43] Whereas Paramount Bristol first opened
its doors on February 20th, 1931 with a
[59:49] film it pays to advertise to a soldout
audience eager to catch the first
[59:55] glimpse a glimpse of the theat's elegant
interior. And whereas from its earliest
[1:00:01] days, the Paramount served as a culture
cornerstone of downtown Bristol,
[1:00:06] presenting motion picture stage
performances and community gatherings
[1:00:11] that enrich the artistic and social life
of the re region. And whereas the
[1:00:16] Paramounts distinctive artesco art desk
architect
[1:00:23] architecture, ironic marquee, and
timeless design have made it one of
[1:00:28] Bristol's most cherished historical
landmarks. And whereas the theater
[1:00:33] closed in 1979 amid the decline of
downtown businesses and remained closed
[1:00:38] for more than a decade before community
leaders and others which cherished
[1:00:44] memories took an interest in preserving
and restoring the historical venue. And
[1:00:50] whereas the grand opening of the
restored theater was celebrated with a
[1:00:54] formal event on April 26th, 1991,
highlighted by a special performance
[1:01:01] from Bristol's native son, Tennessee
Ernie Ford. And whereas the restoration
[1:01:07] and renewal prominence of the historical
theater served as a catalyst for
[1:01:13] additional preservation efforts that
helped establish downtown Bristol as a
[1:01:18] beloved gathering place for residents
and visitors alike. And whereas
[1:01:23] Paramount Bristol today stands as a
thriving performing arts center, hosting
[1:01:29] concerts, films, theater productions,
educational programs, and special events
[1:01:34] that celebrate the arts, showcase local
talent, welcome national performers, and
[1:01:40] attract visitors from across the region.
And whereas the continued success of the
[1:01:46] Paramount reflects Bristol's unwavering
commitment to the arts, culture,
[1:01:52] history, and vibrant community life. Now
therefore, be it resolved that on the
[1:01:58] occasion of the 95th anniversary,
Paramount Bristol is hereby recognized
[1:02:04] and on honored for its enduring
contribution to the culture, historic,
[1:02:10] and economic viability of the city of
Bristol, Tennessee, and for the
[1:02:15] continued purpose to enhance the lives
of residents and visitors for
[1:02:19] generations to come. this 29th day of
August signed by the mayor of Bristol,
[1:02:25] Tennessee, Vince Turner. Thank you, sir.
[1:02:30] [applause]
>> All right.
[1:02:38] » I can go first. And I can just add um
our um community relations have a
[1:02:45] fantastic film with the history of
Paramount. We have a lot of our
[1:02:49] communities that are involved and um
some of them started with involvement in
[1:02:55] theater Bristol and then when the
paramount was uh potentially going to be
[1:03:00] destroyed um people stepped up and
community stepped up and helped to fund
[1:03:06] that and the state stepped up. So we're
thrilled that it's been 95 years since
[1:03:12] started. So, um, I wanted to, uh, thank
our new city manager, U, Matt Slegel,
[1:03:20] for taking a week before he actually
started to visit with our employees. I
[1:03:25] think that was perfect. It meant you
didn't have, thank you, Brian. Brian's
[1:03:29] left. Um, didn't have the distraction of
the everyday work. You were able to meet
[1:03:35] with the different departments, etc. I
think that um is certainly beneficial to
[1:03:41] you as well as to our employees. So, I
appreciate you're having the foresight
[1:03:46] and the time to be able to do that. So,
I thank you for doing that.
[1:03:51] » Um also just hope that um the alleyways
that will be discussed at planning
[1:03:57] commission and if it's appropriate to
put a moratorum in that that comes back
[1:04:01] to us or at least a report of the
discussion.
[1:04:06] um the um car seat safety. Uh we so with
Appalachin Promise Alliance, we have a
[1:04:15] grant from um Tennessee Highway Safety
Office. Just got a new grant from
[1:04:19] Virginia Highway Safety Office. We went
to a distracted driving conference and
[1:04:25] uh for a second time. We went last year
uh went again this year and learned a
[1:04:30] lot. We've we learn a lot from the
presentations that we give and about 50%
[1:04:35] of teen deaths are um teens thrown from
the car when they don't have their seat
[1:04:40] belts on. Um also learned that Virginia,
one of the groups um uh working in this
[1:04:46] field, a mom who lost a teen, they got
Virginia to pass a mandatory seat belt
[1:04:53] law for the back seat, which apparently
Tennessee does not have. So, I think
[1:04:57] it'd be great if if we all can support
that in our legislature
[1:05:02] uh and see whether that's something that
could happen. Uh next, I wanted to thank
[1:05:07] um our police department. This past
week, we had a week ago Sunday, there
[1:05:13] was a shooting um in Bristol, Virginia.
And um with Family Promise, we do a day
[1:05:20] center upstairs at the Salvation
[clears throat]
[1:05:22] Army. And there's uh about a hundred
people, most of whom are experiencing
[1:05:27] homelessness, who come every day for
some kind of service. The biggest
[1:05:32] service that we offer is case
management, trying to help them get back
[1:05:36] on their feet and get into housing. Um
but one of the women who was killed was
[1:05:42] a regular visitor and guest at that um
at a place to be day center. and Monica
[1:05:51] Tucker from our police department who uh
is embedded in our police department and
[1:05:56] also is part of Frontier Health's crisis
team. She came both Tuesday and
[1:06:01] Wednesday to be there and to help
support some of the people who um knew
[1:06:08] the woman very well and cared about her
and loved her. Um and also to help our
[1:06:14] staff and volunteers to cope. So really
appreciate that we have that in our
[1:06:20] police department. And thank y'all for
the work that is done. And just to
[1:06:25] remind us, we have um seven days a week,
we've got somebody embedded. There's two
[1:06:31] two officers or two people who serve in
that way. And I think it is incredibly
[1:06:38] help helpful for our citizens, all our
citizens. Um I wanted to get political
[1:06:45] for a minute. It's political time and
just wanted to ask if we can send a a
[1:06:52] letter or emails to all our candidates
to tell them the laws about the signs
[1:06:58] and I'm seeing them pop up in rightways
and that really just um bothers me a
[1:07:04] whole lot. So to let them know what
happens when they're in the right of way
[1:07:08] and we may pick them up and they can be
returned to people at the garage. but
[1:07:14] that we um have there's good reasons for
it not to be in the rightway. So um
[1:07:19] wanted to do that and just to further
just say something. I know there's a lot
[1:07:25] of stuff coming up with the election,
but I wanted to just say that our
[1:07:29] election commission I think does a
fantastic job. I think we all do think
[1:07:34] that and I think that they are they
might be exemplary, but I also think
[1:07:39] across our country and our different
cities and counties that our election
[1:07:44] officials are take elections very
seriously and do great jobs with um
[1:07:51] taking care of our um right to vote and
our elections. Uh farmers market, it's
[1:07:57] great on Wednesday. If y'all haven't
seen Arnold from Mountain City, he has a
[1:08:02] beautiful display of vegetables and he's
there on Wednesdays. He's not there on
[1:08:06] Sundays anymore.
And lastly, the sessions and the one
[1:08:11] that's coming up on the 19th. I
encourage Is it the 19th? Uh 18th, a
[1:08:17] true taste of Tennessee. We'll see what
that is. Um but I've been to
[1:08:23] two of three, three of four, however
many there's been. Anyway, I missed the
[1:08:29] first one and I've been to three. Um,
they're fabulous. They're in the
[1:08:33] listening room space at the LC King
building. I believe the cost is $27 for
[1:08:40] the 1927 is how that came about. Um, and
Terry, how did they get the tickets?
[1:08:51] » Go to Bristol Sessions Nights. Just plug
that in and it should come up and they
[1:08:55] can buy tickets. Um, so it's a very nice
evening. Be careful if it's dancing
[1:09:01] music. You might your feet might start
dancing and you might get pressured to
[1:09:08] dance.
Um, anyway, uh, yes. So, it's fabulous.
[1:09:14] Uh, encourage people to attend. So,
that's it. That's it.
[1:09:19] » I've got something just real quick. Did
you
[1:09:23] » Okay. Um so many of the things that
we've talked about tonight um are
[1:09:28] successful because they are volunteer
driven. We have multiple boards and
[1:09:33] commissions that we are constantly
reappointing to throughout the year. Um
[1:09:37] the Bristol sessions while it is driven
by the city and staff there are
[1:09:42] volunteers there. Believe in Bristol
with the pepper festival driven by
[1:09:47] volunteers. The birthplace of country
music will be celebrating a hundred
[1:09:51] years this next year driven by
volunteers and uh the festival itself
[1:09:57] Bristol Rhythm and Roots is driven by
volunteers. Um our planning commission
[1:10:02] we we Ross does such a great job and
staff does such a great job but the
[1:10:07] planning commission is made up of
volunteers that are willing to share
[1:10:11] their time with us. Additionally, we
have the industrial development board.
[1:10:16] Um, we've had great educational sessions
there. Tom heads that up along with
[1:10:21] other staff members, Brea and Danielle.
Um, so important because whereas we're
[1:10:27] not voting on a month-to-month basis,
when it does come time to vote, we have
[1:10:32] to be educated and have a longstanding
uh, education as to what it is we are
[1:10:38] voting for. Also made up of uh,
volunteers. Explore Bristol has done an
[1:10:44] outstanding job. They have greatly
improved uh our position in the state uh
[1:10:50] as in regard to tourism. We have been
able to have a greater collection of
[1:10:55] occupancy tax dollars which uh is being
brought to us by those that are out of
[1:11:01] town. So, it's not a burden on our uh
local property taxpayers. We have a lot
[1:11:07] going on. If you see an opportunity to
jump in and to volunteer, please do. We
[1:11:13] we just have a tremendous amount of
activity that's that's uh taking place
[1:11:18] and it is done because of volunteers
willing to give their time. Thank you.
[1:11:25] » You have anything else?
>> Um Lee and I talked about changing the
[1:11:29] time of the uh the November work
session. Is that is this an appropriate
[1:11:35] time to ask about changing it to a lunch
session?
[1:11:39] It's November 17th and it's something we
can take up in our work session in
[1:11:43] September. But uh we both have a
conflict November 17th. So if we could
[1:11:48] move it to a lunchon meeting that day,
>> make sure we add that.
[1:11:51] » That would be great. But we can pursue
it further at work session.
[1:11:56] » That'd be great. I don't have anything
else.
[1:11:59] » Okay.
>> I I have one more thing. Um so today at
[1:12:03] health council um and Dr. Tutor serves
on that as well. So, we chose to um what
[1:12:10] a year ago, year and a half ago to focus
on CPR
[1:12:13] um and to try to get as many people
trained. And now with CPR, there's a
[1:12:18] real fast how is it three minutes, five
minutes, something like that. Uh lesson,
[1:12:24] brief lesson on CPR that's trying to get
out the goal this year. Last year they
[1:12:29] trained about 3,800 people. Uh this year
the goal is probably about 7,000. They
[1:12:35] think that they'll exceed that. They are
booked for September. All different
[1:12:39] kinds of schools. They're in um
Tennessee High and Tennessee Middle
[1:12:44] School. They're going to be at Rhythm
and Roots. Check it out. And if you
[1:12:48] haven't had CPR recently, do it. Learn
it. Uh and uh they also have recently
[1:12:56] gotten requests from Virginia High and
Virginia Middle. So now they're going
[1:13:01] regional. They're excited about it.
there's um different um groups in uh
[1:13:07] Virginia that hopefully'll take it on
and work on it as well. So, that's been
[1:13:12] a huge success and it's because we
decided to focus on it and then the ball
[1:13:17] started rolling with a whole lot of
things happening. So, we're real excited
[1:13:22] about that. So, watch for it.
>> All right. With that, we are adjourned.