[0:56] Good afternoon and welcome to the
Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen's
[1:00] business meeting for August 18th. Let us
all stand for the pledge to be led by
[1:07] New Vision Youth followed by invocation
by Alderman Cooper.
[1:13] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[1:19] republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[1:27] justice for all.
[1:32] » Please bow your heads.
Dear gracious and loving God,
[1:37] as I come to my last Board of Mayor and
Aldermen meeting, my heart is filled
[1:39] with gratitude. Thank you, Lord, for the
opportunity to serve the people of
[1:43] Kingsport and for the privilege of being
part of this community.
[1:47] Bless Collette and Gary as they leave
their place on the board.
[1:51] Help us all to continue to serve you and
others in whatever capacity you place
[1:55] before us.
Allow us to take the knowledge,
[1:59] experience, and lessons that we have
gained through our service and use them
[2:03] to bless others and continue to make a
difference in our community.
[2:07] I pray especially for Richard, Calvin,
and Julie as they begin their service on
[2:11] the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Give
them wisdom, patience, compassion,
[2:16] courage, and discernment. May they
always remember that their greatest
[2:19] responsibility is to serve you and the
citizens of Kingsport with integrity and
[2:24] a servant's heart.
Bless all of our elected leaders, our
[2:28] city staff, and the many people who work
behind the scenes to make our city the
[2:32] wonderful place it is.
Give them strength and wisdom as they
[2:36] face the challenges and opportunities
ahead.
[2:39] Lord, thank you for the friendships
made,
[2:41] the lessons learned, the challenges
overcome, and the many blessings we've
[2:45] experienced through this journey.
May we leave this world with a grateful
[2:49] heart knowing that we have given our
best to the city and its people.
[2:52] Continue to guide Kingsport, protect our
community,
[2:56] and bless all of those who call it home.
May we always seek what is best for our
[3:00] city, care for one another, and lead
with grace, humility, and love. In your
[3:05] precious name I pray. Amen.
>> Amen.
[3:08] » You may be seated.
Thank you,
[3:12] New Vision Youth and Alderman Cooper.
[3:16] Mr. Recorder, please take the roll.
Mayor Montgomery.
[3:21] » Here.
>> Vice Mayor Duncan.
[3:23] » Here.
>> Alderman Baker.
[3:25] Alderman Cooper.
>> Here.
[3:27] » Alderman George.
>> Here.
[3:28] » Alderman Maze.
>> Here.
[3:30] » Alderman Phillips.
>> Here.
[3:32] » Thank you. Six of seven board members
are present. We have a quorum.
[3:38] Mr. City Manager.
>> Mayor, we have several recognitions on
[3:41] the agenda tonight and we're going to
begin by recognizing Sullivan County
[3:45] Mayor Richard Venable.
If asked,
[3:50] Mayor, if you would please join Mayor
Montgomery at the podium for a very
[3:54] special recognition.
[3:58] » I've been known for good timing.
>> Yeah.
[4:01] » It's It's nothing like coming in hot.
We are honored tonight to
[4:08] pay tribute to one of the best in the
our region and the city. He's a resident
[4:13] of Kingsport City
and he has been involved for 35 years in
[4:18] various
opportunities throughout the city.
[4:22] And tonight we want to say thank you for
to Richard and and and Phyllis for the
[4:28] the work that he's done and she's done
over these many years. And again, we're
[4:34] not saying goodbye, we're just saying
we'll see what happens next.
[4:38] Okay, City of Kingsport Commendation.
Whereas Mayor Richard Venable
[4:43] has faithfully and honorably served the
citizens of Kingsport and Sullivan
[4:48] County for more than 35 years in various
elected and appointed positions. And
[4:54] whereas prior to his distinguished
career in public office, Mayor Venable
[4:58] achieved success in the private sector
serving as executive with the
[5:02] Mason-Dixon Lines Incorporated and later
founded his own successful trucking
[5:07] company which has operated
for 25 years employing 49 people and
[5:13] managing 42 trucks. And whereas Mayor
Venable first served people of Sullivan
[5:18] County as a state representative serving
in the house leadership from his first
[5:23] term until retiring in 1996
as House Republican Whip. And whereas
[5:29] Mayor Venable then held the position of
Sullivan County Mayor for 15 years
[5:33] during two separate stints
leading the county through significant
[5:37] progress and economic development
including the expansion of the Sullivan
[5:41] County Jail. And whereas his leadership
has left a lasting impact on Kingsport,
[5:47] Sullivan County, and the state of
Tennessee
[5:50] by championing fiscal responsibility,
strong public safety, and workforce
[5:55] readiness through higher education. Now,
therefore, I, Paul W. Montgomery, mayor
[6:00] of the city of Kingsport, and on behalf
of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of
[6:04] the city of Kingsport, do hereby commend
Mayor Richard Venable for his decades of
[6:09] leadership and exemplary public service
to the citizens of Kingsport and
[6:14] Sullivan County, and encourage all
cities all citizens to help us
[6:19] uh with this commendation. Thank you,
and Mayor Venable, let you sit if you
[6:23] want. THANK YOU.
[6:35] » THANK YOU. I'LL BE BRIEF.
UM
[6:39] I'VE ASKED PHYLLIS to come with me
tonight because she's been a part of
[6:43] everything I've done.
Um
[6:46] And as I look back on it, uh
I actually started in 1984. That's a
[6:52] different century, uh a different
millennium.
[6:57] And uh
people say, "Well, you've sacrificed a
[7:00] lot." Well, I haven't.
I've been fortunate uh
[7:05] in my life to be able to
do what I had a passion for and also
[7:10] make a living.
And uh um
[7:15] Paul, I'm I'm accustomed to reading
these and not getting them, so I
[7:19] um but uh the
my company, RSV Inc., don't ever name a
[7:24] company after yourself, by the way.
Uh
[7:28] uh we when I ran for mayor in 2014,
uh I lost my key people. They were as
[7:34] old as I was and should have been
retired. They They worked on longer than
[7:39] they should have,
but uh that allowed me
[7:43] over the years to do what my passion
was, which is
[7:47] I'm not going to say service, which is
politics, and that's not a bad word.
[7:52] But, if you do it right,
it is a is a service, and I hope I've
[7:56] done it right for the people of Sullivan
County.
[7:59] Phil and I have lived 24 years in
Indian Springs because of a state
[8:03] representative, and
uh we got to Kingsport in 1998. So,
[8:07] we've been here nearly 30 years.
Um and there is no better place to live
[8:13] than Kingsport, Tennessee.
And I hope I've shown that over the
[8:17] years in my leadership of the county
because all the folks in Kingsport are
[8:22] also residents of Sullivan County.
And it's our
[8:26] obligation to serve them well.
Uh so, I I'm I'm going to stop there. I
[8:30] could talk all night about Kingsport and
what you've done.
[8:34] Uh I think it's an amazing city, and
you've always had good people
[8:38] step up for leadership. You even stole
one of my people.
[8:42] Uh he he retired on me.
And uh when you good people start
[8:46] retiring, you better leave. Uh but, uh
as a fact, I I
[8:51] Kingsport's successful because
leadership always steps up here.
[8:56] And you elect people like Paul
Montgomery. So, Mayor Montgomery, thank
[9:00] you.
Board members, thank you for the
[9:03] recognition. Um
I will be around, I think. Uh
[9:09] it's a good lawyer. Give me a day.
Uh I'll take it very happily. So, uh
[9:14] you might not see us for a few weeks or
something.
[9:17] Uh
but, uh anyway, we'll be here. THANK
[9:20] YOU.
[9:28] » WE NOW LIKE TO RECOMMEND OR recognize
the 2026 Appalachian League champions,
[9:34] the Kingsport Axmen. So, you all please
make your way up to the podium and join
[9:38] Vice Mayor Duncan for a very special
recognition.
[9:42] » Well, thanks to you, manager, and
Kingsport has a long history
[9:47] of baseball in our city, and so it dates
back to 1921.
[9:52] And so with a halt there for a few
years, so it's it's continued on. It was
[9:57] the Appalachian League back in 1921. And
of course in 2021, that's when we went
[10:02] to the Wooden Bat League, which I think
improved baseball tremendously for the
[10:08] league. Instead of having such young
players, you've got collegiate players.
[10:12] A lot of them had just finished their
collegiate season and then just comes on
[10:17] board
with
[10:19] with the Axemen. And so it it's really
improved baseball. If anybody hadn't
[10:24] really suggest that they go. So in 2022,
won the league championship. And then I
[10:31] think you came, Caleb, in 2024
as a general manager. And then we've got
[10:36] McKenzie Tester here, and she's the
assistant general general manager. We've
[10:39] known McKenzie for a long time.
But when you bring the hardware, and
[10:43] that's a 2026, then it makes it
official. So congratulations to you
[10:48] guys. So I know it means a lot, and it
does to our city, too. So
[10:52] people haven't been out, it's a great
field with turf, and
[10:55] and it's just really a fun night, a
family night. So Caleb, I'm going to
[10:58] turn it over to you and let you say a
few words.
[11:00] » Yes, thank you very much. Absolutely.
Yes, so like you said, the unique thing
[11:03] about this is we're the first two-time
winner since that's been rebranded in
[11:07] 2021.
I'd like to tell this story that if you
[11:11] look at our standings board this season
five games in, I thought it was an error
[11:15] for the longest time, but we had a zero
in the win column.
[11:18] Turns out it was right, but like we all
say, we like the ending a whole lot
[11:21] better than the beginning. Our young
guys turned the season around, and it
[11:24] was it was a it was a huge success, and
the support here in the community has
[11:28] been great since I've been here. It's
like no other any any other stadium we
[11:32] go to, and uh we look forward to seeing
each each and every one of you out at
[11:35] the ballpark in 2027. Hopefully, we'll
bring this back home then as well.
[11:39] » You got a new scoreboard coming too,
right?
[11:40] » Yeah, and then uh next year we're
actually starting construction next
[11:43] month and we'll be putting up a brand
new video board. So, we'll be able to
[11:46] show uh this thing off real nicely.
>> All right, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.
[11:55] WE'RE NOW GOING TO RECOGNIZE BOTH THE
July and August Keep Kingsport beautiful
[12:01] beautification awards and Allison is
here.
[12:03] » Yes.
>> Walk us through that.
[12:06] » All right. We're going to start with
This is the uh home of Curtis and Debbie
[12:12] Pickwell at 1501 War Path Drive. Uh the
home features window boxes on the front
[12:17] and side of the house with various
flowers in the yard and on the porch. Uh
[12:22] the property, as you can tell, is very
well maintained, nicely kept. Very
[12:26] pretty house.
There's the window boxes.
[12:35] And this
Next home is It's the home of Harold and
[12:39] Linda Robinson at 105 Boulder Court. Uh
this property is decked out with bunting
[12:44] flags to celebrate America's 250th
anniversary. Uh there's seating on the
[12:49] front porch welcomes visitors while
flowers in the yard include hibiscus,
[12:53] crepe myrtle, and daylilies. We'll see
if we can find some of those in the
[12:57] pictures.
[13:03] Okay, the next home is Tim and Kathy
Jennings at 1001 Allendale Circle. Uh
[13:09] this property features various plants
and flowers along with a water feature
[13:15] and the window boxes.
It's very neatly kept.
[13:22] This is the home of Sherry Bradley at
738 Hunts Terrace. Uh this property
[13:28] features uh various flowers including
marigolds, day lilies along the
[13:32] driveway, wave petunias,
uh more day lilies, a weeping cherry
[13:36] tree, crape myrtle, Japanese maple in
the front yard, and the rocking chairs
[13:40] and decorative lights welcome visitors
to the porch.
[13:43] Um all landscaping is lined with white
river rock.
[13:47] The next home, it's the home of Tracy
Nguyen at 1025 Norfolk Place. This
[13:52] home's landscaping features beautiful
raised beds with a wide variety of
[13:57] annuals and perennials. Um various
shrubs and pines are planted along with
[14:01] roses, white gladiolas, Russian sage,
purple coneflowers, crape myrtle. Uh
[14:07] this property also features a wooden
trellis with an arbor.
[14:12] The business winner for July was Texas
Roadhouse, uh East Stone Drive.
[14:17] Beautiful cone-shaped evergreens and box
shrubs line the side of the restaurant
[14:21] while beautiful white rocks
line the landscaping.
[14:25] And next, the church winner for July was
Kendrick's Creek United Methodist
[14:29] Church, 1000 Kendrick Creek Road.
Was founded in 1886.
[14:36] Uh this church features a colorful
flower garden,
[14:39] which is beautiful, that welcomes all
visitors to worship.
[14:43] It's very pretty.
Um the redevelopment award
[14:48] for July was 243 East Market Street,
which is now Mama Dee's restaurant. Uh
[14:53] the owners of this restaurant
transformed the downtown storefront into
[14:56] a vibrant new business bringing new
activity to East Market Street.
[15:00] Extensive interior and exterior
renovations
[15:05] uh were completed to create an inviting
space for residents and visitors alike.
[15:09] This property represents a strong
investment in the downtown area
[15:13] demonstrating how adaptive reuse of
existing buildings can support ongoing
[15:17] revitalization efforts and encourage
additional private investment. There you
[15:21] go. Before and after.
[15:26] And now for our August winners.
Oops.
[15:30] Whoa.
Did I do that?
[15:33] Adrienne, get me back.
[15:41] Okay.
>> We're good.
[15:41] » I don't know what happened.
Okay.
[15:45] These are the August winners. On this
home, it's the home of John and Kim
[15:48] Blessing at 2012 East Severe Avenue. Uh
this well-maintained property features
[15:53] several areas of landscaping with lovely
shrubs, crepe myrtles, knockout roses,
[15:59] stargazer lilies. I can't
see any more. Yeah. Stargazer lilies,
[16:04] lantana, uh and other colorful accents.
It's beautiful on the corner of Montrose
[16:09] and Severe.
[16:14] Our next home is Deborah Price at 800
Carlisle Drive. Uh this home has various
[16:20] plants and flowers including ferns,
uh mandevilla, knockout roses, petunias,
[16:26] hydrangeas, begonias, impatiens, and
geraniums. Uh the owner built terraced
[16:31] brick walls to prevent erosion on the
property. Uh there's several cozy
[16:35] sitting areas that welcome visitors
along with wind chimes that sound very
[16:40] lovely in the breeze.
[16:44] Next home is Bob and Jennifer Feathers
at 2008 Westwind Drive. Uh this
[16:48] beautiful home facing Bay's Mountain
features loads of different plants, some
[16:53] of which are the beautiful hydrangea,
mandevilla, uh and trees of various
[16:58] textures. The blue Oops. Let me talk
about that blue front door.
[17:02] The blue front door is flanked by
beautiful colorful mandevilla in in the
[17:07] pots while the backyard features
a beautiful pool.
[17:12] A refreshing pool and lounge chairs.
And this is the home of Patrick and
[17:18] Stephanie Grandelli at 407 Claymore
Drive.
[17:22] Uh the plants along the front include
something I've never heard of, Mr.
[17:27] Bowling Ball Arborvitae.
Mr. Bowling Ball.
[17:31] Purple petunias, white mandevilla, and
holly bushes line the front porch. A
[17:36] beautiful mature sweeping cherry tree
anchors the front yard. Along the side
[17:40] porch are multiple planter boxes with
ferns, petunias, creeping jenny, and
[17:44] various herbs. There's also uh pencil
holly bushes, dusty miller, and a mature
[17:49] Japanese maple on the side of the house,
along with azaleas, hosta, and dusty
[17:54] miller growing on the side. And at the
front of the home, I just want to point
[17:58] out that those um planter boxes, the
black planter boxes, are actually file
[18:02] cabinets.
I thought that was a great example of
[18:05] reuse, reduce, recycle.
Just very cool. Lay them on their back
[18:09] and fill fill them with dirt.
Good job.
[18:13] Uh the business winner is B&H Wealth
Strategies
[18:18] at 1402 East Center Street. The property
features nice landscaping around the
[18:22] company sign in the front yard. Lovely
green shrubbery surrounds the business,
[18:27] along with a decorative bench and yellow
daylilies.
[18:30] Uh small buckets catch rainwater from
the roof. Let me find those little
[18:34] buckets. There they are.
Well, which flows onto the landscaping
[18:37] stones at the side of the building.
That looks really nice.
[18:41] The church winner is Tri-City Worship
Church at 121 Jacquet Drive. This
[18:48] building previously housed Amato's
Restaurant. It now serves the community
[18:51] as a church and houses an onsite pre-K
program. The grass is freshly manicured
[18:55] and the campus is inviting with blooming
trees, other greenery, and a fenced-in
[19:00] playground.
[19:04] Here is the redevelopment winner for
August. It's the Stop and Go Market at
[19:07] 798 West Center Street. Here's your
before
[19:13] and after.
This property has been updated with
[19:16] exterior finishes and side improvements.
Renovations included new brick brick
[19:20] facade, metal roof, refreshed
storefront, outdoor seating area.
[19:25] The improvements provide a clean updated
appearance while maintaining the
[19:28] property's existing use.
[19:33] And will all the winners that are
present please stand up and BE
[19:35] RECOGNIZED.
[19:43] THANK YOU ALL. ALSO WANT TO mention that
I'd like to thank our sponsor Bohm
[19:47] Landscaping for helping with the
beautification committee.
[19:55] » Thank you mayor. There was an honorable
mention award that went to the Cooper
[19:59] family.
We've yet to come up with an award that
[20:03] is fitting for that category,
but it felt like they should be
[20:06] mentioned.
All right mayor, we'll now move on to
[20:09] the citizen comment section.
For those of you in the audience
[20:13] tonight, this is a part of the meeting
where you can address us as a board
[20:19] and
we give you 5 minutes to come to the
[20:22] podium. We ask you sign the register
there with your address
[20:27] and the only requirement we have is that
you keep your comments non-personal in
[20:33] nature
and total time for this is 30 minutes.
[20:36] And again, we do not get into dialogue.
We're here to listen at this point in
[20:41] time.
Anyone coming forth?
[20:44] Come on, sir.
[21:12] » There are timekeepers in the corner over
here.
[21:14] » Perfect. Thank you so much. And uh
congratulations on all your reelections.
[21:18] That's really awesome.
Um so, my name is Jacob Meadows and I
[21:22] work for a company called Youth
Villages. Particularly, I work in the
[21:26] foster care sector of Youth Villages.
We're located in Johnson City. That's
[21:31] where our local office is, but we cover
every county in Tennessee.
[21:34] Um you can find us off Bristol Highway.
We're uh right across from the Shell
[21:37] station, if you're curious. So, I am
here today to address everyone about the
[21:43] need for more foster parents in this
area.
[21:47] Uh for those of you who don't know,
there are at any given point a little
[21:50] over 8,000 kids in Tennessee who are in
foster care. Over 50% of them are here
[21:55] in East Tennessee.
Um
[21:58] Sullivan County, just to give you guys a
little bit of data, um they have over
[22:02] 200 children currently in foster care
from Sullivan County. Over half of them
[22:06] are from Kingsport zip codes. So, around
130 to 140 of those kids are here or
[22:13] from this area of Kingsport. Um and
we're facing a big problem. We don't
[22:18] have enough foster homes. And that's
true for just about every single agency,
[22:23] every county across Tennessee. And so,
what I'm doing is I'm going around
[22:28] Actually, this is I think the fourth
mayor alderman meeting I've attended,
[22:31] which has been really fun.
Um I'm going around and telling a little
[22:34] bit about what we do and with a call to
action that you consider talking to me
[22:39] later
at another time
[22:42] um about how you can be involved and
help with this need. Um as the mayor, as
[22:47] alderman, alderwomen, um you know, you
have connections to the community that I
[22:52] simply don't. And what you can do
without going too far out of your way
[22:57] are simple things that can help us raise
the the awareness for the need for
[23:00] foster parents. You can connect us to
individuals, partners,
[23:05] other agencies that can further our our
cause and help get more foster parents
[23:10] in this region
and be minimally invasive to your
[23:13] everyday life. I definitely don't want
to reinvent the wheel and make you do
[23:15] extra work. We all know that you're very
busy people. But with your help, we can
[23:20] increase the number of foster parents we
have in this region and hopefully get
[23:24] kiddos the homes they need. Another big
data statistic that I feel is very
[23:30] impactful is to know that over 86% of
the children that are from this county
[23:35] that are in foster care are not actually
living here. They are placed elsewhere.
[23:40] Because again, we don't have the foster
homes for them. So out of that 200 plus
[23:46] statistic, 86% of them are in another
county or they're in another state
[23:50] entirely. I actually have the data if
you're ever interested in knowing it,
[23:54] you're more than welcome to reach out to
me. I can tell you counties, states,
[23:58] things like that. But thankfully, they
are doing a lot more tracking of this
[24:03] data. I'm sure you may have heard of
Every Child Tennessee. It's a new
[24:07] initiative through DCS. They've been
around for a few years now
[24:10] and essentially they are doing a lot
more tracking of this information than
[24:15] it was in the past. So we're able to get
this good data.
[24:18] But simply I will end by, you know,
saying that we could really use your
[24:22] help. You have a big impact on your
community and you know, you're very well
[24:26] known, very well liked obviously. You
won your reelections. So
[24:29] I'll be here afterwards if you don't
mind just coming and chatting with me
[24:32] for a moment and I'd love to meet with
you in the future.
[24:36] » Thank you.
Anyone else want to address this?
[24:41] Seeing no one move, I'm going to close
this part down. But also at this time, I
[24:46] want to welcome newly elected alderman.
At this point, alderman elect Byers,
[24:52] alderman elect Isaacs and alderman elect
Clifton.
[24:56] So this is your last night that you'll
be sitting over there.
[24:59] You'll come and join us here next month.
So, look forward to that opportunity to
[25:04] sit work with you.
>> Mr. Manager.
[25:07] Now move into the approval minutes.
First, the work session on August 3rd,
[25:10] 2026 and the business meeting on August
4th, 2026. We'd ask that you approve
[25:15] these minutes as submitted, please.
>> Thank you. You have before you August
[25:20] 3rd minutes and August 4th minutes. May
I have a motion for approval?
[25:24] » So moved.
>> Motion for approval by Vice Mayor
[25:27] Duncan. Is there a second?
>> Second.
[25:31] » Seconded by Alderman Forbes.
Any questions? All in favor of approving
[25:36] the minutes, say I.
>> I.
[25:38] » Opposed, no.
Minutes are approved, 6-0. Mr. Manager.
[25:43] » Mr. Mayor, we have one public hearing on
the agenda tonight. This is a public
[25:46] hearing in consideration of an ordinance
setting a property tax rate for the
[25:50] property within the City of Kingsport,
Sullivan and within the City of
[25:53] Kingsport, Hawkins County. I've asked
our CFO, Travis Bishop, if he would
[26:00] please just give a brief summary of what
is before you all tonight before we open
[26:04] up the public hearing.
Travis.
[26:08] » For to begin. So,
each year we're required to set a tax
[26:12] rate. Normally done during the budget
process with the budget ordinance,
[26:16] except in years when we have a
reappraisal in either county, Hawkins
[26:20] County or Sullivan County.
We have to obtain what's called a
[26:23] certified tax rate from
uh the State Board of Equalization.
[26:28] Last year, we had a certified tax rate
or an equalized tax rate, it's also
[26:32] referred to as since we reside in two
different counties.
[26:36] That was set as Sullivan County went
through the process last year. Um
[26:40] they were reappraised for tax roll year
25 for Sullivan County.
[26:45] Um Hawkins County was last appraised
during 2021. We noticed last year that
[26:50] we had to set two different tax rates.
As we move forward to this year,
[26:55] Hawkins County is being reassessed this
year.
[26:58] As such, we have to go through the same
process. We're going to have to set
[27:02] equalize tax rate.
As both properties have been assessed
[27:06] within a
similar time frame one year apart, we're
[27:10] going to have to have set the same tax
rate for each
[27:15] Kingsport-Sullivan, Kingsport-Hawkins
County.
[27:21] As we go forward, we're probably going
to see this every year, this same
[27:25] similar type of a process as Sullivan
County has moved to a more frequent
[27:30] two-year
reassessment or reappraisal.
[27:35] We, after multiple multiple
conversations with State Board
[27:39] Equalization,
county assessors,
[27:43] uh
we come back and we received a equalize
[27:46] tax rate for both Sullivan-Kingsport and
Hawkins-Kingsport of roughly
[27:51] $1.798.
[27:54] While the the goal is kind of remain
revenue neutral, that's where State
[27:59] Board Equalization comes back at this
rate.
[28:03] If we were to adopt that recommended
rate, that equalize tax rate, that would
[28:07] be about a 3-cent tax increase
that Kingsport-Sullivan taxpayers would
[28:13] have to
uh
[28:15] absorb or pay.
That's um
[28:19] not the recommendation that we're
pushing before you tonight. Um
[28:24] We're recommending a tax rate of
$1.6773.
[28:27] That is the same tax rate that
Kingsport-Sullivan paid last year. Um
[28:32] Sullivan County property taxpayers
should not see any increase
[28:37] than what they had last year unless
there was a drastic change in their
[28:39] property or assessment.
In doing so,
[28:44] um the negative side of it is is
this is about $480,000
[28:49] less than what we had projected during
the budget
[28:53] cycle or the budget process. When we
went through the budget, we went through
[28:57] very conservatively and estimated about
a 1% increase in growth.
[29:01] Uh however, through this whole process
with the last tax rate, seeing personal
[29:07] property tax assessments change as they
do every year,
[29:11] um we're going to be negatively impacted
by about $480,000.
[29:20] » Okay. Okay.
Uh I'm going to open up the public
[29:24] hearing.
Anyone here to speak on this public
[29:28] hearing?
Sir, is there an ordinance providing for
[29:32] fixing the tax rate?
[29:36] Seeing no one moving, I'm going to close
public hearing
[29:39] and ask the Mr. Attorney please publish.
>> An ordinance providing for and fixing
[29:44] the tax rate on all real, personal, and
mixed property within the City of
[29:47] Kingsport, Sullivan County, and the City
of Kingsport, Hawkins County, which is
[29:50] taxable on the basis of assessments made
by the County Property Assessor and the
[29:53] Division of Property Assessments of the
State of Tennessee for the tax year 2026
[29:57] and to fix the effective date of this
ordinance.
[30:00] » Thank you. You've heard the reading of
consideration of providing for fixing
[30:04] the tax rate.
Uh may I have a motion for approval?
[30:08] » So moved.
>> Motion for approval by Alderman George.
[30:10] Is there a second?
>> Second.
[30:12] » Seconded by Alderman Cooper.
Any discussion?
[30:19] Hearing none, all in favor of this
ordinance say I. I. Opposed, no.
[30:26] The ordinance passes 6-0. Receive
measure.
[30:29] » Next item is consideration of a budget
adjustment ordinance for various funds
[30:33] in fiscal 2027.
As described to you last night, some of
[30:38] this is setting uh funds in place for
items you've already uh approved and
[30:43] leased in order of moving forward such
as the uh
[30:47] agreement with Axon for body cameras. It
sets up the funding for that. In
[30:50] addition to that, we're moving dollars
around for street resurfacing or other
[30:54] capital projects. And then within the
water fund, uh setting up an account for
[31:00] future projects uh with initial amount
of $100,000 and then moving dollars
[31:04] around within the CDBG. This comes to
you on first reading and we'd ask that
[31:10] you approve this ordinance, please.
>> Thank you. Mr. Attorney, please publish.
[31:15] » An ordinance of the city of Kingsport,
Tennessee amending the 2026-2027
[31:18] fiscal year budget.
>> Thank you. You heard reading of the
[31:22] ordinance. May I have a motion for
approval?
[31:25] » So moved.
>> Motion for approval by Alderman George.
[31:28] Is there a second?
>> Second.
[31:30] » Seconded by Alderman Phillips. Any
discussion?
[31:34] » Mayor, I I think it's um I think it
needs to be said that uh this budget
[31:40] uh adjustment or ordinance
is a result of the tax rate
[31:46] um
that that we set in Hawkins County. And
[31:49] really the adjustment uh
from what we had to do, reducing the
[31:54] budget uh 400 or 484,000 dollars. And I
just uh want to thank the city staff,
[32:02] uh city manager for
uh finding additional cuts. We just went
[32:07] through the budget cycle
and um a lot of reductions was was
[32:12] um
through that process. And so we have
[32:16] asked city staff and the city manager to
reduce the budget more
[32:20] uh as
already in the operational year. So,
[32:24] um I just want to thank them uh for
being creative and figuring out ways to
[32:29] reduce the budget and avoid raising
taxes. So, thank you.
[32:33] » Thank you. Any other
comment or
[32:37] Okay, hearing none, all in favor of the
budget budget ordinance say I.
[32:42] » I.
>> Oppose no.
[32:44] Ordinance passes 6-0. See manager.
>> All right, you have one item for a
[32:47] second and final reading and that is
consideration of an ordinance to amend
[32:51] zoning of tax map 105 parcel 193
located along Kinder Creek Road from the
[32:56] R1C residential district to R3 low
density apartment district. This comes
[33:00] to you on second and final reading. We'd
ask that you approve the ordinance,
[33:05] please.
>> Thank you. Mr. Attorney, please publish.
[33:09] » An ordinance to further amend the zoning
code text and map to rezone property
[33:12] located along Kinder Creek Road from the
R1C residential district to R3 low
[33:15] density apartment district in the 14th
Civil District of Sullivan County to fix
[33:19] penalty for the violation of this
ordinance and to fix the effective date
[33:21] of this ordinance.
>> Okay, you've heard reading of the
[33:24] ordinance. May I have a motion for
approval?
[33:25] » So moved.
>> Motion for approval by Vice Mayor
[33:28] Duncan. Is there a second?
>> Second.
[33:30] » Seconded by Alderman Phillips.
Any discussion?
[33:33] » I will be abstaining from this vote.
[33:39] » Any other discussion? Okay.
Mr. Recorder, please take the roll call
[33:43] vote.
>> Alderman Cooper.
[33:44] » I.
>> Vice Mayor Duncan.
[33:46] » I.
>> Alderman Maze.
[33:48] » I.
>> Alderman Phillips.
[33:49] » I.
>> Mayor Montgomery.
[33:50] » I.
>> The ordinance passes 5-0-1.
[33:54] See manager.
>> Next item, moving into other business,
[33:58] is consideration of resolution to award
the bid to Summers-Taylor Inc. for
[34:02] Kingsport resurfacing project pin number
132587
[34:06] and authorizing the mayor to sign all
applicable documents. Discussed last
[34:10] night, this is the result of us
utilizing funding made available through
[34:14] the Metropolitan Transportation Planning
Organization. This is for not only
[34:19] Clinchfield but also Eastman Road. You
see the total You see the the bid amount
[34:24] there, 2.2 million. Total project cost
of 2.4 million. Um many of you all
[34:30] remember several years ago putting these
projects in motion,
[34:34] there is
time involved when you're utilizing MTPO
[34:38] money, but at the same time you're able
to only pay 20% of that total cost. And
[34:44] so we try to take advantage of this when
we can, recognizing it takes time for
[34:47] the projects to move forward. Eastman
Road should be paved this fall and we
[34:53] anticipate Clinchfield being paved in
the spring as we wrap up the work there
[34:58] on the re-decking and rebuild of the
Clinch River Street bridge. With that,
[35:03] Mayor, I ask that you approve the
resolution awarding the contract.
[35:07] » Thank you. Mr. Attorney, please publish.
A resolution awarding the bid for the
[35:11] resurfacing of portions of Eastman Road
and Clinchfield Street to Summers-Taylor
[35:14] Incorporated and authorizing the mayor
to sign an agreement for the same and
[35:16] all documents necessary and proper to
effectuate the purpose of the agreement.
[35:20] Thank you. You've heard the reading of a
resolution. May I have a motion for
[35:23] approval?
>> Second.
[35:26] » Motion for approval by by Alderman
Cooper. Is there a second?
[35:29] » Second.
>> Seconded by Alderman George.
[35:32] Any discussion?
[35:37] Ready to vote? All in favor of the
resolution, say I.
[35:41] » I.
>> Opposed, no.
[35:43] The resolution passes 6-0. Mr. City
Manager.
[35:47] » Next item is consideration resolution to
purchase two F-550s with 6-yard rear
[35:52] loader refuse truck utilizing the
Sourcewell contract. These are two rear
[35:57] loader refuse trucks that we are
purchasing off the Sourcewell contract.
[36:01] As you see there in the action form, we
estimate about 6 months upon the receipt
[36:07] of these.
Both of these items are coming in
[36:10] considerably more than what they were
originally purchased at several years
[36:13] ago.
This is something that we have been
[36:16] watching and been having conversations
with you all about for a variety of
[36:20] vehicles simply from a small pickup all
the way to some of our more complex
[36:24] vehicles such as a a fire truck. But
again, we're also making adjustments as
[36:29] we discussed last night. This is a
little bit more efficient vehicle. We're
[36:34] moving away from diesel to gas.
The goal here is not only
[36:40] can be cheaper to operate, but also
hopefully easier for us to build and
[36:44] maintain.
And I know all of them George always
[36:48] wants to see a picture what we're
buying.
[36:51] And one last time, there it is.
I've been told it will not have the
[36:55] snake on the side.
It cost more money
[37:00] and so
[37:03] » We can have somebody paint that.
>> Mayor?
[37:07] » Thank you. Mr. Attorney, please publish.
>> Resolution authorizing the city manager
[37:11] to execute a purchase order to Municipal
Equipment Incorporated utilizing
[37:14] Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing
Agreement number 11023-NWY
[37:18] for two 2027 Ford F-50 refuse trucks
with six-yard rear loader for use by
[37:23] Public Works.
>> Thank you. You've heard reading of the
[37:25] resolution. May I have a motion for
approval?
[37:30] » Second.
>> Second.
[37:31] » Motion for approval by Vice Mayor
Duckett, second by Alderman George. Any
[37:36] discussion?
>> Once I'm off the board, you're going to
[37:39] let me drive some of these, right?
>> Yeah, you can talk to Bart about that on
[37:43] your way out.
>> It's been a life It's been a life long
[37:45] dream, man. I collect
>> I would love to do the forklifts, but
[37:48] some of these look pretty good.
>> Okay.
[37:53] Okay. Any other discussion?
All in favor of the resolution, say I.
[37:58] » I.
>> Opposed, no.
[38:00] Resolution passes 6-0. Mr. Manager.
>> Next time is consideration of resolution
[38:06] authorizing an economic development
contribution to the Industrial
[38:09] Development Board of Kingsport and
authorizing one or more agreements
[38:12] pertaining to the same. As you all know,
and and definitely this board over the
[38:16] last several years has been spent a
tremendous amount of time focusing on
[38:21] economic development. You've asked your
city staff uh to do the same and we have
[38:27] uh tried to respond in in various
different ways to try to work with uh
[38:32] folks who were tasked with recruiting,
but also at the same time property
[38:36] owners to ensure that we are making
sound investments. One of the things
[38:40] that Tommy Altman taught me early in my
career when it came to economic
[38:43] development was that every single
project stood on its own. And that is
[38:47] definitely true with what you see here.
Uh there were two uh cash incentives
[38:51] that were provided. Uh the first was for
Kingsport Pavilion. Uh we were at a
[38:56] point in time several years ago where
the occupancy had dropped off
[39:00] dramatically. We're now at over 98%
occupancy rate. In fact, I think we're
[39:04] very close to being 100% uh occupied at
that center. And that was due to a
[39:09] reinvestment that you all made in the
into that center that brought Academy.
[39:13] Second one is one that we continue to
work towards and and a great uh
[39:18] announcement uh last month with the
opening of V-Max. Uh we worked very
[39:22] closely with NCG, all properties, and
through the economic development board
[39:27] to make a very uh
a very targeted investment here that is
[39:31] one that provides destination retail and
definitely sets us apart within the
[39:35] region. Uh with that uh we asked the
economic development board a couple
[39:39] years ago to pursue this and pursue the
funding for that. They're bringing this
[39:44] back to you all today. A very good
interest rate of 4.15%.
[39:49] They're Eastman Credit Union uh setting
that fixed for 7 years and and the our
[39:54] ability then to pay these uh two loans
back. Uh again, I appreciate the
[39:59] willingness of the board, the economic
development board, to be aggressive. Uh
[40:03] it's fair to say that our return on
investment in both of these has exceeded
[40:07] expectations and uh definitely made a
significant difference in Kingsport.
[40:13] So, with that, Mayor, we'd ask that you
approve the resolution authorizing this
[40:16] contribution.
>> Thank you. Mr. Attorney, please publish.
[40:20] » A resolution approving a financial
contribution to the Industrial
[40:22] Development Board of the City of
Kingsport, Tennessee for economic or
[40:25] industrial development purposes relative
to the Kingsport Pavilion redevelopment
[40:28] and improvements and the NCG Cinema
improvements authorizing the mayor to
[40:32] execute such agreements as may be needed
to effectuate the purpose of this
[40:35] resolution expressing the intent of the
Board of Mayor and Aldermen to establish
[40:38] one or more project accounts and
ordinance appropriating funds to
[40:40] effectuate the purpose of this
resolution if needed and to fix the
[40:43] effective date of this resolution.
>> Thank you. You've heard a reading of the
[40:48] resolution. May I have a motion for
approval?
[40:50] » So moved.
>> Motion for approval by Alderman
[40:52] Phillips. Is there a second?
>> Second.
[40:54] » Seconded by Alderman Mayes. Any
discussion?
[40:57] » Now, is this a pop-up IMAX theater
that's just open for a month or will it
[41:02] It's It is reopening?
>> Yes.
[41:04] » Oh, so it's not just a pop-up.
>> Yes, so uh
[41:08] for those wondering what James is
talking about, um
[41:11] » It's in the paper today.
>> A lot Yeah, a tremendous amount of uh
[41:15] construction's going on right now to
renovate all the theaters, the lobby. Uh
[41:19] this was work we had really hoped to get
done uh prior to IMAX opening, but all
[41:24] effort was on IMAX to get that open for
the a film called The Odyssey, and uh
[41:30] we're excited here. Hopefully in a
couple weeks, maybe a little bit more,
[41:33] we'll have all that reopened, new
seating,
[41:36] uh new interior design, be a great great
addition to this already very popular
[41:41] theater. Oh, yeah. Thank you, James.
>> Mhm.
[41:46] » Any other discussion? Any other
questions?
[41:49] Hearing none, all in favor of the
resolution say I.
[41:52] » I.
>> I. All opposed, no. The resolution
[41:55] passes 6-0. Mr. Manager.
>> Next item is consideration of a
[41:59] resolution awarding the bid for the Lynn
View Community Center demolition and
[42:02] partial site development for the new
elementary school project to
[42:06] Construction Partners. Uh I stated this
last night and very very true with the
[42:10] previous item. I think it's very fitting
for both uh Betsy and Collette to be at
[42:15] their last meeting and voting on this. I
said last night, I remember the meeting
[42:19] that we were at where I think both of
you all said we really need to focus on
[42:23] elementary based upon the occupancy
numbers that we were seeing and Board of
[42:28] Education shifted in that direction and
and we're getting ready to finally act
[42:32] on one of those and tonight with your
approval
[42:36] as a recommendation from the Board of
Education, this sets in motion the
[42:40] demolition of the community center as
well as beginning some of the initial
[42:44] site development that will put in place
the
[42:48] the necessary road network and other
site requirements
[42:53] that will lead the way for the
construction of the new school which we
[42:57] anticipate being
kicking off probably this time next year
[43:01] with an opening of August of 2029.
You see the the the bids that are
[43:08] submitted here and we ask that you all
move forward with the award of the bid
[43:14] as well as the necessary construction
administration and contingency
[43:19] associated with it.
>> Thank you.
[43:21] Mr. Attorney, please publish.
>> A resolution awarding the bid for the
[43:25] Lynn View Community Center demolition
and partial site development for the new
[43:28] elementary school to construction
partners and authorizing the mayor to
[43:31] execute all documents necessary and
proper to effectuate the purpose of the
[43:34] agreement in this resolution.
>> Thank you. You've heard reading of the
[43:37] resolution.
May I have a motion for approval?
[43:41] » I moved.
>> Motion for approval by Alderman Cooper.
[43:43] Is there a second?
>> Second.
[43:45] » Seconded by Alderman George.
Any discussion?
[43:49] » I think when we first were talking about
focusing on the new elementary school, I
[43:53] think all those students that were in it
at that time have now graduated high
[43:57] school.
A few of them may be teachers coming
[44:00] back to the new school, but
I'm glad some of this is it's You stay
[44:04] on the board long enough, you actually
get to finish the first projects that
[44:07] you voted on.
>> Okay.
[44:08] » Um
>> Very good. Any other comment or
[44:12] question?
Okay, hearing none, all in favor of the
[44:15] resolution say I.
>> I.
[44:18] » I. Oppose no. Resolution passes 6-0. Mr.
Manager.
[44:22] » Our next item is consideration of
resolution to apply for and receive a
[44:26] Tennessee State Museum Capital
Maintenance and Improvement Grant for
[44:29] fiscal 27.
Total amount that we are asking for is
[44:33] $100,000. There is no matching
requirement. The funding, should we
[44:38] receive it, would go into repair and
accessibility upgrades at Allandale for
[44:42] the restrooms, as well as painting and
siding repair to the Wheeler barn and
[44:46] Harvey's barn. We hope the announcements
to be made uh sometime around
[44:50] mid-October. Uh we remain optimistic. It
is a very competitive grant, but as
[44:55] always, I greatly appreciate the work
the staff does to pursue these grants
[44:59] for these projects.
And Mayor, with that, I ask that you
[45:03] approve the resolution authorizing the
application.
[45:05] » Thank you. Mr. Attorney, please publish.
>> A resolution authorizing the mayor to
[45:09] execute all documents necessary and
proper to apply for and receive a
[45:12] Tennessee State Museum Capital
Maintenance and Improvement Grant for
[45:15] for fiscal year 2027.
>> You've heard reading of the resolution.
[45:18] May I have a motion for approval?
>> So moved.
[45:20] » Motion for approval by Vice Mayor
Dockins. Our second.
[45:25] » Second.
>> Seconded by Alderman George.
[45:28] Any discussion?
[45:33] Okay.
Hearing none, all in favor of the
[45:37] resolution say I.
>> I.
[45:39] » I. Oppose no.
Resolution passes 6-0. Mr. Manager.
[45:44] » Next item is consideration of resolution
to approve the new and revised personnel
[45:48] policies for the City of Kingsport. As
stated last night, Tyra Coe, Assistant
[45:53] announcing a job as our Human Resources
Director,
[45:57] to do a complete and total evaluation of
our personnel policies. It was uh
[46:02] definitely something that was needed.
She and I talked last year about
[46:06] beginning this journey, utilizing the
resources of MTAS, which is a very
[46:11] valuable tool for all cities across the
state. And then to be able to put in
[46:16] place policies that we believe would be
needed in terms of just how we govern
[46:22] and our operations on a daily basis. But
then also to make sure that we do a very
[46:27] good job of pushing this out to our
employees, utilizing technology to make
[46:31] it easily accessible. And then maybe the
most important thing is to come back in
[46:35] every 2 years and do an evaluation of
this, work with MTAS to determine if
[46:39] there's changes in state law that we
need to incorporate that possibly we had
[46:43] missed. Or or if there are other best
practices out there. Your leadership
[46:48] team has also vetted this over the
course of about a month. Presented it
[46:53] here on Friday of last week and
yesterday to the management team. On
[46:58] your approval, we will move forward with
getting these put in place. But again,
[47:02] just really want to say thank you to
Tyra, thank you to Bart who also spent a
[47:07] lot of time on this, the leadership team
who
[47:11] had us spend quite a quite a few hours
reviewing this and then discussing this
[47:15] to make sure that what we put in place
was what was best for our operations and
[47:19] ultimately for the employees of the city
of Kingsport. So, thank you to all of
[47:23] those folks. And with that, Mayor, we
ask that you approve the resolution,
[47:26] please.
>> All right, thank you. Mr. Attorney,
[47:28] please publish. A resolution adopting
personnel policies for city employees as
[47:32] required by Tennessee Code Annotated
6-54-123
[47:36] and repealing all of the resolutions in
conflict herewith except resolution
[47:40] number 2027-011.
Thank you. You've heard the reading of
[47:44] the resolution. I have a motion for
approval.
[47:49] » So moved.
>> Motion for approval by Vice Mayor
[47:51] Dockery. Is there a second?
>> Second.
[47:54] » Seconded by Alderman Phillips. Any
discussion?
[47:58] » Uh I'm
kind of agree with what the city manager
[48:01] said. I mean, this is a
living working document that'll go for a
[48:05] long time. It's just shows and reflects
the amount of work that's gone into
[48:09] this.
So,
[48:11] we appreciate it. We really do.
>> Okay.
[48:14] Other comments?
Hearing none, all in favor of the
[48:19] resolution say I.
>> I.
[48:21] » Opposed, no.
The resolution passes 6-0.
[48:24] » Mr. Mayor Andrew.
>> All right.
[48:26] » We'll now move into the consent agenda.
We have seven items on the agenda. If
[48:30] you'd like any one of those removed for
additional discussion, please let me
[48:34] know.
First is consideration of resolution to
[48:37] authorize the mayor to execute an SCSEP
host agency agreement with First
[48:42] Tennessee Human Resources Agency
for Bays Mountain Park. Second item is
[48:47] consideration of resolution to approve a
memorandum of understanding with the
[48:50] Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
and Explosives
[48:54] with the Kingsport for the Kingsport
Police Department to designate sworn
[48:57] task force officers.
Third item is consideration of
[49:00] resolution to approve a memorandum of
understanding with Bays Mountain Park
[49:04] caretaker.
Fourth item is consideration of
[49:06] resolution authorizing the purchase of
student transportation for
[49:09] Dobyns-Bennett High School band at the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
[49:14] Fifth item is consideration of a
resolution authorizing the purchase of
[49:17] 16 box lights for Kingsport schools from
Central Technologies utilizing the TIPS
[49:23] USA cooperative purchasing agreement.
Sixth item is consideration of
[49:27] resolution to apply and accept a grant
from FM Global.
[49:32] And the seventh item is consideration of
resolution approving a release agreement
[49:36] with RM Media
Limited.
[49:40] Mayor, with that, we'd ask that you
approve seven items as presented in the
[49:44] consent agenda. I'd want four for
additional discussion.
[49:47] » You've heard the reading of the seven
consent agenda items.
[49:51] May I have a motion for approval.
>> Mr. Mayor, I'd like to make a motion to
[49:54] accept all items on the consent agenda
as presented.
[49:58] » Motion made by Vice Mayor Duncan. Is
there a second?
[50:02] » Second.
>> Second by Aldermen George. Any
[50:04] discussion?
[50:09] Hearing none, Mr. Recorder, please take
the roll call vote. Aldermen Cooper.
[50:12] » Aye to all.
>> Vice Mayor Duncan.
[50:14] » Aye to all.
>> Aldermen George.
[50:15] » Aye to all.
>> Aldermen Maze.
[50:17] » Aye to all items.
>> Aldermen Phillips.
[50:19] » Aye to all.
>> Mayor Montgomery.
[50:21] » Aye to all.
>> The consent agenda items are approved
[50:25] 6-0. See Mayor Asher.
>> All right. We'll now move into
[50:28] communications, and I'll kind of focus
on this side of the table here. You
[50:33] know, I think I've I've had the pleasure
of knowing you all literally my entire
[50:37] career. I first met Gary
early 2000. We were working with our
[50:42] sense of development district on air
quality issues in the region, and
[50:45] got to know Gary, and of course work
with Gary through the pandemic. I would
[50:50] later meet Betsy, and and Betsy, much
like Colette, kind of adopted me into
[50:55] their home, and of course knew Colette
then. First through Valerie, who was
[51:00] serving on the board, and and really
just
[51:03] could not say enough about the service
and dedication you all have given to the
[51:06] city of Kingsport. You'll be missed.
But know this, you made a difference
[51:12] in your time with the city, whether that
was the stint years ago, Gary, or your
[51:17] time with the Board of Education and
then the BMA, your time on the Planning
[51:20] Commission and the BMA.
You guys have left a significant mark on
[51:24] the city.
I know when when I was hired in in 2019
[51:29] and we sat in a strategic planning
session, and a lot of the things that
[51:34] you all said you wanted to do, we've
been able to accomplish or we have in in
[51:38] motion, and the staff
has just absolutely enjoyed working with
[51:42] you all. You've been so so respectful,
and and really just been champions of
[51:48] every single city employee. It's been
reflected each and every year in our
[51:51] budget. Been reflected in just the
respect that you all show them. So, we
[51:57] thank you. You guys are going to going
to be missed by your seats on the board,
[52:01] but we recognize that you're going to
continue to be active in various things.
[52:06] I know here in a few months Betsy's
going to be putting trees up out for
[52:10] Christmas.
And
[52:12] and so that that will live on and and
but we just really appreciate your your
[52:17] service
and everything that you all have done.
[52:20] So, thank you.
And congratulations.
[52:24] » Thank you.
>> Could have said we made a good
[52:26] difference instead of just a difference.
>> It's all on the record. I don't want to
[52:31] have to take it back on that.
>> A positive difference.
[52:35] » That's right.
>> Yeah, thank you.
[52:36] » Move the meeting along there.
>> Well, thank you. Thank you to each one
[52:41] of you for saying yes. More importantly,
you made me a better person for being
[52:46] working with you, serving alongside you.
Uh
[52:50] I have campaigned I started this journey
campaigning with you. Two of you when we
[52:55] were at the Civic Auditorium campaigning
in May at a better time of the year.
[53:01] And
got to know you a little bit better then
[53:03] and and over the last 5 years getting to
know you
[53:07] individuals but also your contribution
to the board. Gary, you are I've known
[53:12] you for quite a long time cuz
you and I have served as parents,
[53:16] baseball parents
as our sons played ball together.
[53:20] Watched you
develop and grow and and lead this
[53:25] community during a
pandemic. You guys did a fantastic job
[53:30] and thank you for your service. Thank
you for saying yes
[53:34] to the board and we appreciate each of
you. And I I know we're not saying
[53:38] goodbye, we're saying what's going to
happen next in your lives. Thank you.
[53:43] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Vice Mayor?
[53:47] » Uh well, appreciated and so just
really appreciate y'all's friendship
[53:52] over the years and so it's been great.
Uh Gary, you came to the to the board 2
[53:56] years ago and
but you brought a very thoughtful voice
[54:00] and you was you've always been so well
prepared and detailed and your questions
[54:05] that you've asked is always been spot
on. I think you've made our board a
[54:09] better board member and
so it's been really good to know you and
[54:13] Tammy and and I know as you go forward
you've got other aspirations and we'll
[54:18] be uh filling your time board.
Betsy,
[54:22] your perspective of schools, daycare,
and all the nonprofits,
[54:29] I don't know will ever be replaced on a
board here.
[54:31] And so you bring a
just a different outlook and different
[54:36] insight on so many things that
we've really appreciated. I've
[54:40] appreciated over the years and and I
know that you've probably got another uh
[54:46] nonprofit lined up somewhere. I don't
know what it is, but I guarantee it's
[54:49] cooking in there somewhere. But we
really do just appreciate friendship and
[54:53] everything you brought and uh
and then Clate, you and I we we first
[54:59] you didn't, I did, back in 2015 when I
first come to the board in 2015. And so
[55:06] you have a special gift of asking the
right questions at the right
[55:10] and it certainly has makes me think when
you ask you know different questions
[55:15] that's a different way of maybe what I'm
thinking and I've truly appreciated
[55:18] that. Uh the budget and how you look out
for the citizens and then the ripple
[55:23] fact that it does you know for all
through our budget has always been
[55:28] appreciated and you'll be missed on our
budget meeting that we have. So it's
[55:32] last like an hour and you have to go
through all the pages, but Um, I know
[55:36] that you've got
uh
[55:38] a grandbaby on the way.
And so since way before that, always
[55:43] heard is I need a grandbaby. And so it
is coming. And so we uh but I really do
[55:48] appreciate Thank you.
And all three of y'all are considered
[55:52] friends and look forward to uh to see
more of you in a different light. So
[55:56] thank you.
>> Thank you.
[55:57] » Alana Phillips.
>> I've got a bunch of notes here on the
[56:00] road paving situation.
Uh no, I'm just kidding. Um I I I will
[56:05] gush over these three as well. We're
losing the whole right side of the room
[56:09] and
we'll be very unbalanced here for a
[56:12] couple weeks.
But uh Gary, I didn't know you well
[56:15] before this started, but I I think the
way you've jumped in, you fit right in
[56:20] with the board and and your heart and
your caring for Kingsport. And I've
[56:24] really appreciated your the diligence
you go through everything. I mean, I
[56:27] think you read word for word everything
that's put in front of you. And
[56:31] I think that has been very valuable to
this board and I've been I've enjoyed
[56:35] getting to know you better.
Um I've enjoyed working with you where
[56:39] there's not a big crowd behind us
yelling to send the students back to
[56:42] school and you up there talking about
what we should and shouldn't do. So this
[56:47] has been a much more more enjoyable
environment. So um thank you for your
[56:51] service for these last 2 years for sure.
>> Thank you.
[56:54] » Uh Betsy and Collette, I'll I'll talk
about you individually, but they've both
[56:57] been on the board the entire time I've
been on. So they are all I've ever known
[57:02] on this board.
Um for for Betsy, I I do work with now
[57:06] and I continue and will continue to work
with on Christmas in Kingsport. Um we
[57:11] love to do that and that is just really
enjoyable. And what I like about Betsy
[57:15] is
every time we're in a meeting, um if
[57:18] Betsy has an idea, just like today in a
Christmas meeting, um she will stop at
[57:22] nothing to see it through. And it's not
just that she sees it through, it's just
[57:28] she doesn't say, "I want this done."
Betsy says, "This is what I would like
[57:31] to see happen and let me know when and
where and I will help." And that has
[57:36] been Betsy on this board the entire
time. I I have learned so much from
[57:40] Betsy, but I have also learned most
importantly she's the only person on
[57:44] this board that was teaching when I went
to Washington Elementary. So I'm very
[57:48] excited that those stories will go with
her.
[57:51] Uh
so but uh
[57:54] Betsy really does love and care for
Kingsport and I am very excited to keep
[57:58] working with regular citizen Betsy on
Christmas going forward.
[58:03] Um
and then Colette um
[58:06] she also, like I said, been on the whole
time and Colette was a big reason why I
[58:10] ran for office uh the first time.
Um I cannot thank her enough for her
[58:15] support uh during that time and since.
Um when you get elected, you think, "I I
[58:20] got this. I know what I'm getting into."
Um this you all will understand this.
[58:24] It's like drinking from a fire hose for
the first year and uh Colette was
[58:29] extremely instrumental in on helping me
get up to speed and uh along the way I
[58:33] watched her as somebody like me who owns
their own business and um tries to
[58:38] understand how to be a small business
person and manage that, but also manage
[58:43] your time given to the city um and
serving in what essentially is a
[58:48] volunteer role
um and and continuing to make Kingsport
[58:51] better. And so the one thing I
personally always admired about Colette
[58:55] is that um you always know where she
stands on an issue and um
[59:01] and she always has the facts to back
that up. And a lot like my dad, if you
[59:06] are ever have the opposite opinion of
Colette on a subject, usually 6 months
[59:11] to a year from now, you will realize
that she was right about it the entire
[59:14] time. So um I I made a comment about
Colette my my first board meeting on I
[59:21] thought it was very interesting and so
I'll I'll end with this.
[59:24] Um I really thank you and so much for
everything you've done for Kingsport,
[59:28] for your friendship, but I think it's a
very interesting fact that Colette and
[59:32] her mom are the first mother-daughter to
ever serve on the Board of Mayor and
[59:35] Aldermen. So, I think that's a really
interesting fact. So, thank you all.
[59:40] » Okay, from my side room.
>> Alderman May.
[59:42] » Oh, wow. Well,
excuse me. Thank you, city manager
[59:49] McCartt, and Mayor Montgomery, and all
the board members. And
[59:54] thank you for voting me
to serve
[59:57] for 2 years. I've I've made friends and
I've certainly
[1:00:02] cherished
the last 2 years. It's been wonderful to
[1:00:06] serve on the board. It's a true honor
and
[1:00:10] really impressed with the city and the
city staff. All the city employees are
[1:00:14] are amazing. And I think this is this is
a good board. We've spent a lot of time
[1:00:20] together grulling over
different difficult and different
[1:00:26] subjects and
we value one another's input and we
[1:00:32] agree, we disagree and we learn from
each other. So, that's my takeaway is
[1:00:38] new friends and I've learned a great
deal. So, thank you for the for the
[1:00:42] honor to serve. I appreciate it very
much and I want to congratulate the the
[1:00:47] new elect alderman as they as they take
on their new roles. I know they're going
[1:00:52] to do a great job and the board is going
to continue to to be to be great for the
[1:00:58] city of Kingsport because there's good
things going to happen and I'm I'm
[1:01:01] really convinced of that. So, thank you.
[1:01:06] » I didn't mean to I have some prepared
remarks, but since
[1:01:11] people took the opportunity to say
personal things, I would like to say
[1:01:15] a
few things. James, I remember you at
[1:01:18] Washington when you were in the first
grade. The thing I remember about James
[1:01:22] is one day he had I think he had Miss
Crowley
[1:01:25] and he sprayed she was letting him spray
the tables clean the tables off and he
[1:01:28] sprayed it in his face and she came over
cuz he we were trying to clean his face
[1:01:32] off.
But I never every time I meet his mom or
[1:01:35] dad I always tell them that they raised
a wonderful person.
[1:01:41] Uh I never lose that I'm never pass an
opportunity cuz I think his parents need
[1:01:45] to hear that. He's he's uh
first class and I said I'm so excited to
[1:01:49] con- continue to work with him. We met
today
[1:01:52] uh for Christmas in Kingsport and uh
continue to work with him.
[1:01:56] Uh he has the same love for Christmas
that I do.
[1:01:59] But Daryl Daryl and Sharon uh my husband
goes way back with Sharon working at Of
[1:02:04] course I remember Daryl and Sharon from
way back. Uh
[1:02:07] I invited Daryl and Sharon to come eat
Christmas dinner at our house this year.
[1:02:11] We have a very uh we have chili and
baked potato very low-key Christmas
[1:02:14] after every all the festivities and I
made him sit on the floor and eat
[1:02:17] because we were running out of space at
the table. So
[1:02:19] if you have a friend that you invite
over and you you sit on the floor with
[1:02:22] them they eat chili and baked potato you
know that's a special kind of friend. Uh
[1:02:26] Paul
when I I got to know Paul really I guess
[1:02:29] when we were campaigning and someone
came up to me and was talking about the
[1:02:33] the results of the election I said
Paul Montgomery is going to be the top
[1:02:37] vote getter and they said oh yeah I'm
not sure about that. I said I sit there
[1:02:40] and watched I sit there and watch
everybody come by his tent out in the
[1:02:43] heat and he did and he won.
Colette and I um
[1:02:48] are family now.
>> Yeah.
[1:02:50] » Colette's my uh
daughter's
[1:02:53] husband
is Colette's
[1:02:57] daughter-in-law's brother.
>> So
[1:02:59] » So we we're we are going to all the same
family events and we will not
[1:03:04] » Okay.
>> we will not lose contact because we we
[1:03:07] we go we're in the same family now.
Gary came the first time I really got to
[1:03:13] talk to Gary he came at Friends in Need
to talk to me before he was appointed on
[1:03:17] the on this board. And the one of the
first things I told him, I said I
[1:03:20] remember I was at at uh First Broad
Street uh as a director of the child
[1:03:25] care center during COVID. And I said I
called you a lot. He said, "Oh, I hope I
[1:03:29] was nice."
But anyway, he he was very nice because
[1:03:33] I we I had a thousand questions a day
about child care and what we could open,
[1:03:38] what we could do, what was close
contacts. And he I I called him
[1:03:41] uh his office regularly. But um
I've enjoyed working with with everyone
[1:03:46] here. Chris, um
you I I I saw as soon as I saw him Well,
[1:03:51] I started texting Cleary. I said, "I
think we're the last we're the last two
[1:03:55] that that
uh
[1:03:57] » hired him.
>> hired him. And she said So I looked back
[1:03:59] and we were. So I But uh Chris Chris
>> Good hire.
[1:04:03] » Good hire. One of that one of my our
our positive uh
[1:04:08] » We didn't I hear he's a good hire, too.
>> Good.
[1:04:10] Um but
>> This may be why.
[1:04:13] » Renee and Chris have become just good
friends. Uh so
[1:04:18] uh
uh I will cherish every all the
[1:04:20] friendships that I've made here.
Yet today marks my last BMA meeting
[1:04:24] after 9 years of serving the citizens of
Kingsport. I'm thankful for the
[1:04:28] opportunity to work with three mayors,
two city managers, and been able to hire
[1:04:31] one city manager. I'm leaving you all in
wonderful hands with our hire. Uh
[1:04:35] countless city staff and wonderful board
members.
[1:04:39] Through good times and difficult times,
including the loss of two board members
[1:04:42] that we served with. Two of the our
board members that in the last 9 years
[1:04:45] have passed, which um
you know, kind of puts the everything in
[1:04:49] perspective. We survived COVID and Zoom
meetings.
[1:04:54] I'd never That was my our first I never
heard of Zoom before, and we we were
[1:04:58] Zooming. And I remember uh
Pat was the was the mayor, and he made a
[1:05:03] comment about what was in my background,
and I had to very quickly
[1:05:06] move some things out of the background
of my our Zoom meetings.
[1:05:10] Um
For 9 years we brought we've had special
[1:05:13] memories, friendships, ribbon cuttings,
completed projects, and opportunities to
[1:05:17] make a difference.
One of my greatest joys, and it knows no
[1:05:20] surprise here, has been Christmas in
Kingsport. It's amazing that this going
[1:05:24] to be in its fifth year this year, and
there's it's growing every year. There's
[1:05:27] two or three very exciting things that
that that you need to be looking out for
[1:05:31] for this year.
Um
[1:05:34] and Chris has been very I said I
He he knows when he I he gets a message
[1:05:39] from me about Christmas in Kingsport.
I'm sure he shakes his head and wants to
[1:05:42] hit delete. Um
But thank you for the the the citizens
[1:05:46] for trusting me and giving me the
privilege of serving. I may be leaving
[1:05:49] the BMA, but I'll never leave my love
for Kingsport. Uh I look forward to
[1:05:53] watching our city continue to grow and
prosper and remain a wonderful place to
[1:05:56] live, work, raise a family, and call
home. So thank you, Kingsport, for 9
[1:06:00] unforgettable years.
Uh
[1:06:03] lastly, I want to mention Lamplight
Theatre. I always mention something
[1:06:07] about our downtown.
Foggy Valley is on for two more
[1:06:10] weekends. If you haven't been to
Lamplight, be sure to go down there.
[1:06:14] Foggy Valley is one of the one of their
better shows. It's a it's a comedy show,
[1:06:17] so um be sure to support our downtown
businesses, and um
[1:06:23] thank you for the last 9 years.
[1:06:28] » Gosh.
Y'all are just gushing on everything,
[1:06:31] and you know I really do appreciate
everybody up here.
[1:06:35] I really I I really I mean I said that
this is it's been it has been an honor
[1:06:39] and a privilege to serve Kingsport for
13 years. And I have done four mayors,
[1:06:44] three city managers, so I got to hire
two. But but I still think it's sort of
[1:06:49] I did a good job.
Two locations,
[1:06:53] and I should have counted all the
different aldermen I've served with, but
[1:06:56] I didn't. And then I said I really
I really enjoyed most all of them, and I
[1:07:01] really like everybody up here, and I've
enjoyed you all. It um
[1:07:06] it really this is an honor and I think
everybody that serves realizes this it's
[1:07:13] it is a a blessing. We have such a
wonderful board. Um I really have
[1:07:19] appreciated getting to know the the
staff and the employees of Kingsport.
[1:07:23] I mean, wonderful individuals, great
leadership team, all of y'all that have
[1:07:27] to sit here every single twice a month
and listen to us. Um
[1:07:32] but the thing you know and I'm like a
total bad a person and I know when I
[1:07:37] from the time I first got on the board
that staff probably at times could have
[1:07:41] strangled me. Um and now as Betsy said
last meeting, I think a lot of these
[1:07:44] reports we got now have enough where I
could get up and give the report. Um but
[1:07:49] the amount of time and
to and just information and the
[1:07:55] professionalism that this staff puts to
to provide us the data that we need to
[1:08:02] make informed decisions.
You know, I think a lot of times when
[1:08:05] you when people watch this meeting and
we're really just voting, they have no
[1:08:09] idea what started
years ago, what went through the work
[1:08:13] session, how much how many
presentations, how much data, how much
[1:08:18] re-explaining things to us, how much the
city has given us the all the right
[1:08:24] information and I and they're nice about
it to make sure that we can make an
[1:08:29] informed vote. And I know when I kept
things on the agenda for year after year
[1:08:34] after year that that Carissa and even
Jeff Fleming before that and probably
[1:08:38] Don Campbell were like, "Can we not get
this off this thing?" you know, but but
[1:08:42] we got a dental school. So, that was one
you know, there's you know, there's a
[1:08:45] lot of things that it
as a small business owner,
[1:08:49] you know, when I want to make a change
and I want to do something, I can make a
[1:08:54] decision, I can spend money, I can make
things happen. And
[1:08:58] when the hardest thing for me with
government is the things that
[1:09:03] when I first got on the board like Main
Street, 13 years since I That was one of
[1:09:07] my first votes. And I think it took 12
before we got that built.
[1:09:13] And
it's it's like we vote on things and we
[1:09:16] start the procedure and go through it
and we vote on things. And by the time
[1:09:21] they start moving dirt, somebody says,
"What's going on over here?" And I'm
[1:09:23] like, "I don't remember." I mean, you
know, what is that? And I think that's
[1:09:27] as small business that's so hard to
learn government and to also try to
[1:09:33] explain it to the public. And we have a
great public. I mean, I think you will
[1:09:38] really as new people coming in, you will
really appreciate that. You get a lot of
[1:09:41] emails, you have a lot of people
stopping and ask questions. They are
[1:09:45] polite. They listen to your answers.
They
[1:09:49] Most of the time I mean, we get a couple
that, you know, they're probably
[1:09:51] foreigners, but I mean, from other
states that have moved here.
[1:09:55] But, you know, people are very nice and
and it is really it it it does connect
[1:10:01] you to the citizens. We get to do great
things and I have
[1:10:05] really really really appreciated my time
on this board. And I really do love all
[1:10:10] the people I work with and and
appreciate more what the city does,
[1:10:15] staff does.
And I want to just, you know, really say
[1:10:17] thank you for giving me this
opportunity. And um
[1:10:22] I said
but it is it is really cool and good and
[1:10:25] all that all that stuff, so
it I will I will still I told Chris I'll
[1:10:30] probably still come up here and and you
know, on the things I love, I will
[1:10:33] probably still have an opinion.
Hard to imagine.
[1:10:36] And uh
it is uh
[1:10:39] it is I will still be involved as the
you know, once you're in it, you I mean,
[1:10:42] we love Kingsport. Everybody that serves
loves Kingsport. So, I really just thank
[1:10:46] you for the opportunity. Thank you for
the friendships. Thank you for
[1:10:49] tolerating me and putting up with me and
the grace you have shown when I didn't
[1:10:53] necessarily agree. And yes, I always
have a strong opinion.
[1:10:56] But, I do appreciate all of y'all.
Thanks.
[1:11:01] » Thank you. Thank you all, and we thank
you all for being with us tonight, and I
[1:11:06] will say this means adjourned.