[0:02] We'll call to order the August 18th
meeting of the Morristown City Council and
[0:08] welcome those of you who are here with us
today.
[0:11] We'll begin the meeting as we always do
with an invocation followed by the Pledge
[0:17] with an invocation followed by the Pledge
to
[0:17] the Flag. Our Councilman Joseph Senter
will lead the invocation and Councilman Al
[0:22] A'Hearn will lead the pledge. Let us pray.
[0:25] Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing
us together today.
[0:29] We ask for your wisdom as we begin this
council meeting.
[0:33] Give us our leaders clear minds and open
hearts.
[0:37] Let us listen to one another with respect.
[0:40] Guide our choices so they serve the best
interests of every citizen in our town.
[0:46] Amen. Amen.
[0:47] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America,
[0:54] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to
[1:02] the republic for which it stands, one
nation under God, indivisible,
[1:10] with liberty and justice for all. Council
members, let's check in.
[1:17] Oh, present— one absent, 6 present.
[1:21] Councilman Bivens has chronic back
difficulties which have been flared
[1:29] up the last 2 days. We'd ask you to keep
him in your thoughts.
[1:36] We have an agenda to adopt. Is there a
motion to do so?
[1:43] So moved.
[1:44] Motion, A'Hearn. Do we have a second?
[1:46] Second.
[1:46] We do have a second.
[1:49] If there are no additions to that agenda,
so indicate your approval.
[1:56] And the agenda is adopted. We open the
floor for citizen comments.
[2:04] These are about items that are on the
agenda.
[2:09] If anyone wants to speak about those
agenda items,
[2:14] Please come to the podium and introduce
yourself by name and
[2:21] address. We'll ask you to restrict your
comments to those agenda
[2:28] items and please identify which one you're
speaking about.
[2:34] The floor is now open. Good evening.
[2:39] Again, Council, my name is Dean Howell,
6816 Resolute Road, Knoxville, Tennessee.
[2:45] I spoke at the, uh, the, the meeting that
happened just a little bit ago and, uh,
[2:51] just reiterate those comments that on the
agenda item that you were— that's listed,
[2:56] the, uh, ordinance to rezone the property
at 350 Howell Road,
[3:01] we ask that that be approved.
[3:03] Um, and, uh, I just reiterate the same
comments that I made,
[3:07] that there's property on one side of the
Colgate plant that's been allowed to be
[3:12] developed into residential property,
[3:15] and we ask the same on the other side and
appreciate, uh,
[3:19] council's consideration of that request
and appreciate the opportunity to speak
[3:24] today. Thank you very much.
[3:26] Thank you, Dean. Anyone else?
[3:38] Louis Chan, East First North Street,
Morristown, second floor.
[3:44] I would like to talk about the item 10B1,
[3:48] which is the same item as the previous
speaker had mentioned,
[3:54] that is related to the rezoning of the
Howard Road.
[3:59] I did not even know this item on the
schedule until I came in here,
[4:05] but I want to say something, and I'm ready
to be wrong.
[4:11] And even if I'm wrong because of the lack
of preparing,
[4:16] but the larger principle and the direction
for the city would be right and would be
[4:24] absolutely right in my mind,
[4:27] especially considering from the financial
Point of view.
[4:32] I want the city to continue to grow,
[4:36] grow much more aggressively from the
residential development, more living
[4:43] residential development, more living
units,
[4:43] to develop the next industry park. But we
have our limit.
[4:49] Okay.
[4:52] We are boxed in, so to speak, by the
highway, by the mountain, by the lake,
[4:57] the things that we can overcome.
[4:59] Louie, we need to keep your comments
pertaining to this particular item as an
[5:04] pertaining to this particular item as an
agenda
[5:04] item.
[5:04] I would want the Harvard Road to be
developed, to be rezoned.
[5:11] Therefore, there is a chance to redevelop
away from the current
[5:18] purpose as architecture Forest District,
because in that zoning,
[5:25] the current A-1, for the pure financial
standpoint,
[5:30] point of view calculation, is worth
nothing for the city.
[5:37] And we need to have more residents and
industry to increase our income
[5:44] base. Our city is on the right path to
become a stronger and more and
[5:52] more stable entity. But in order to get to
the certain level of the
[5:59] stability, you need to have a certain
size.
[6:04] It's a physics, like how big your body is.
[6:09] Therefore, how much of the heat can hold
in that mass.
[6:15] We need to have enough more residents,
[6:19] enough residential units to attract them
to come in,
[6:24] more jobs to incite them to move in,
[6:28] develop more roads so they don't have to
make the unnecessary
[6:35] transport. Until we grow to a certain
size, the next level size—
[6:42] Your time has expired. Who's next?
[6:44] Thank you, sir.
[6:45] Anyone else wish to address the council
[6:51] on items that are on the agenda? Anyone?
[7:03] Good evening. Um, my name is Regina
Jellicorse Fields.
[7:07] I am— and my family owns the property at
350 Howell Road,
[7:11] which is on the agenda tonight for
rezoning from agriculture to residential.
[7:17] I've spent the last 7 years of my career
as a physician at Morristown Hamlin
[7:23] Hospital, serving as a hospitalist, as
chief of staff,
[7:27] and and medical director of our
hospitalist program.
[7:31] And I'm here speaking today for myself,
not for the hospital,
[7:35] but just to give you a perspective from
the community.
[7:40] Our hospital is busier than ever. That's
what growth looks like from where I stand.
[7:46] And alongside that, I work every day with
physicians, nurses, ancillary staff,
[7:52] hospital administrators who commute into
Morristown because they cannot find
[7:58] Morristown because they cannot find
housing
[7:58] here. There are a high number of people
that care for our community that don't
[8:04] that care for our community that don't
live
[8:04] here because of the housing strains.
[8:07] The Morristown economic development data
reports over 19,000 people commuting into
[8:13] Hamlin County to work every day.
[8:16] According to the Census Reporter,
[8:18] Hamlin County has 28,742 housing units And
95% of those are already occupied,
[8:24] leaving 2,110 vacant housing units for the
19,000 commuters.
[8:29] That gap is significant and has its
consequences in healthcare and in my line
[8:34] consequences in healthcare and in my line
of
[8:35] work. It shows up as harder recruiting,
[8:38] harder time finding nurses and physicians
to come and work at our hospital,
[8:43] thinner staffing, and our good.
[8:46] staff leaving for towns where they can
afford to live near their work.
[8:51] Our city needs housing,
[8:53] and our builder's plan includes over 400
homes for our community.
[8:58] And that's the first reason I'm asking for
you to approve this rezoning.
[9:03] The second is that our buyer and builder
have done exactly what the planning
[9:09] department has asked and more.
[9:11] At the department's request,
[9:13] he revised the plan to provide more
attainable housing while also
[9:18] attainable housing while also
accommodating
[9:19] larger lots Those 2 things pull against
each other.
[9:23] Meeting both is more than this rezoning
required of him,
[9:27] and he did it anyway in good faith because
the department had asked.
[9:32] The 3rd reason is consistency.
[9:35] The commission has already redesigned
neighboring land for residential use.
[9:40] Our property is comparable ground,
[9:43] so sound planning treats similar parcels
similarly.
[9:47] And we're asking only to be treated the
way our neighbors have been.
[9:52] In closing, community need,
[9:54] compliance with what our planning
department recommended,
[9:58] and consistency with what you have already
approved next door to Colgate.
[10:04] For these 3 reasons, I'm asking—
requesting the rezoning should be
[10:09] requesting the rezoning should be
approved.
[10:09] Thank you, Regina.
[10:10] Yes, thank you.
[10:11] Anyone else wish to be heard?
[10:14] I don't want to close it and then somebody
says,
[10:19] I wish I'd have gotten that. So anyone
else?
[10:24] Good afternoon. Jane Howell Chadwell.
[10:26] My family has the property at 350 Howell
Road,
[10:29] and I appreciate the opportunity to speak
with you.
[10:31] I want to focus on one simple point.
[10:33] This request is not asking Morristown to
create a new direction for this area.
[10:37] It is asking to allow our property to
respond to the direction Morristown has
[10:41] already taken. Over time, this area has
changed significantly.
[10:45] Veterans Parkway was built and improved.
[10:47] The community center and public works
facilities are directly to the east.
[10:51] Millstone Village, a high-density
residential development,
[10:54] is already being developed nearby.
[10:56] The airport, railroad, Colgate,
[10:57] and other uses are all part of the
existing landscape.
[11:00] The city's own description confirms this
mix of use— uses surrounding the property.
[11:05] Most importantly, the city's own
professional planning staff describes this
[11:09] professional planning staff describes this
proposal
[11:09] as infill development and recommends
approval because of the surrounding uses,
[11:13] proximity to Veterans Parkway,
[11:15] and the city's ability to serve the
property with existing infrastructure.
[11:19] This is nearly 147 acres.
[11:20] It is not a small parcel being carved out
for an unrelated use.
[11:23] Leaving this property ag while Morristown
has invested in and allowed development
[11:28] around it risks creating exactly the kind
of isolated land use pattern that good
[11:32] planning should seek to avoid.
[11:34] We are simply asking to become a part of
the growth that has already reached our
[11:38] doorstep. We are not asking our existing
neighbors to change for us.
[11:42] We are accepting them as our neighbors and
asking for the opportunity to develop
[11:46] alongside of them. Finally, this is
personal for my family.
[11:49] Our family has been asked many times to
give something from this property for
[11:53] Morristown's growth.
[11:54] We believe it is fair that we now have the
opportunity to participate in that growth
[11:59] and receive fair market value for land my
parents have cared for all these years.
[12:03] Good planning recognizes that communities
evolve. Morristown brought the roads.
[12:07] Morristown built the community amenities.
[12:09] Morristown encouraged growth around this
property,
[12:12] and we are now asking Morristown to change
course.
[12:15] Thank you.
[12:15] Not to change course. We are asking to be
allowed to move forward with it.
[12:19] We respectfully ask for your support for
the rezoning. Thank you.
[12:23] Thank you, Jane. Anyone else?
[12:25] Seeing no one come forward,
[12:27] we'll close this portion of the agenda on
citizen comments and move on to
[12:33] the minutes of our August 4th meeting.
They need approval.
[12:38] Is there a motion by the council?
[12:41] So moved.
[12:42] Motion, A'Hearn. Do we have a second?
[12:44] Second.
[12:45] We do have a second. Any, um, comments
from the council or any changes?
[12:52] Hearing none, let's vote. And the minutes
are approved.
[12:57] We move under the old business.
[13:00] We have a second and final reading on An
ordinance,
[13:06] this being a budget amendment to carry
forward some purchase orders.
[13:12] Yes.
[13:13] You recall that this is the amendment
necessary to recognize all the purchases
[13:16] necessary to recognize all the purchases
and
[13:17] projects that were under— underway already
at the end of the last fiscal year.
[13:20] So we'd recommend approval.
[13:21] Is there a motion to accept that
recommendation?
[13:23] So moved.
[13:25] Motion, Kay Senter. Do we have a second?
[13:27] Second.
[13:28] We do have a second.
[13:30] Any questions or comments from the
council?
[13:34] Hearing none, let's vote.
[13:37] And the motion adopts the ordinance.
[13:41] Next, under new business, we have a couple
of resolutions.
[13:47] First, the amended purchasing operation
procedures.
[13:52] Yes, this comes as a result of our
periodic review of financial policies.
[13:56] Recommendations are minor and include
corrections in the section about new
[14:00] corrections in the section about new
newspaper
[14:01] publication and introduce flexibility in
case state law should change in the future
[14:06] in response to the growing internet-based
media.
[14:08] Finance Committee saw this at their last
meeting, and we recommend approval.
[14:13] Is there a motion to accept this
recommendation?
[14:15] Move for approval.
[14:18] Motion, Kay Senter. Do we have a second?
[14:20] Second.
[14:23] We do have a second. Any questions or
comments from the council?
[14:27] Uh, we'll add that, uh,
[14:28] there was some concern expressed about the
publication and that we—
[14:33] this is merely to— that we will be
following what state law asks us to do.
[14:38] Yes.
[14:39] Yeah, it doesn't affect anything
differently that
[14:45] we're doing now. Okay, any other comments?
[14:50] Are we ready to vote? Let's vote.
[14:54] And the motion carries.
[14:57] And we have another amended debt
management policy
[15:04] resolution.
[15:05] This also comes as a result of that review
of financial policies.
[15:09] Recommendations here mostly address typos.
[15:11] The only substantive change seeks to
clarify that the review of the document
[15:15] clarify that the review of the document
should
[15:15] be every other year rather than twice per
year.
[15:18] There was just an error there with
biannually versus biennially.
[15:21] Uh, Finance Committee also saw this and
recommends the amendment.
[15:25] Is there a motion to accept this change?
[15:27] So moved.
[15:27] Motion, A'Hearn. Do we have a second?
[15:29] Second.
[15:32] We do have a second. Any questions or
comments?
[15:37] Hearing none, let's vote. And that motion
carries.
[15:43] Uh, we have 2 ordinances to introduce on
first reading.
[15:49] The first one is the rezoning of 350
Howell Road.
[15:55] Uh, yes, sir, Mayor.
[15:57] As City Council may recall, you recently
amended the R-2— excuse me,
[16:01] the RD-2 district to give another
standalone single-family district,
[16:06] but this district does match the R-2, our
medium-density residential district.
[16:11] And lot size, that being 7,500 square
feet.
[16:14] Due to this change, the proposed developer
of 350 Howe Road is seeking to include
[16:19] this as part of their rezoning request to
assure that a portion of this development
[16:25] will be set aside solely for single-family
with slightly larger lot sizes than was
[16:30] originally proposed.
[16:32] The new request for this property is to be
rezoned from A-1 Agriculture Forestry
[16:37] District to RD-2 for Parcel 1 on the
screen and in your packet.
[16:41] Which consists of 93 acres, uh, R-3,
[16:44] our high-density residential district for
Parcel 2,
[16:47] which has approximately 36 acres,
[16:49] and intermediate business for Parcel 3
consisting of 17 acres.
[16:53] As I just stated, single-family
residential is still planned for Parcel 1,
[16:58] while Parcel 2 will be used for
multifamily and Parcel 3 will be set aside
[17:03] multifamily and Parcel 3 will be set aside
for
[17:03] commercial purposes.
[17:05] And you can see Parcel 2,
[17:06] the R-3 proposed district and the business
district are both along Veterans Parkway.
[17:12] And due to the current and then the future
planned growth of Veterans,
[17:17] we believe this type of use along this
corridor is appropriate.
[17:21] To recap previously regarding this parcel,
the tract is 147 acres in size,
[17:26] currently used as agriculture.
[17:28] Railroad tracks and the airport to the
north,
[17:31] vacant parcel and Colgate to the west
zoned heavy industrial,
[17:35] public works facility and community center
to the east zoned intermediate business,
[17:41] and vacant land to the south within the
county's jurisdiction zoned agriculture.
[17:46] It should be noted that if this rezoning
does receive approval,
[17:50] a full set of construction plans and a
preliminary plat will need to be submitted
[17:56] and approved by Planning staff and
Planning Commission prior to any
[18:00] Planning Commission prior to any
construction at
[18:01] this location. As I kind of just hinted
at,
[18:04] due to the proximity of Veterans Parkway,
the surrounding zoning and land uses,
[18:09] and the development being an infill
development that the city and Moorestown
[18:14] Utilities, as mentioned earlier, can
easily serve,
[18:18] staff does recommend approval of this
rezoning request and Planning Commission
[18:23] rezoning request and Planning Commission
vote
[18:23] to support this request at their August
monthly meeting.
[18:28] Does the council have questions for Josh?
Any comments? Yeah, go ahead.
[18:34] I'm sure in the future we're going to have
to evaluate the, uh,
[18:38] Veterans Parkway roadway at some point.
[18:41] Yeah, and that— we do have enough
right-of-way there to expand it to 4 lanes
[18:47] when it's needed. That's more of an Andrew
question, and long-term planning.
[18:53] So, okay, thank you. Who's the developer
down there?
[18:58] Uh, who's developing this? Uh, Steve
Holgate. Um, he's not local.
[19:04] I believe he's here.
[19:05] Yeah, he's—
[19:09] is there a motion that we accept this
recommendation from the Planning
[19:14] recommendation from the Planning
Department?
[19:14] Motion, Pedigo. Is there a second?
[19:19] Second.
[19:19] We do have a second. Any other questions
or comments from the council?
[19:26] Are we ready to vote? Let's vote. The
motion carries.
[19:32] It is set for a public hearing on
September 1st,
[19:37] which is our next meeting.
[19:40] We move to the second ordinance,
[19:43] which is an annexation request for Panther
Springs Road.
[19:49] Uh, yes, sir, Mayor.
[19:51] Staff has received a request by the
property owner, Don Pease Properties,
[19:56] which is Kenny Noah, to annex property
located at 330 Panther Springs Road,
[20:01] which is located just north of the Nissan
and Hyundai dealerships on West Andrew
[20:06] Johnson Highway. The subject property
currently contains a house and a couple
[20:11] accessory buildings, including another
residential unit On slightly over 19
[20:16] residential unit On slightly over 19
acres,
[20:16] it's currently zoned Hamlin County A-1,
[20:19] which is their agriculture forestry
district.
[20:22] The owner is requesting annexation in
order to receive city services.
[20:26] I believe the primary concern is sanitary
sewer right now.
[20:30] The properties to the north contain
residential uses zoned Hamlin County A-1.
[20:35] There are multiple single-family and
duplex units across To the west across
[20:40] duplex units across To the west across
Pamphlet
[20:41] Springs, Zone R-2, and OMP, which is our
Office Medical Professional District,
[20:46] and the previously mentioned automobile
uses to the south and southwest,
[20:51] Zone Intermediate Business.
[20:52] Due to the residential uses and the
proximity of the R-2 zoning designations,
[20:58] if annexed, staff does recommend the R-2
District.
[21:01] And looking beyond this initial request,
Currently,
[21:04] a portion of both sides of the road— of
the right-of-way of Pamphlet Springs Road—
[21:10] is within the city, but the right-of-way
itself is not.
[21:13] So staff is also requesting to annex the
right-of-way from West Andrew Johnson
[21:18] Highway to the northern boundary of this
initial request.
[21:22] The property can be annexed.
[21:24] It is eligible to be annexed within—
because it is within the urban growth
[21:29] because it is within the urban growth
boundary.
[21:29] Contiguous to existing city limits.
[21:32] Staff recommends approval of this request
with the R-2 zoning designation,
[21:37] and Planning Commission also voted in
support of this request last week.
[21:41] Does the council have questions in
addition to— for Josh?
[21:45] Hearing none, is there a motion that we
accept this recommendation?
[21:49] So moved.
[21:52] Motion, A'Hearn. Do we have a second?
[21:53] Second.
[21:55] We do have a second. Any additional
questions or comments from the council?
[22:01] Are we ready to vote? Let's vote.
[22:04] That ordinance is approved on first
reading,
[22:08] and it is set for public hearing on the
annexation and the plan of services
[22:15] for September 1st. We have the next
ordinance is a special use permit.
[22:22] Andrew?
[22:22] I This amendment was covered in the August
4th work session with council as
[22:26] presented, uh, recommendation from Chief
Overholt and City Attorney Carroll.
[22:31] Uh, we also have a copy of the redlined
version before you on the dais.
[22:35] Uh, and I defer to them for any questions
you may have on that, but, uh,
[22:39] it comes with their recommendation for
approval.
[22:42] Is there a motion to accept this
recommendation?
[22:44] So moved.
[22:46] Motion, Pedigo. Do we have a second?
[22:47] Second.
[22:49] We do have a second. Any questions or
comments from the council?
[22:52] Yes, sir. On the last line, it's, it's in
black,
[22:55] said we need to list how notifications
will be made.
[22:58] Is that what the red— that we're— I'm
assuming that's what the red's doing,
[23:03] the red text around that.
[23:04] So I think what the chief had done,
[23:06] that was just him listing how they would
be made.
[23:09] And so what I put into the actual
ordinance states that notification shall
[23:13] ordinance states that notification shall
be made
[23:13] to the administrator or his designee.
[23:15] Okay, so that's taken care of above.
[23:18] Yes.
[23:18] In the actual ordinance. Thank you.
[23:21] Any other questions? Are we ready to vote?
Let's vote.
[23:27] That motion and ordinance is approved.
[23:31] Then we have another budget amendment
ordinance.
[23:36] This is for the general fund and the solid
waste fund.
[23:42] This amendment recognizes fire department
grants and donations received,
[23:46] as well as the The use of those funds,
[23:48] and also a portion of the downtown
improvement grant that was not expended
[23:52] improvement grant that was not expended
prior to
[23:52] the end of last fiscal year.
[23:54] It also increases expenditures to cover
contracted mowing within Public Works that
[23:58] was overlooked in the budget process.
[24:01] Last fiscal year, City Council also
appropriated funds for right-of-way for
[24:05] appropriated funds for right-of-way for
the
[24:05] Central Church Road project, as well as
the east-west sidewalk project.
[24:09] But because we didn't execute those
acquisitions prior to year-end,
[24:12] the funds rolled back to the fund balance.
[24:15] Okay.
[24:15] And this amendment reappropriates the
dollars that were remaining there.
[24:19] Finally, this amendment inserts a general
supervisor position into the Solid Waste
[24:23] Fund. In recent years,
[24:25] the position supervising solid waste was
funded out of Public Works,
[24:28] out of the Street Repair and Maintenance
Division,
[24:31] and the superintendent over Street Repair
and Maintenance was funded out of Brush
[24:36] and Bulk. So this change doesn't create a
new position.
[24:39] It simply puts the positions in the—
[24:41] Yes.
[24:41] proper places over the individuals they
supervise.
[24:44] Uh, so we recommend approval of this
budget amendment.
[24:48] Is there a motion to accept this
recommendation?
[24:50] So moved.
[24:53] Motion, Kay Senter. Do we have a second?
[24:55] Second.
[24:55] We do have a second. Any additional
questions or comments from the council?
[24:59] Uh, yes, sir. Um, the mowing contract,
[25:01] that's not just the mowing contract for
Central Church Road, that's overall
[25:06] Central Church Road, that's overall
mowing.
[25:07] No, that's— the mowing is not related to
Central Church Road.
[25:09] Okay.
[25:10] Um, there's various right-of-ways
throughout the city that are under mowing
[25:14] contract. There are certain parks that are
under mowing contracts.
[25:17] Um, and so the mowing contract really ends
up getting divided between about 3
[25:21] different departments throughout the city.
[25:24] And somehow we just overlooked a dollar
amount that was supposed—
[25:27] that's typically part of the public works
budget.
[25:30] Thank you.
[25:31] Are we ready to vote? Let's vote.
[25:35] And that motion carries.
[25:38] We have some bids and contracts to award.
[25:43] First is the improvements on Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
[25:51] Parkway.
[25:52] I guess this project was discussed and
presented in a council work session back
[25:57] presented in a council work session back
in
[25:57] June of '25. You'll recall it intends to
address new traffic that's come to the
[26:02] address new traffic that's come to the
area
[26:02] with recent developments and safety
concerns at multiple intersections.
[26:07] Closing the south end of Jarnigan will
prevent Jarnigan from continuing to be
[26:12] prevent Jarnigan from continuing to be
used
[26:12] as a cut-through between MLK and Morris.
[26:15] Changing the stopping pattern at Lincoln
and Jarnigan will work a little more
[26:20] naturally with the width of Lincoln that
exists there.
[26:24] Then signalizing.
[26:26] The intersection at Lincoln and MLK and
Thomas R.
[26:29] James will help safety— safely control
traffic movement through that
[26:34] traffic movement through that
intersection.
[26:35] A new center turn lane on MLK will give
better protection to vehicles that are
[26:40] turning left into Morristown Utilities
facilities.
[26:43] The bids are within the engineer's
estimate.
[26:46] We will, however, need to transfer another
$135,000 at some point into our capital
[26:51] projects fund to cover that.
[26:53] Okay.
[26:54] Uh, because of course, as time has passed,
[26:56] the funding we set aside initially is not
going to quite cover that.
[26:59] But I would defer to a later amendment in
the year to, uh, to cover those, uh,
[27:03] kind of see how— if we have some savings
we can cover that with in the meantime.
[27:08] So with that, we'd recommend approval of
this awarding bid.
[27:11] Is there a motion to accept this
[27:14] recommendation? So the motion, Pedigo.
[27:17] Do we have a second?
[27:20] Second.
[27:20] We do have a second. Questions or comments
from the council?
[27:24] It's been a long time coming.
[27:27] Let's vote. And that motion carries.
[27:34] Tyler Technologies contract amendment.
[27:41] Intergov is the name of the program that's
It's used predominantly by planning,
[27:46] engineering, inspections, and code
enforcement to track permits, inspections,
[27:51] and cases. The data lives on 4 in-house
servers, which are no longer supported.
[27:56] Rather than replace the 4 on-premises
servers at a cost of nearly $200,000,
[28:00] we're recommending to move this system to
the cloud. The recurring fee is $61,612.
[28:06] We believe this will result in more
seamless support from Tyler.
[28:10] Uh, as well as better updating, uh,
whenever those—
[28:13] whenever they have updates to provide to
us. Uh, so we'd recommend approval.
[28:17] Is there a motion to accept this
recommendation?
[28:19] So moved.
[28:23] Motion, Pedigo. Do we have a second?
[28:24] Second.
[28:26] We do have a second.
[28:28] Any questions or comments from the
council?
[28:33] Hearing none, let's vote. That motion
carries.
[28:38] Item 3 is the Microsoft license renewals.
[28:42] Yes, we rebid this item. We've received 16
quotes.
[28:47] We recommend Jam Tech Enterprises at a
cost of $37,920 for year 1 and
[28:53] $42,660 for year 2.
[28:55] Is there a motion to accept this?
[28:58] So moved.
[29:01] Motion, Kay Senter. Do we have a second?
[29:03] Second.
[29:03] We do have a second. Questions or comments
from the council?
[29:09] Hearing none, let's vote. And that motion
carries.
[29:14] We have a change order for the Frank
Loreno Park renovation
[29:20] project.
[29:21] We are excited to move this project along
and hopefully get completion later this
[29:26] fall, but this change order encompasses 4
different change directives that have Yes.
[29:31] The change order 1 quantities that were
already approved by council have been
[29:36] reconciled back to the total quantities
actually needed,
[29:39] resulting in a cost reduction of about
$65,000.
[29:42] There was a rock hammer that was required
to remove rock in an embankment near the
[29:47] football field at an additional cost.
[29:49] It was determined that there was a better
method to sod the football field instead
[29:54] of seeding and strawing,
[29:55] and then offset that with some sod that
was not necessary in another location.
[30:00] And then we also had some changes to the
design of some of the sanitary sewer.
[30:04] Uh, overall, you can capture all of those
change directives,
[30:08] and this is actually a cost reduction. I
think I misspoke at the last meeting.
[30:13] It's actually a cost reduction of
$13,513.39. Uh, we'd recommend approval.
[30:17] Is there a motion to accept this
recommendation? Motion, Pedigo.
[30:22] Do we have a second?
[30:24] Second.
[30:25] We do have a second. Any questions or
comments?
[30:30] Hearing none, let's vote. And that motion
is approved.
[30:37] Continuing under these items, number 5,
[30:41] concerning the surplus and rescinding
prior surplus.
[30:47] Of the hoop tables and trash cans.
[30:51] Uh, yes, this list includes 9 vehicles,
[30:54] 1 Parks and Recreation truck and 8 Police
Department vehicles.
[30:57] Our Fleet Division does a pretty good job
of kind of poaching all the goods from
[31:02] these— a lot of these vehicles before we
dispose of them.
[31:05] This item also does include the rescission
of some previously approved surplus from
[31:10] the Landing. We've found some other uses
at the Fire Department and Parks and Rec
[31:14] for a basketball All gold and some minor
furniture items. We'd recommend approval.
[31:19] Is there a motion to accept the
recommendation?
[31:21] So moved.
[31:23] Motion, Kay Senter. Do we have a second?
[31:25] Second.
[31:26] We do have a second.
[31:29] Any comments or questions on this one from
the council?
[31:35] Hearing none, let's vote. And that motion
carries.
[31:42] Under 6, CDBG Public Services subrecipient
agreement.
[31:48] You'll recall that we've partnered with
Central Services for many years providing
[31:53] CDBG funding to help prevent homelessness.
[31:55] The program provides—
[31:56] this program provides emergency utility
assistance and rent assistance to prevent
[32:01] eviction for low-to-moderate income
households,
[32:04] thereby helping people remain in their
homes.
[32:06] Uh, Central Services has provided this
public service for many years and helped
[32:11] thousands of people in our community. We
recommend approval.
[32:14] Is there a motion to approve this
recommendation?
[32:16] So moved.
[32:17] Motion, Joe Senter. Is there a second?
[32:19] Second.
[32:21] We do have a second. Any questions or
comments from the council?
[32:27] Hearing none, let's vote. And that motion
carries.
[32:32] And finally, we have a temporary
right-of-way closure request for
[32:39] Peavine Alley.
[32:40] Yes, on July 7th, Council authorized an
extended closure through August 21st due
[32:44] extended closure through August 21st due
to
[32:44] longer construction timelines on the
project there.
[32:47] The applicant has requested to extend the
closure through October 1st.
[32:51] Properties in the vicinity have been
notified that this would be under
[32:55] notified that this would be under
consideration
[32:55] today, and no conditions are known have
changed that should prevent the extension.
[33:00] Is there a motion to approve this request?
[33:03] So moved.
[33:07] Motion, A'Hearn. Do we have a second?
[33:09] Second.
[33:10] We do have a second. Questions or comments
from the council?
[33:16] Hearing none, let's vote. And the motion
carries.
[33:20] We have no appointments to make today.
[33:24] We move to new issues, uh, the only one
there being the, uh,
[33:29] an amendment to the internal control
policy manual.
[33:34] It's just like the other, uh, 2 items we
had earlier on the agenda,
[33:38] or financial policies that we'd reviewed.
Internal control policy was another.
[33:43] Uh, organizational and operational changes
within the city in recent years brought
[33:48] to light the need to update the manual,
[33:50] recognizing Improvements to various
internal control measures.
[33:54] These changes address certain changes in
personnel roles, purchasing card controls,
[33:59] timing and other procedural changes that
relate to newer software-driven processes,
[34:04] IT system access controls, grant-related
controls,
[34:07] clarifications to processes related to
budgeting, inventory, and capital assets.
[34:12] Okay.
[34:15] We'd recommend these approvals.
[34:16] And Finance Committee also saw this at
their last meeting and recommends
[34:19] their last meeting and recommends
adoption.
[34:20] Is there a motion to approve this
recommendation?
[34:22] So moved.
[34:26] Motion, Pedigo. Do we have a second?
[34:28] Second.
[34:28] We do have a second. Any questions or
comments?
[34:35] Hearing none, let's vote.
[34:39] And that motion is approved.
[34:43] We come to the city administrator's
report.
[34:49] Yeah, a few things. But first, uh,
[34:51] I'll go back to that change order for the
Frank Laurino Park.
[34:55] And I, I started second-guessing myself
there, and sure enough,
[34:58] I had 2 different numbers on my memo.
[35:01] But, uh, going to the, the, um, the
architects, uh, engineers Record,
[35:05] it is a savings of $11,513.39, not
$13,000. So I want to put that out there.
[35:09] Um, see my report, uh, fiscal year '27
paving is now underway.
[35:13] North Norlock and Mall Road have been
completed this week.
[35:17] Chestnut, North Park, Anderson, East 6th
North, and Gammon should get underway.
[35:21] Um, a few notes, uh, Regarding staff,
[35:24] I wanted to issue a kudos to Nick Beale in
Public Works.
[35:27] Following some stormy weather we had last
week,
[35:30] there was a large limb down in the yard
along his garbage route,
[35:34] and Nick went out of his way to get out of
the truck,
[35:37] retrieve the limb out of the yard,
[35:39] pull it closer to the street where the
knuckle boom would be able to reach it
[35:44] knuckle boom would be able to reach it
when
[35:44] it came by. The resident reached out to
Paul and just singing Nick's praises for
[35:49] Paul and just singing Nick's praises for
his
[35:49] effort because she said she was disabled
and she wouldn't have been able to get out
[35:54] there in the yard and pull it out herself.
[35:57] So we appreciate his, his effort to take
care of the folks on his route.
[36:01] Um, I wanted to also congratulate Captain
Clyde Shorten, Police Department,
[36:06] and building official Mark Johns on their
selection to the 2026 class for Leadership
[36:11] Morristown. That program provides a great
insight and behind-the-scenes look at
[36:15] various facets of the community.
[36:17] We're glad they'll be able to participate
this year.
[36:21] And then one other note, and Some of you
may have already seen this.
[36:25] There was appreciation given to the police
department this year from the city of
[36:30] Wheaton, Illinois. Their police chief,
Chief Euchre,
[36:33] wrote a letter thanking the department and
10 personnel in particular for
[36:37] considerable efforts to assist the Wheaton
Police Department in apprehending a
[36:42] suspect that had fled to Morristown.
[36:44] And they named specifically Deputy Chief
Jones, Officer Shockley, Lieutenant
[36:49] Jones, Officer Shockley, Lieutenant
Bowman,
[36:49] Officer Young, Captain Selfridge, Officer
Cole, Detective Sergeant—
[36:53] Detective Sergeant Bean, Detective Ackard,
Sergeant Coyne, and Detective Webb.
[36:58] And he wrote— they wrote quite a bit to
us, but, uh, in particular,
[37:02] kind of rounded out here at the bottom,
says,
[37:05] please convey our gratitude to each of
these individuals for their exceptional
[37:09] service, professionalism, unwavering
dedication to the pursuit of justice.
[37:14] Their efforts were invaluable and
exemplified the very best of law
[37:18] exemplified the very best of law
enforcement
[37:19] profession. So much appreciation to, to
the police department and these folks.
[37:24] Amen.
[37:24] I say that.
[37:24] Thank you.
[37:26] That's my report. Do these line item
transfers require a vote?
[37:34] Oh, I'm sorry. No, the line item transfers
do not require a vote,
[37:38] and I forgot to mention them.
[37:40] The, uh, the first batch, 2026, are the,
uh,
[37:42] they're a series of line item transfers
that That close out FY26 for us.
[37:47] You had amendments on the budget that
close out that too.
[37:50] All right, then the next are the second
batch,
[37:53] are the first list of line item transfers
within the FY27 budget.
[37:57] All right, we move to comments from, um,
uh, the public.
[38:01] Uh, if there are any citizen comments
about any particular item,
[38:06] does not necessarily have to be an agenda
item, again,
[38:10] the procedure is 3 minutes. Name and
address. Floor is open.
[38:14] East Personal Street, Marstow.
[38:17] I want to talk about, once again, about a
2% discount on the real estate tax.
[38:23] I don't think that is something we should
keep.
[38:28] But before I talk about whether we should
keep it or not,
[38:33] I want to talk about something more basic—
[38:36] how we see everything It depends on how we
see ourselves. What is our road?
[38:43] Am I just someone born in 1965 and I speak
Chinese, work, came to United States,
[38:50] work in the restaurant, don't speak
English at all,
[38:55] and I have to force myself to open my
mouth,
[38:58] make a lot of fool to express myself in
the broken English, no one understand me,
[39:06] Again and again, or just restrained
myself?
[39:09] I ask myself this question again and
again,
[39:13] and I would like to ask the same question,
I would like to ask all of you guys,
[39:20] especially the one who making the decision
sitting on that platform.
[39:26] Ask yourself, who are you?
[39:28] Thank you.
[39:31] You are an elected council member, but
before that,
[39:37] you are an individual in the role in this
political system as a citizen.
[39:45] Think about the 2% not as whether it is a
thing that can affect your
[39:53] Voting results, whether he reelect or not.
[39:57] Think about whether it is right thing to
do for the citizen,
[40:04] for this country, in a much smaller scale
in the city level.
[40:11] It is long-term, whether it's right or
not.
[40:15] And then focusing on the financial one, on
what is the cost.
[40:22] Don't just say 2%. What is the real cost
in the short term,
[40:28] in the 1-year annualized? That is not 2%,
that is 6%.
[40:34] Because you give the 2% for early payment
for 4 months,
[40:40] annualized at 6%. And then it started to
give that discount from 1945.
[40:48] Actually, the discount started Much more
earlier, from the 1800s.
[40:55] But it is inked into the law in 1945. What
is the compounded cost?
[41:03] What is the cost on the opportunity cost?
[41:07] That is the more important thing. Do the
right thing.
[41:13] Ask Thank you, Louie. Who's next? Anyone
else wish to be heard?
[41:18] See no one come forward.
[41:21] I will close this portion of the meeting
and we'll go to comments from council
[41:27] members and/or the mayor.
[41:29] Council members, any comments you wish to
make about any item?
[41:35] Mayor, um, I'd like to say that we had a
very successful birthday celebration at
[41:40] Crockett Cavern on Saturday, Davy turned
240 years old.
[41:43] And I had an enlightening moment.
[41:45] One of my former students arrived with
their 5-year-old granddaughter,
[41:50] had cute pink-rimmed glasses, and she was
very, very shy until—
[41:54] so I was trying to talk to her.
[41:56] And then I said, you know, Davy's 240
years old today,
[41:59] and we're celebrating his birthday. And
she looks at me and she said— 240 years
[42:04] she looks at me and she said— 240 years
old?
[42:04] You know he's dead. And I said, yes.
[42:06] And I took a deep breath and I talked
about reenactment and living history and
[42:11] about reenactment and living history and
so
[42:12] forth like this. But she was precious,
absolutely precious, and immediately
[42:16] absolutely precious, and immediately
serious.
[42:17] Uh, I'd like to bring to light—
[42:19] I've had some questions and calls about
the line of sight at Norfolk Road.
[42:23] I know we're eventually— and I told the
citizen who called,
[42:27] we're going to close that road eventually.
[42:30] But right now with the construction,
[42:32] and that still an open roadway over the
railroad,
[42:35] there is a line of sight situation with
the fence there at Burke Line.
[42:39] And I don't know what we can do about it,
but trying to turn—
[42:43] I can't remember which way it was.
[42:45] He says right, but out of there is very,
very hard to do.
[42:49] So I don't know where the fence is. Just
bring that to your attention.
[42:53] Got it.
[42:54] And the other thing,
[42:55] I think that I would just like to thank
the Howell family and the developer and
[43:00] the Howell family and the developer and
the
[43:01] way that they worked with the Planning
Commission and accepted that and then took
[43:06] Commission and accepted that and then took
it
[43:06] back and applied it to their property in
order to provide us on their behalf a
[43:12] development that's going to be very
complementary and very beneficial, I
[43:17] complementary and very beneficial, I
think,
[43:17] to the community. And I think that the
decision to go with the R-2D with the
[43:22] 7,500-square-foot lots is very— a good
move on our part and will help us.
[43:27] Thank you, Planning Commission, and to the
Howe family,
[43:31] and for our being able to work with them.
Thank you.
[43:35] Anyone else? Hearing none,
[43:37] if there are no further items to come
before the council,
[43:42] I'll entertain a motion that we stand
adjourned.