The Greene County Commission will meet at 10 a.m. Monday to consider a redistricting plan and other measures.

As usual, Democratic and Republican Party caucus meetings will precede the regular meeting at 9.

The county commission approved a redistricting map Dec. 4, at a meeting that was actually a continuation, after a recess, of its November meeting.

The vote at that time was 11 to 7, with three members absent, to create eight county commissioner districts, but to retain the 21-member makeup of the commission.
Eleven votes is the minimum majority vote required in the 21-member body.

The plan to be presented on Monday is to be an improvement on the draft plan presented Dec. 4, and is to include legal descriptions of the proposed districts as well as a map outlining them.

The map and legal descriptions are still being prepared, and thus, were not included in packets provided to commissioners and the press.

By law, a redistricting plan has to be in place in January unless no changes are made. The committee has been told it would be impossible to defend a challenge to the existing districts under the “one-man, one vote” equal representation rule, if one were to be made, without a house-to-house count.

Many Resolutions Pending

The county commission will also be asked to approve a resolution approved last week by its Budget & Finance Committee that would move $371,758 in federal disaster reimbursement into the county Highway Department’s budget as soon as the funds are received.

The reimbursement is for emergency work done in the immediate aftermath of Aug. 4 flooding over a wide area of the county. Greene County was one of several declared a federal disaster area as a result of the Aug. 4 floods.

A resolution to let the county Emergency Management Agency recover $1,078 in insurance reimbursement is also on the agenda. It also is recommended by the Budget & Finance Committee.

Another resolution would let the Sheriff’s Department apply for a $25,238 Local Law Enforcement Block Grant with a local “match” of $2,524. It is also recommended by the Budget & Finance Committee.

Another resolution on the agenda is to authorize the County Executive Alan Broyles to enter into a right-of-way agreement with a private landowner adjacent to the Wal-Mart wetlands near Mosheim, and to authorize the county Highway Department to “provide whatever assistance is necessary for the construction of a road into the wetlands” across the right of way.

The wetlands is owned by the county, but maintained by the Greene County Fishing & Hunting Club, with help from the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance.

If the agreement is approved by the full county commission, the Natural Resources Conservation Service will provide geotextile fiber for the road base, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will pay for crushed stone for it, according to County Commissioner Tim Armstrong.

Armstrong is sponsor of the resolution and president of the Alliance. The Alliance’s board approved the agreement on Wednesday.

A resolution sponsored by Commissioner Mike Gregg would appoint members to the local and regional library boards. According to the resolution, John McInturff and Julia Pensinger would be appointed to the Watauga Regional Library Board.
Appointed to the Greeneville-Greene County Library board would be: Roger Jones, Ginny Kidwell, Dr. Stephen Flohr, Ron Metcalfe, Carla Bewley, Laraine King and Patsy Barger.

Under old business, the county commission will be asked to vote, on second reading, to put speed limits of 30 mph on Tabor Road and Ottway Road.