Regional Alliance

Receives $22,000

With 19-2 Vote;

Niswonger Speaks

By TOM YANCEY

Staff Writer

A resolution that would have asked the Greene County Commission to provide $27 million for a new West Greene High School was pulled from the agenda during Monday evening's meeting, withdrawing it until June.

Commissioner John Waddle Jr., its sponsor, said he had been "contacted by the education department" and asked to withdraw the resolution from the agenda.

Waddle said school officials "don't have funding for the first year, for the first bond payment."

Waddle said he would like to pull the resolution "until June," and present it then.
Dr. Joe Parkins, the county's director of schools, was present but did not speak.

After the meeting, Parkins told The Greeneville Sun he is still hopeful about the state legislature providing surplus lottery money to school systems for buildings, and is also seeking "alternative funding," which he could not detail at this time.

Parkins said he did not want to come to the commission seeking the $27 million "without something in my hand. It's going to be hard enough (to obtain passage of the funding) without an enticement."
Before the meeting, most county commissioners appeared to already be aware that the resolution was going to be pulled.

Commissioner Hilton Seay, chairman of the Republican caucus and also of the Education Committee, said during that caucus that Parkins had called him over the weekend and told him he would ask Waddle to pull the resolution from the agenda.

The resolution was reviewed by the commission's Education and Budget committees, but neither committee agreed to recommend it.

Several supporters attended the meeting, most of them from the western end of the county, and many stayed until the end of the meeting. The resolution was almost the last item on the agenda.

Regional Alliance

The commission voted Monday to provide $22,000 to the Regional Alliance for Economic Development in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

The vote came after a presentation by Andy Burke, president and CEO of the Alliance, and by Greeneville business leader and philanthropist Scott Niswonger, the Alliance's current chairman.

The county's budget committee recommended approval of the expenditure, on the condition that Burke make a satisfactory report to the commission.

Burke said he attended 28 site location forums in various parts of the nation last year on behalf of the 10-county regional economic development Alliance, and met with 150 site location consultants.

Burke said the Alliance "entertained 30 consultants," most of whom were visiting the region for the first time, during a Bristol International Speedway race weekend last spring, and "they all spent the weekend here in Greeneville," at the General Morgan Inn.

Burke said the Alliance's new marketing initiative is called "Performance USA," because the speedway is the single attraction in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia that outsiders are likely to be aware of, and be reminded of regularly by races.

Burke said the Alliance responded to 40 economic development leads, making proposals to them, and 21 of those proposals were for Greene County sites.

Greene County is also the location of a site that the Alliance has proposed to the Norfolk Southern railroad, which is considering a location for an intermodal freight terminal.

The Alliance has also been in contact with three companies associated with medical research, he said, though for confidentiality reasons, "we can't name any names of companies."

Niswonger said that, in the 25 years he has been involved in economic development, the economic climate for recruiting an industry "is by far the most difficult I've ever seen, and it isn't just East Tennessee, it's all over the United States."

Business activity, at least for new facilities, "has really slowed down," Niswonger said. He added that the slowdown is another reason he is glad the Regional Alliance has been showing the region to people "who have never seen it," because "when it does pick up, we'll be in line for better jobs."

Commissioner Bill Brown said that, despite confidentiality concerns, since the commission is being asked to provide $22,000, it should be kept more abreast of efforts.

Burke said all he can say is, the Alliance has gotten 40 projects to "evaluate this area."

Asked by Commissioner Alex Edens if those efforts have "produced any jobs," Burke replied, "No."

But Niswonger later said many projects the Alliance started working on last year "are still alive."

Niswonger said companies will not allow their names to be publicized, and often do not want their own employees to know their plans.

Often companies hire site consultants to serve as intermediaries, and the consultants use code names to protect the identity of their clients in a fiercely competitive business, he said.

In response to a question by Commissioner Margaret Greenway, Niswonger said Greene County is "blessed to have sites larger than those" available in other counties in the region.

Commissioner Robbie Morgan asked if there is anything about the region's demographics that are a turnoff. Burke said no, and noted that most companies are attracted by the distance maps showing the region's central location to most markets in the eastern United States.

Niswonger said some of the consultants that the Alliance has brought to the region, and specifically to Greene County, "may not be looking today, but will remember us when they do have a project."

Morgan asked Niswonger what would happen if Greene County were to withdraw its $22,000 support.

Niswonger answered, "It would be embarrassing to me not to be able to show my own county."

Commissioner Tim White said that, considering Greene County's relatively high rates of unemployment, it would be foolish for the commission to not continue to support this effort. "We've spent a lot more for a lot less," White said.

The resolution was later approved in a 19-to-2 vote, with Commissioners Alex Edens and Rennie Hopson voting in opposition.

Burke noted that several Greene Countians are Alliance board members, including County Mayor Alan Broyles, Greeneville Mayor Darrell Bryan, Gregg Jones, co-publisher of The Greeneville Sun, and Michael Jackson of EcoQuest International.

He also noted that Dr. Phil Roe, mayor of Johnson City, is a board member and was present.

Roe later was introduced by Mayor Broyles. Roe said Johnson City's budget for next year includes $1.4 million for fuel, and "it's killing us." Roe noted that the county is also working on its budget and wished the commission well in that endeavor. "I appreciate your dilemma," Roe said.

Rezoning Hearing

A public hearing regarding a rezoning request by James Lyle Parton and Doris Lee Parton came near the start of the meeting. No one spoke for or against the request. The agenda indicated that Ronda Sawyer, the county's state-contract planner, was to speak, but she did not.

The Partons were asking to have land they own on the 107 Cutoff near South Greene High School rezoned from A-1 general agriculture to B-2, so that they can operate a heating and air conditioning business there.

Sawyer recommended that the request be denied when it was presented to the County Planning Commission, stating that the use was out of character with surrounding neighborhoods, but the planning commission approved the request unanimously in April.

Equalization Board

The commission re-appointed five members to the Greene County Equalization Board. The board is scheduled to begin hearings on June 2, regarding property owners who dispute recent values set for their property for tax purposes by state officials in the recent five-year reappraisal. Those hearings are to continue through June 19.

The appointees are: John Fillers, Ray Parton, James Reynolds Jr., Woody Stubblefield and Joseph E. Wildman. The resolution is sponsored by Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

The commission also approved a "fast track" infrastructure development program (FIDP) grant for American Technology Research Inc. (ATR) in May 2006.

Budget Director David Lawing said that the $449,550 grant was sought in 2006, but was not received until this year, and thus was never put into the budget.

The money is to reimburse the county for improved water service for fire protection.

Other Resolutions OK'd

The commission also approved several resolutions at the request of state auditors, for accounting purposes.

In a single vote, separate resolutions were approved to state the beginning balances, as of July 1, 2007, of various county funds, including: General Fund, Capital Projects, Other Capital Projects, Highway/Public Works, Education Debt Service, Solid Waste, Drug Control, and Debt Service.

The commission will also voted to amend the budget to use $10,597 received from the state Administrative Office of the Courts to install audiovisual systems in courtrooms. County Mayor Alan Broyles said the resolution was needed because the county obtained more grant money than had been expected.

A resolution recommended by the Road Committee was approved to spell out guidelines for adding or removing a road from the official list of roads maintained by the county.

The commission also approved adding Cabe Court to the official road list, in a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Betty Ruth Alexander. The road is in a subdivision, and was inadvertently left off the list when the rest of the subdivision was added several years ago.

A resolution recommended by the Education Committee was approved to make several changes within the school system budget for the current fiscal year.

The biggest item in this resolution moves $400,000 from the school system's general fund balance to use that money for a new cafeteria at Ottway School.

In the "public comment" section of the meeting, Robert Bradley, of Greeneville, president of the Tennessee State Gospel Singing Convention, asked the commission to consider supporting the 75th Annual singing convention this fall.

Bradley said the convention is likely to bring 300 to 400 participants and their families to Greeneville from all over the southeast the weekend of Sept. 12-13. The event is to be held at Asbury United Methodist Church.

The event should generate considerable tourism and sales tax revenue, Bradley said.