During the October County Commission meeting, Phil King reported that he was made president of the steering committee. Judy Godfrey was made secretary of the steering committee. Keeping the various committees stifled, the steering committee voted to reappoint committee members as they stand. The full commission is expected to vote favorably on this at a later meeting.
Carroll Rauhuff and Frank Parton, through the steering committee, eliminated the ethics committee in favor of a single, easily-manipulated ethics officer. Ray Ogle and Ronnie Allen favored Tyler Huskey for the nomination of this position. The next ethics committee meeting was canceled with the hope of never meeting again until the full commission voted on the changes to move ethics from a committee level service to a single person.
Phil Whaley was nominated to replace Bill Maples on Sevier County Public Building Authority, health and education board, and industrial development board. Later in the meeting, he was voted in by the full commission.
Education committee did not meet this month.
Water commission did not meet this month.
Before the appointment of certain judicial commissioners, at the request of Mr Albert Snyder, Rhonda Linger's name was removed albeit for later approval. The others nominated by the steering committee were approved by the full commission.
The North Ball Hollow Rd speed limit was changed for 20 mph by the full committee.
The committee to approve fees based on the cost of providing services for the Sevier County Environmental Health Services.
The committee approved a proposal from Tennessee Department of Highways at Boyds Ck Hwy and Sevierville Pike. According to project logs, Boyds Creek will be getting traffic signals at this intersection.
Consideration to close the unused section of Dripping Springs Rd was dropped from the full commission. Mayor Waters announced that it was found that there were property owners who had not been notified of the scheduled closing. However the road superintendent may go ahead with closing that section without going through the county commission under the advisement of the county attorney.
The real excitement however actually took place before the commission meeting as a private citizen asked a police officer to check a briefcase for weapons.
The citizen had noticed that the police officers had allowed some of the attendees to sidestep security. Officer Tim Hurst objected to the request since the briefcase belonged to the mayor.
The same citizen questioned Jonas Smelcer, Sevier County Road Superintendent, about public paperwork regarding a wreck of a county vehicle while working on a private driveway this past year. The exchange became heated as Road Superintendant Smelcer made clear that the public had no right to know about that public expenditure which include the cost to the county for the vehicle being on private property, the cost of the damage to the county vehicle, or the cost to the private property after the accident.
According to eye witnesses, Officer Hurst then tried to bully the private citizen to go inside the meeting hall rather than lingering in the hallway as Sevier County law does not allow raised voices in the presence of public officials. Upon reaching out his hands to be cuffed, Officer Hurst walked away with no further action.
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