Wlaf1450JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – Increasing EMS patient charges will be on the agenda for next week’s county commissioner meeting, as will considering extensions for the Corona Virus family leave of extension policy. The commission will vote to either extend it to March 31 or the end of July.
According to County Mayor E.L. Morton, the hope is that increasing the EMS patient rates will generate revenue and lessen tax payer dollars having to go towards the service.
Also on the agenda will be to abandon a small parcel of right of way on Tree Circle Lane in the second district. Inter local agreement modifications for the Joint Economic Community Development Board will also be on the agenda.
Commissioner Ralph Davis told commissioners he was working with the sanitation department and finance about the purchase of multiple compactors. He said he hoped to have the financial paperwork ready for commissioners to vote on it at the next meeting.
Davis also told commissioners he was proposing a policy that all out of county and out of state ATV riders would have to pay a $30 permit fee. “We are dealing with all these problems from out of towners, and this would help with that,” Davis said. According to Davis, the funds could go to the sheriff’s department to hire a new deputy to enforce the permits and police the ATV riders that are creating problems on the public roads.
Commissioner Rusty Orick said he wanted to get a structural engineer to look at the old BOE building to use for storage. Davis told commissioners he had a meeting on Tuesday with an engineer to look at the building and get advice on whether it could be salvaged for storage. He told commissioners that he would have the information on the project for the meeting on Jan. 19.
At the beginning of the workshop, Commissioners heard from Garrett Orick and Alyssa Jeffers who are working on organizing a Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic. The clinic should happen in August. The pair said they were just wanting to let the commission know what they were working on and they had been talking with the director of schools about hosting a two day clinic Aug. 28 and 29 in one of the schools.
The clinic would provide vision services, dental and medical services and would cost around $25,000 to do the clinic. Organizers said they were seeking sponsors throughout the county. Commissioner Scott Stanfield said he thought it was a great idea. “Commissioners have always given money towards this. It was started by Stan Brock. It’s been going on since 1985, and it’s a wonderful thing,” Stanfield said. Other commissioners said they were in approval of the clinic. “This is one of the best things we can do to help our citizens,” said County Commissioner Rusty Orick.
Garrett Orick said he planned to reach out to the municipalities on sponsorship as well. Commissioners will meet via Zoom on Tuesday, January 19 at 6 p.m. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 01/12/2021-6AM)