School board member and county commissioner planning to run for Mayor of La Follette

County Commissioners met Monday evening, approving the commission secretary salary, as well as discussing the hiring of a new secretary. Pictured left to right is Commission secretary Amanda Grodeman, Commissioner Rusty Orick, and Commissioner Zach Marlow.

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – The Campbell County Commission met in its regular monthly meeting on Monday at the courthouse.

Agenda items approved during Monday’s meeting were several recreation committee items for the Lonas Young RV Park. It was approved for the county mayor and recreation committee chair to seek quotes on Rip rap/large rock to be placed on the banks at the RV Park, as well as an information board to be placed at the bath house at the RV Park. Also approved was the purchase of 40 loads of topsoil at $150 per load to be placed on the soccer field at Lonas Young Park.

Final business for the recreation committee was for the building and grounds committee to seek bids and quotes for the 20×28 building for the Lonas Young RV Park.

Also approved were several grant contracts and surplus items at Monday’s meeting. 

This included a $47,700 County Litter Control Grant contract, as well as a grant contract with East Tennessee Human Resources Agency (ETHRA).  The ETHRA grant is for $8,982 for the Senior Services contract. 

Also approved was the sale of several surplus items, including a road department John Deere tractor “that is no longer in use.” A computer system “damaged beyond repair” was also approved as surplus for the county maintenance department and multiple Campbell County Sanitation Department surplus items were approved as well. 

On the recommendation of the insurance and personnel committee, commissioners approved setting the salary for the commission secretary at $31,000 a year, with incremental raises built in over a three-month, six month and one year period of time.  The commission is currently in the hiring process of a new secretary as Amanda Grodeman is vacating this position. According to Commissioner Rusty Orick, the insurance and personnel committee will be holding multiple meetings to narrow down the 26 applicants that have applied. Orick also told commissioners that a special called meeting would need to be held as soon as the committee had a recommendation to hire a new commission secretary.

Orick also made a motion to request the county budget and finance committee to find funding to change the meeting pay for administrative assistants and secretaries while attending various county meetings. 

The suggested new pay scale for meetings is $50 per meeting lasting 1 hour, $75 per meeting going over 1 hour and $100 for two-hour meetings, with a maximum not to exceed $100 per meeting. This is not official yet, but it was approved for the budget and finance committee to look at funding this change, which if later approved would “only affect three people.”

Commissioners also approved another of Orick’s requests to have the budget and finance committee look into the availability of funds for the Veterans Park as proposed by the local Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America at last week’s commission workshop.

The project is for a Veteran’s Park including the installation of a large American Flag that will be located facing I-75 adjacent to Caryville Cares Playground and will also include military service flags as well.

Vietnam Veteran H.R. Douglas with VVA Chapter 1148 addressed the commission last week and multiple commissioners said they were on board to help find funding for the project.

 Orick had suggested money come out the 119 Industrial Fund and commissioners approved to have finance look at the funding possibility.

“Joe (County Attorney Joe Coker) has looked at it and says it can come out of that fund,” Orick said.

In other business, the commission approved the resignation of Johnny Byrge from the Campbell County School Board. Byrge is expected to announce his candidacy for Mayor of La Follette on Tuesday.

At the close of the meeting, Commissioner Orick noted that it was likely commissioner Scott Kitts last meeting as he must step down from his position in order to run for the Mayor of La Follette.

Monday’s commission meeting was an emotional one for commissioner Scott Kitts, who will be stepping down in order to run for Mayor of La Follette. County Mayor Jack Lynch said it had been an “honor” to work with him.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 07/16/2024-6AM)

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