City Council

TOWN OF JONESBOROUGH Town Hall Board Room 123 Boone Street Jonesborough, TN 37659 MEETING NOTICES MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2025 7:00 PM PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS Members of the public wishing to speak concerning any item on the agenda during the Public Comment period must sign up by calling the Town Administrative Office at 423-753-1030 with their name, address, and subject about which they wish to speak no later than 2 hours before the meeting if the meeting occurs during normal business hours or by 4:45 p.m. the day of the meeting if the meeting occurs after hours. Otherwise, such member of the public must sign in at the location of the meeting, prior to the beginning of the meeting, by seeing the Town Recorder at meetings of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, or the secretary or staff of any board, commission or committee constituting any other governing body under this resolution. Each individual shall be given three (3) minutes to address the Board regarding Agenda items. Comments shall be limited to items on the meeting’s Agenda PUBLIC HEARING 1. Ordinance Creating a Cultural Arts Board REGULAR MEETING 1. Call to Order 2. Opening Prayer 3. Pledge to the Flag 4. Roll Call  CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approval of Minutes 2. Approval of Bills 3. Town Administrator Report 4. Operations Manager Report 5. Committee Reports 6. Supervisor Reports 7. Report on Debt Obligation a. Property Acquisition Capital Outlay Note b. Helene Emergency Assistant Loan (HEAL) 8. Approval to amend the effective date for the Flood Meter Tap Discount Program AGENDA 1. Financial Report 2. Communications from the Mayor a. Employee of the Month 3. Citizen Comments 4. Aldermen Communications 5. Town Attorney Comments 6. OLD BUSINESS A. Discussion and possible action concerning second and final reading of an Ordinance creating a Cultural Arts Board; 7. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion and possible action concerning approval of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Audit Contract with Blackburn, Childers and Steagall, PLC B. Discussion and possible action concerning approval of a Special Event Application Requests and Special Event/Special Occasion Outdoor Use Permit: 1. Mill Spring Makers Faire – Mill Spring Makers Market 2. Third Thursday Burger Nights – Jonesborough Locally Grown C. Discussion and possible action concerning approval of the Agreement with Sam Love for Music-On-The-Square 2025 Season; D. Discussion and possible action concerning approval of a Resolution for the codify and revise the ordinances of the Town of Jonesborough with MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service; E. Discussion and possible action concerning first reading to annex certain property located off Boones Creek Road as part of the Reserves at Boones Creek project; F. Discussion and possible action concerning the creation of a GIS Manager position in the Water Distribution Department; G. Adjournment.  MEMORANDUM To: Glenn Rosenoff, Town Administrator From: Craig Ford, Operations Manager Ref: January 2025 Monthly Report Date: February 06, 2025 The contractor continues to make progress on the new Street/Solid Waste/Recreation Building. The building is now under roof. We are currently working on a plan for the water/sewer service to the building. Once that is installed, the contractor can pour the concrete slab and we can begin work on the office space. The Street Department completed a curbing project on Headtown Road at the entrance to Lowes. This section of curb tied into the end of the new sidewalk to prevent someone from running into the end of the sidewalk. The Street Department also completed base stone work on Oak Grove Road. We have been notified that TDOT will be paving Highways 81 North and South this year. This includes Oak Grove Road. There were several areas on Oak Grove Road that the asphalt had been undermined. This was due to an improper base underneath the finished asphalt. The Street Department repaired all these areas and we should be able to get reimbursed for the work through our TDOT maintenance contract. I am currently working with Malcolm and Todd Wood on the next phase of the First Frontier sidewalk project. As soon as Mr. Wood gets the plans to me, I will be bidding out the next phase of the project. I have begun meeting with some of the Department Heads on their 2025/2026 budget proposals. Every effort is being made to keep us on schedule for our budget process this year. I have also spent a great deal of time this month on the Fire Department ISO problem. I met with the Mayor and Chairman of the Washington County Commission, Greg Matherly. Pursuant to that meeting, he scheduled us to attend the Washington County Public Safety Committee meeting in February. We received the report from S&ME on asbestos in the Broyles Floral Shop of which we now own. There were some areas that contained asbestos in the building that will have to be abated prior to any renovations being completed; however, the report was not very bad at all. I am continuing to keep an eye on the Wendy’s development. According to the plans, Wendys was supposed to install a left-turn lane into their property. That has not been completed, and it is my understanding they do not have a TDOT permit to connect to the four-lane. We worked with Stansell Electric to install two additional signal Heads on the Tiger Way side of the street in order to be ready for the restaurant opening. They will not be activated until the restaurant opens and TDOT gives the town the approval to activate the signals. I also instructed Malcolm Highsmith to order a “No Left Turn” sign to prevent west-bound traffic on 11-E from attempting to turn into Wendys. It is my understanding, according to his email, TTAP has completed the inventory and assessment of our Town roads. We were scheduled to meet in order to go over the findings, but the meeting was cancelled due to illness. It is my intent to utilize this valuable information for budgeting purposes. BACKGROUND: I have been working this fiscal year to advance our technological efforts in the different departments under the town. Technological advancements in some departments are presenting themselves more critical than others. Our utilities serve over 12,000 customers (inside/outside town limits). We are exploring Asset Management software that will be a game changer on creating digital footprints of tasks, work orders, mapping, GPS actions, etc. To move into the 21st century with this type of technology, we need to be in the driver’s seat of not only progressing through this tech but securing and maintaining as well. Our workforce is not necessarily aging out, but there are those few employees in the know (based on mental knowledge versus digital knowledge) that are critical to share “what they know” in terms of utility lines, etc but it’s vital to our growth and success that our utilities start mapping our assets of knowledge into the GIS systems that currently are operated through GRW. GRW agrees that the town growth justifies the need for the town to control its destiny in the digital age of utility mapping. As such, during interviews for the Assistance Water Distribution position left vacant by Jimmy Greene, and in talking with other employees currently working that transferred from the City of Johnson City, technology is a key element in what utilities does for a living. Mapping our assets, utilizing GPS for our current and future infrastructure, substantiating as-builts in the field, etc. As a result of these conversations about technology, I am proposing that we take a strong position in the realm of technology and move away from the normal budgeting for interns to perform GIS mapping and add a GIS Manager to direct and navigate the utilities now. We have budgeted for the last few years a minimum of $20,000 for 2 interns. These funds need to be leveraged to a full-time position (GIS Manager) and to hire a capable GIS person for this fiscal year. The $20,000 is still funded and no funds have been spent to date. To find a capable person in this field and the level of expertise and responsibilities, HR Director Michelle Stewart and I concluded that this type of position lined up under Grade 14. Under current Grade 14, Step 1 starting salary is $58,300. Looking at this position and other salary ranges, it seems that high 50s to low/ mid 60s is a reasonable range and again meeting the salary range of Grade 14 as well. This position would be managing the entire GIS/GPS operations of the utilities and coordinating with personnel in the field to capture accurate data. This position will include administrative work (in office operations) and outside work (field duties including setting up and capturing GPS coordinates of all assets associated with utilities). I have reviewed the current Water Distribution budget, where the $20,000 resides, an overall review of projected salary spending through June 30, 2025, and I find that there is a sufficient budget balance to fund the new position (or amending the GIS intern positions to a full-time GIS Manager position at Grade 14. Based on if a candidate was hired within 30 days of approving the position, that leaves approximately 4 months of salary for the position, and 3 months or less of health insurance applying to a new employee. For example, if we averaged the pay for a GIS Manager with strong experience averaging a $60,000 salary, the following would be needed to fund the position: Salary (4 months): $20,000.00 TCRS: $1,200.00 FICA: $1,530.00 Health (avg): $3,000.00 (if employee has other source of insurance, this amount would be $600.00) _____________________________________________________________________ Total with average health expense: $25,730.00 Total based on employee w/other health coverage: $23,330.00 Total currently funded for GIS and proposed: $3,330.00 - $5,730.00 This is a reasonable difference to pursue a full-time GIS Manager position and start advancing our technological future now in FY25 and be further along when we start FY26. As I have told different staff, bad news, or lack of technology, doesn’t get better with age unless we have a plan to solve, which in my professional opinion is treating GIS and asset management as a serious tool for our current and future success. In conclusion, if you simply googled how important GIS is to the utility system, you will most likely find these quick facts, followed by resources of technical information on justifications to this service and all 4 are imperative to our success: GIS technology helps utility systems by: • Mapping and visualizing assets • Monitoring performance • Making informed decisions about maintenance and upgrades • Improving efficiency and reducing costs RECOMMENDATION: 1. Approve the new job description, GIS Manager, at a Grade 14. 2. Approve adding additional funds (approximately $6,000.00) to Water Distribution Salaries to fund the new position, GIS Manager, for this fiscal year (FY25).