Feb. 8, 2016.Indd
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6,250 subscribers www.TML1.org Volume 67, Number 2 Feb. 8, 2016 Haslam rolls out budget in state address Gov. Bill Haslam rolled out his proposed Fiscal Year 2016-2017 budget during his annual State of the State Ad- dress held earlier this month before a joint session of the 109th General Assembly. The $34.8 billion budget TML Legislative Conference proposes $261 million in new dollars for Tennessee K-12 education, including $104.6 March 14 - 15 in Nashville million for teacher sala- Transportation funding, pro- ries. Additionally, Haslam posed cuts to the Hall Income Tax, proposed funding the 12th Rural Economic Development, new month of health insurance regulations for airbnbs, and the for teachers and doubling state’s budget surplus are just a few the state’s recurring contri- of the many topics planned to be ad- bution for technology needs dressed at TML’s Annual Legislative at schools. Conference, slated for March 14 - 15 Other notable budget in Nashville. investments are: Photo by State of Tennessee photographic services A host of state officials are • $130 million from the TN Gov. Bill Haslam delivers his sixth State of the State Address. lined up to speak, including Lt. General Fund to repay Gov. Ron Ramsey, House Speaker the Highway Fund; • $12.8 million for facilities and • $581.6 million in state and other Beth Harwell, Sen. Transportation Ron Ramsey • $100 million into the state’s homeland security upgrades for funds to build new buildings and Chair Jim Tracy, and Tennessee State Rainy Day Fund, bringing it to the Military Department; fix existing higher education Comptroller Justin P. Wilson, among an estimated $668 million on • $10 million for the Department and general state government others. June 30, 2017; of Economic and Community facilities. This includes the top Conference registration opens at • $60 million for salary increases Development’s Rural Develop- recommended capital projects 11 a.m. on Monday, March 14, fol- for state employees; and anoth- ment Initiative; for both the University of Ten- lowed by a buffet lunch at 12 noon. er $36 million for market rate • $1.27 million to increase the nessee system and the Tennessee The conference will kick off at 1 adjustments for state employ- number of drug recovery courts Board of Regents. p.m. and run through 4 p.m. on Mon- ees making less than $50,000 from 41 to 50 and for two addi- See more at: https://www.tn.gov/ day afternoon. On Tuesday, March annually; tional veterans courts; and news/ 15, things will get underway at 7:30 a.m. with a breakfast served until 8 a.m.. The conference program will City crews brave hazardous conditions to begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 10 Beth Harwell a.m. keep streets clean, basic services running The two-day conference pro- vides an excellent forum to network with other municipal officials and interact with your legislators. The voice of Tennessee’s mu- nicipal governments must be heard in the legislative process, and the TML Legislative Conference is a great opportunity to communicate that message. For information regarding reg- istration and hotel reservations, visit www.TML1.org Jim Tracy EPA solicits comments on updates to NPDES stormwater regulations Accepting comments through March 21 BY CAROLYN BERNDT permit approach whereby the general National League of Cities permit includes clear, specific and measurable provisions and the per- Stemming from a 2003 court mittee is required to submit a Notice decision, the U.S. Environmental of Intent that the requirements will be met. Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking Snow blankets the grounds of the Fred J. White Municipal Building in Portland. The city was hit by 10 inches • Option 2 – A procedural ap- comments on updates to its Phase II of snow during recent storms. Street crews, firefighters, police officers and other employees were out in proach whereby the permit authority stormwater regulations regarding the full force in cities across the state to ensure streets were passable, utilities were still working and residents establishes a mechanism to approve procedures to be used for providing were safe. coverage to small municipal separate individual MS4 programs. storm sewer systems (MS4s) under • Option 3 – A state choice ap- BY KATE COIL general permits. proach whereby the permit authority TML Communications Specialist The purpose of the NPDES can chose to follow either option one Stormwater Proposed MS4 General or two or a hybrid of the two. As inches of snow blanketed Permit Remand Rule is to fix certain much of Tennessee in January, deficiencies that the Ninth Circuit Seven states do not issue gen- employees from municipalities Court of Appeals found in the permit- eral permits, but rather individually were hard at work during inclement ting process for small MS4s covered permit their small MS4s and would weather to keep streets clean and under general permits, namely the therefore not be affected by this basic services running. lack of permitting authority review rulemaking: Delaware, North Caro- Elizabethton City Manager Je- and the lack of public participation lina, Michigan, Iowa, Alaska, Idaho rome Kitchens said city employees in the permitting process. This (EPA is the permitting authority), and sometimes have to brave dangerous rulemaking applies to operators of a Oregon. conditions to ensure citizens are “regulated small MS4,” of which 94 Along with the proposed rule, provided with basic services. percent are permitted under a state EPA issued a compendium of state “Public safety is out, utilities are general permit. There are 6,380 small and EPA permit provisions, that in- out, and our street crews are out in MS4s covered by general permits cludes provisions from existing and the weather,” Kitchens said. “Safety nationwide. draft permits that exemplify how is a major issue, because you have EPA has proposed one option Option 1 has been implemented in people out there working in danger- for satisfying the court order, while state and EPA permits. ous conditions. I don’t think most also taking comments on two other EPA is accepting comments on people understand how many em- options. The three options are: the rulemaking through March 21. ployees we have out there. I think • Option 1 (EPA’s proposed NLC is currently evaluating the pro- they understand the results more than approach) – A traditional general posal and will submit comments. anything.” Portland Mayor Kenneth Wilber Snowplows work to clear the streets in Lafayette, which saw some 13.5 said working in city government inches of snow during the weekend storms. opened his eyes to how many people are really involved in dealing with all they do during these times.” 1100-ton salt bin. inclement weather on the municipal Kitchens said preparation for “We put salt down if we think level. winter weather often begins long something is coming,” Kitchens “They face the road conditions before any snow hits the ground. said. “We don’t pretreat with a liquid because they are the first ones out “As the season rolls around, we yet, but we will probably be doing there,” he said. “They work so get our fleet ready by putting snow that next year. You use less salt and many hours, and fatigue can set in. plows on, checking hydraulics and it’s more effective that way. But we The weather conditions and being FACT: making sure we have salt on hand,” will have to buy new equipment be- exposed to those temperatures is a he said. “When we get snow, we are fore we begin using the brine.” A total of 19 percent of Tennessee bridges are in need of repair, danger. I don’t think people realize ready. We keep salt on-standby pretty To keep streets clear, Kitchens improvement or replacement. Five percent of the state’s bridges are as a whole how many people we much all winter.” said employees worked 128 regular have out working, doing their jobs. Elizabethton, like so many other man hours and 152.5 hours of over- structurally deficient and 14 percent are functionally obsolete. I didn’t realize it until I started work- cities in Tennessee, was hit by two time on Wednesday. Before Friday’s ing in city government that it’s not snow storms – the first hitting on storm, Kitchens said employees set Source: A new study realeased by The Road Information Program, or just one or two people out there; it’s Wednesday, Jan. 20, and the second out Thursday night and kept working TRIP, a national transportation research firm. the city organization as a whole. I on Friday, Jan. 22. During that time, until 1 a.m. that Sunday, working a really appreciate our employees and the city used 781 tons of salt of its See SNOW on Page 3 www.TML1.org 2-TENNESSEE TOWN & CITY/FEB. 8, 2016 ATHENS JACKSON Construction will soon be complete Officials with the city of Jackson are on a 4.9-mile section of a rails-to- hoping the acquisition of new prop- trails conversion project that will erty will help woo industry to the city. eventually connect Athens and En- The Jackson City Council recently glewood in McMinn County. The approved the purchase of 80 acres in Eureka Trail is now part of more than 2016 and 35 acres in 2017 from Tall 22,000 miles of rails-to-trails nation- Oaks Farms LP with the option of wide and will connect downtown purchasing two adjoining pieces of Englewood to an area northwest of property with 101 and 98 acres re- downtown Athens when it is com- spectively. The property along Fiber- plete. The trail follows the original glass Road in West Madison County rail line built by the Eureka Mills is close to the existing industrial park textile factories to transport workers and Interstate 40 as well as rail lines between the two communities.