6,250 subscribers www.TML1.org Volume 72, Number 11 June 28, 2021 Summer festivals planned across Tennessee TML Annual Conference registration to begin July 6 Conference planning for the TML Annual Conference in Chat- tanooga, slated for Sept. 18-21, is well underway. Registration will begin July 6. The four-day conference will feature top-notch speakers and workshop sessions, several special events, and ample time to network with your peers. The opening general session on Sunday, Sept. 19, will feature a keynote speech on conflict reso- lution and consensus building. Entitled “Must Disagreement Matt Lehrman be Disagreeable,” Matt Lehrman will share 12 pragmatic points discussion on Monday morning, that are both inspiring and wholly Sept. 20, that invites attendees to Festival goers enjoy a weekend packed full of music and fun at the recent TN River Jam in Paris. actionable for leading your cities seek practical insight and advice After a year of social distancing, folks are ready to gather again and make the most of the warm and towns from conflict to conver- from a diverse panel of Tennessee weather. To take advantage of the events happening from Memphis to Mountain City, click here for sation. community leaders. Come prepared a list of festivals and outdoor events, https://tnecd.com/news/celebrate-summer-across-tennessee/ Amidst unprecedented disrup- to “wear your heart on your sleeve” tion and uncertainty, there’s never about how to engage more people been a more necessary time for and gather agreement around what- community leaders to learn how ever you hope to accomplish in your Bipartisan legislation introduced to to tackle complex and sensitive community. issues in ways that make people feel Other conference highlights protect Metropolitan Statistical Areas heard, respected, and empowered. include a panel presentation on BY CAROLE GRAVES Budget (OMB) from increasing the slums and blight. Lehrman animates the princi- Planning for Tomorrow’s Ready TML Communications Director minimum population of 50,000 to The Tennessee Municipal ple that where people work together Workforce; and a panel presenta- 100,000 to be considered an MSA League submitted comments in courageously, their potential is tion on Local Ethics Investigations Bipartisan legislation has been and ensure these communities retain response to the OMB proposal, unlimited. featuring attorneys from one of introduced in Congress that would their MSA classification. stating concerns that the proposed “The purpose of government Nashville’s leading law firms Frost protect more than 140 Metropolitan The federal government uses alteration, if implemented, would is to enable individuals to join to- Brown Todd., LLC. Statistical Areas (MSAs), including these designations to establish eli- have an immediate and significant gether in recognizing and solving TML’s annual conferences three in Tennessee, from losing its gibility for specific grant programs. effect on the cities of Morristown, community problems,” explained have traditionally featured a strong MSA classifications. Losing this Two primary funding sources fre- Cleveland and Jackson. This in- Lehrman. “As leaders, we possess educational component. A total of classification could, among other quently cited as being affected by crease would recategorize three the reasonability to inspire trust by 18 concurrent sessions covering a things, harm communities’ access MSA designations are Federal and cities from metropolitan to micro- raising the quality of civic engage- broad range of topics important to to certain federal funding opportu- Highway Transportation dollars and politan, and it would place these ment. We must neither avoid nor cities and towns will be offered as nities and their ability to grow and Community Development Block larger, more urban areas into the fear disagreement – but rather learn part of our conference lineup. And attract businesses. Grants. These dollars support pro- same status as much smaller, very how to conduct it via processes as in the past, we will be offering The Metropolitan Statistical grams for low and moderate-income rural communities. that leave people feeling heard, many workshops that qualify for Area Preservation Act by U.S. people, public transportation proj- “The League is concerned that respected, and satisfied.” CMFO and Utility Board Training Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and ects, economic development, water the proposed alteration, if imple- Lehrman is co-founder of So- continuing education hours. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) would pre- and sewer projects, public health mented, would have an immediate cial Prosperity Partners, and Arizo- When registration opens TML vent the Office of Management and programs, and the elimination of See on Page 7 na-based firm that works nationally will post a link to the registration MSAs to help leaders and people in their forms on our website, www.TML1. communities achieve consensus org as well as send an email notice around important decisions. to all members. Adamsville site provides glimpse into Following his keynote address So mark your calendars and on Sunday, he will also facilitate plan to attend TML’s 81st Annual Tennessee’s ancient history, dinosaurs a candid and helpful follow-up Conference in Chattanooga. By KATE COIL TML Communications Specialist A unique area of West Tennes- see offers visitors and researchers alike a chance to dig for dinosaurs and explore the state’s ancient past. Located on 240 acres in Adamsville, UT Martin’s Coon Creek Science Center offers a rare glimpse into what Tennessee was like millions of years in the past. Dr. Michael Gibson, director of the UT Martin Coon Creek Science Center, said the history of the area UPDATE: Distribution of ARP funds begins during a time when West Tennessee was under an ancient to NEUs not likely before end of July ocean. Non-Entitlement Units of Tennessee. Revelations concerning “The geological history of the local government, or NEUs, are the difficulty in correctly classifying site goes back 72 million years,” generally defined as those munic- local governmental units across the he said. “At that time, earth was Participants at one of the group tours hosted at the Coon Creek ipalities with populations of less states and accurately determining going through a really huge global Science Center near Adamsville get a chance to clean up fossils than 50,000, excluding cities that the allocation for each unit led the warming event. The sea level was they have found. The site contains fossils from the Cretaceous are designated principal cities of federal government to delegate hundreds of feet higher than it is period when West Tennessee was buried under an ancient ocean. Metropolitan Statistical Areas. associated responsibilities to each today, high enough that the Gulf Based on conversations with state. As such, it is now left to the of Mexico flooded the interior of at their original state, offering a the calcium in the shells,” Gibson state officials, the earliest date on state of Tennessee to perform such North America. You could have unique view into history. said. “The site then became rec- which an NEUs may make appli- tasks as: determining the eligibility swum from Biloxi all the way to the This layer of geology, known ognized not because of the fossils cation for its allocation of federal of NEUs, confirming operational Arctic Ocean without getting out of as the Coon Creek formation, is but because it was a resource for American Rescue Plan Act funds is budgets, identifying municipalities the water. Our little area of West visible from Kentucky down to farmers. Another Tennessean from likely to be the end of July. Please affected by the 75% limitation, cal- Tennessee was an embayment off Mississippi. While not every inch Trenton who was getting his geol- note, this is an estimation. No defin- culating each NEUs allocation and to the side of this high sea level. of formation has fossils, the Coon ogy degree at Vanderbilt became itive date has been set and the tim- establishing a process for receipt of This is the Cretaceous period, Creek Science Center is located aware of the site, and it became ing of the actual commencement of applications. which is when there were dino- on one of the eight areas of the his dissertation at Johns Hopkins. the application process is subject Currently, the state is in the saurs. West Tennessee was actually formation where there is a known After that, the site became famous to change. Rest assured, your TML process of preparing to make an an ocean, so we had everything abundance of fossils. The center is among scientists around the world team will remain in contact with application to the federal govern- that was in the ocean during that the best preserved of those eight because of its unique character. state officials and will continue to ment for its designated funds and period. Middle and East Tennes- known areas. Since then, the site has been a mec- monitor updates from Washington is developing an online portal to see probably did have dinosaurs, However, it wasn’t until some ca for people to come from all over in an effort to keep you apprised of facilitate the receipt of applications but they weren’t as well preserved 150 years ago that this wealth the world to study these organisms the latest news and developments. from the state’s NEUs. As soon as except what was carried out to sea of prehistory first came to light. and that time period.” Initially, it was suggested TM receives additional information and dumped in the ocean where it When the first settlers of European The Weeks family sold the NEUs would receive the first of concerning the timing of the state’s was preserved in our Coon Creek descent came into West Tennessee property in the 1950s to A.Z. their two allotments within 90 request to U.S.