6,250 subscribers www.TML1.org Volume 69, Number 9 May 14, 2018 110th TN General Assembly Sine Die TML’s natural gas bill, small cell deployment among legislation approved June 9 -12 at the Knoxville Convention Center In one of its final actions prior and Safety Act of 2018, creates Conference Workshops to adjournment, the Tennessee a process for providers and local to address key legislation General Assembly approved leg- governments to work together to Annual Conference lineup islation that allows municipalities manage the right-of-ways and to Sunday, June 10 to spend revenue from natural gas get the new technology deployed 10:30 – 11:30 am utilities on funding for chambers as soon as possible. Legislative Review: features CMFO workshops of commerce and other economic While the legislation calls for The Greatest Hits from 2018 Good customer service, grant a quality grant proposal designed to and community organizations. a statewide application process, writing, the budget cycle, and em- align with grant makers’ interest. SB1894 by Sen. Delores local governments retain their au- This workshop will highlight ployment laws affected by natural On Monday morning, June Gresham, and HB1914 by Rep. thority to: key legislation passed by the disasters are some of the handful 11, Richard Stokes, MTAS human Ron Gant, was a TML-sponsored • manage placement of utility Tennessee Legislature during of workshop sessions scheduled resource consultant, will offer a bill that sought to grant natural gas poles and facilities in the right the 2018 session that will im- as part of the Certified Municipal workshop on Employment Laws utilities the authority to contribute of way; pact municipalities. Finance Officers training program Affected by Natural Disasters. to community marketing and eco- • establish aesthetic plans that planned for the TML Annual Con- This session will explore many nomic development efforts. govern facilities in the right Monday, June 11 ference. employment-related laws facing The bill was amended to only of way; 3:45 - 4:45 pm Slated for June 9-12 in Knox- employers in the wake of natural apply to municipal gas utility sys- • protect historic districts; 5G Cell Service Is Coming. ville, MTAS consultants will disasters. Specifically the session tems that are located in counties • manage and protect areas with Who Decides Where It Goes? present workshops during the con- will address military leave, FMLA, having a population of less than underground utilities; ference that are eligible for CPE unemployment compensation, 336,400 and utilities cannot raise • require damage repair in the Over the past year, TML has credits for Certified Municipal OSHA, wage and hour, workers rates to pay for donations to the right of way; worked with the telecommu- Finance Officers. compensation and others. chambers. • manage and reject any deploy- nication industry to communi- Beginning at 1 p.m. on Satur- On Monday afternoon, Pat Among other actions taken ment based on public safety cate the potential impacts the day, June 9, Brad Harris, MTAS Hardy, MTAS management con- by the General Assembly this concerns; and, deployment of this new tech- finance consultant, will present a sultant, will offer two workshops year was the passage of legisla- • apply right of way permitting nology can have on a city’s aes- session on establishing a budget on Developing a Culture of He- tion designed to accelerate the and fees. thetics and the managment of calendar, as well as discussing roes. This session will help partic- deployment process for small cell its rights-of-way. This new leg- the ongoing process of monitor- ipants understand the concept of wireless technology. A more detailed analysis of the islation was crafted to balance ing and evaluating the budget to “hero,” and how to fill their organi- The legislation, called the legislation will be reviewed at the the interests of the telecom ensure compliance with laws and zations with public service heroes. Competitive Wireless Broad- TML Annual Conference held in industry with the concerns of regulations. In doing so the session will focus band Investment, Deployment, Knoxville, June 11. Tennessee municipalities. Also on Saturday afternoon is on workplace culture and specific a session on customer service pre- strategies for becoming a culture of sented by Kurt Frederick, MTAS heroes. CDBG program helps cities finance training consultant. This course All CMFO workshops are is designed to assist participants open to all conference attendees. in developing effective customer As in the past, MTAS will also facelifts for aging housing, downtowns service skills. Highlights include offer the Elected Officials Acade- BY KATE COIL identification and traits of internal my Level II program on Friday and TML Communications Specialist and external customers, defining Saturday, June 8 – 9, as a pre-con- elements of positive customer ference event. Downtown redevelopment service, and addressing barriers To register for the EOA, please and providing affordable housing to delivering positive customer visit kate.tennessee.edu/mtas or for residents are two of the biggest service. contact Doug Brown at (865)-974- challenges facing many communi- On Sunday morning, Chris 9140, Doug.Brown@tennessee. ties across Tennessee. Shultz, MTAS grants specialist, edu The Community Develop- will offer a workshop on Intro- In addition to the workshops ment Block Program’s Downtown duction to Grant Writing. This offered by MTAS consultants, Façade Improvement grants are workshop will give a broad over- many of the conference workshops only available to communities in view of the grant writing process; will qualify for CPE credits. A Tennessee that have participated how and where to find available complete listing of approved work- in the Tennessee Downtowns federal and state grants; and how shops will be listed in the front of program with an active design to find foundation grant pro- the conference program book. committee or Tennessee Main grams. Also discussed will be the For more information about Street communities. The grant essential components of the grant the TML Annual Conference and applications must be submitted by proposal package and how to craft to register, go to www.TML1.org. the local Main Street organization, The city of Paris is one of many communities that has taken advan- tage of the CDBG Downtown Facade Grant program. The funds are After decade-long journey, Mt. Pleasant used to make important repairs and encourage downtown growth. the sponsoring non-profit organiza- Downtown Façade Grant program on track for new city wastewater facility tion for the Tennessee Downtowns for improvements to downtown program or the city in which the Paris. After the city was awarded BY KATE COIL improvements will be made. the grant and went through the Projects eligible for these environmental process, Morris said After more than a decade, of- funds include exterior improve- city officials met with downtown ficials with the city of Mt. Pleasant ments to for-profit or non-profit business owners to discuss how are hoping to put wastewater woes commercial businesses including the city planned to award different behind them. signage, painting, awnings, light- projects. The city recently received ap- ing, windows, doors, entryways “We are in the midst of the proval from the U.S. Department and other improvements approved façade grants,” Morris said. “Rath- of Agriculture’s Rural Develop- by TNECD. Interior improvements er than one major project we are try- ment Program for a $6.83 million are not allowed. ing to do 11 smaller projects. We are poverty interest rate loan and a 37 The University of Tennes- touching up different areas of the percent grant of $2.5 million to see-Knoxville Institute for Public downtown, like awning projects, rehabilitate its wastewater facility. Service found cosmetic repairs in painting projects, restoring bricks, The funds will allow Mt. Pleasant downtowns were one factor that installing new lamps and lighting, to pay off $5 million in funds for a can contribute to new investment, and window replacement. That revolving loan borrowed to finance create new businesses and jobs, and way, it spreads the money around. a previously failed project and ad- increase the number of visitors to One of the projects we are doing ditional $1.3 million to rehabilitate local downtowns. is replacing a double door that has municipal infrastructure. Paris is one of several Ten- been there forever. They are replac- City Manager Kate Collier nessee communities that has taken ing it with a newer door that looks said Mt. Pleasant is eager to pro- The city of Mt. Pleasant has received two grants from the U.S. De- advantage of the CDBG down- like the old door but is handicap vide citizens with a much-needed partment of Agriculture’s Rural Development program for long-an- town program. Jennifer Morris, accessible. The current door isn’t wastewater facility, reduce sewer ticipated repairs to the city’s wastewater facility, seen here. The city community development director in a shape for a wheelchair to get bills, and write the final chapter has also borrowed $1.3 million to rehabilitate municipal infrastructure. with the city of Paris, said the through it.” in a decade-long saga surrounding city received $100,000 from the See CDBG on Page 3 the facility. approved the project every step. “Since then, we have built an “Our sewer system definitely The lagoons failed; they leaked. $8.5 million, state-of-the-art water needs upgrades,” she said. “We The city had taken out an $8 million plant that opened in May 2016,” USDOT announces $1.5B are on a moratorium for building loan for this lagoon, and it failed.” Collier said. and under a consent order. There The lagoon system was soon While city officials were eager TIGER grants available through has been such turnover in city staff fraught with problems including to get the wastewater plant project that we finally got the application numerous violations for unper- back on track, Collier said the city rebranded “BUILD” program for the grant submitted in 2017 and mitted discharges.