Just another local report. The times they are a changing!

Indecisive committees get little accomplished
by Liz Engel
17 hrs ago | 336 views | 2 | |
PUTNAM COUNTY -- The biggest unknown for those looking to start a community garden in Cookeville has been the location. That will continue to be an issue after members of a Putnam County committee disagreed on two suggested pieces of county property last night.

The commission's planning committee, meeting for the first time since 12 new commissioners took office in August, split on many other agenda items up for vote. The committee made no decision made on the location of the proposed garden -- a motion to place the garden at the suggested spot on the corner of Walnut and Veterans Drive near the Putnam County Fairgrounds and another motion to place it near the Upper Cumberland Soccer Complex on Washington Avenue failed in 6-to-6 ties. The committee even struggled to make an appointment to the nominating subcommittee.

The committee did, however, elect its chair, District 8 Commissioner Eris Bryant; vice chair, District 1 Commissioner Tom Short; and secretary, District 12 Commissioner Cathy Reel. Four commissioners were nominated for two spots on the intergovernmental committee, two-year terms set to expire in September 2012, and Bryant and District 4 Commissioner Ron Williamson received the most votes for that position. And four commissioners were selected to serve one-year terms on the road committee, including District 11 Commissioner Marsha Bowman, District 7 Commissioner Mike Medley, District 5 Commissioner Anna Ruth Burroughs and District 10 Commissioner Kim Bradford. The appointments were made by acclamation after Reel withdrew her name from consideration.

But the commissioners stalled when it came time to approve the nod for the nominating committee and the location for the garden. District 2 Commissioner Jim Martin and District 6 Commissioner Reggie Shanks were both recommended by their peers for the committee slot, but a vote on who should ultimately hold that appointment twice came to a 6-6 tie. Later in the meeting, Medley nominated Jonathan Williams for the seat, and Martin edged out both candidates in a third and final vote.

As for the location of the community garden, it's an agenda item that will be forwarded to the full commission next week without a recommendation. Some commissioners argued that the original location proposed, on the corner of Walnut and Veterans Drive, is a valuable piece of county property, one that has been proposed as the home of a future veterans hall building. Others were worried that it would limit parking for the Putnam County Fair.

But County Executive Kim Blaylock said organizers of the garden would move from that spot, considered a temporary location, whenever the commission said to. Lisa Luck with the Cookeville-Putnam County Clean Commission said they would like a centralized and highly visible location to get the garden off the ground.

"I think you need to choose another place," Medley said. He made a motion to move the garden to the soccer complex, which had been discussed by the garden committee, but it failed with a 6-6 tie. Voting in favor were Burroughs, Shanks, Medley, Bradford, Bowman and Reel. Voting against Medley's motion were Tom Short, Martin, David Gentry, Williamson, Bryant and Williams.

Short then made a motion to place the garden at Walnut and Veterans Drive, but it was amended -- Bowman wanted organizers of the garden to talk to the fair board first. But that amendment, as well as the original motion, failed 6-6 as commissioners voted along the same lines.

The planning committee was also set to appoint members to the land and facilities subcommittee, currently an eight-member board, but that decision was deferred until the October meeting.

"This is a committee we need to put some thought into," Bryant said. Before the meeting, she said, no commissioners had expressed interest in serving on that committee, which has studied several hot-button issues in recent years, including the location of a new Putnam County jail. "This is going to be a very important committee for the next four years."

Yearly disaster drill to take place Wednesday
17 hrs ago | 271 views | 1 | |
PUTNAM COUNTY -- A county-wide, full-scale disaster exercise will be held Wednesday morning at Tennessee Tech, the Cookeville Surgery Center and Cookeville Regional Medical Center.

Emergency responders will practice responding to these locations after they have been struck by a severe weather event. The goal of this drill is to practice searching, rescuing, stabilizing, transporting and treating a large volume of patients at one time during adverse conditions.

City and county agencies along with Tennessee Tech, The Cookeville Surgery Center and Cookeville Regional Medical Center will participate in the drill. Tennessee Tech will test emergency communication systems and internal response procedures including activation of its tornado sirens and other emergency notification systems. At Tucker Stadium, Putnam County Rescues' structural collapse team will practice stabilizing a "collapsed" building with trapped individuals during the drill. CRMC will simulate damage to the emergency room entrances and set up a fully functional portable hospital tent in the north parking lot to receive the mock patients. The Cookeville Surgery Center will become a receiving station for the injured from TTU.

"All emergency responders participate in these exercises to help build competence and confidence," said Mike Hellman, public information officer for the Cookeville-Putnam County Emergency Management Agency. "This way, should there be a major event in or around our area, we can respond in a quick and effective fashion, much like we did during last month's floods."

Many emergency vehicles will be in the area, but the public should not be alarmed. Everyone is being asked to avoid the immediate area from 8:30-11:30 that morning so the practice session will not be hindered. Tennessee Tech classes will proceed as scheduled. The emergency department at CRMC will accept and treat patients as normal during the drill.

The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) consists of representatives from city, county and state emergency agencies along with members from local businesses. For more information on the LEPC, contact the EMA office at 528-7575.