The Crossville City Council convened a work session on July 1, 2025, despite the absence of two council members, Art Gernt and Mike Turner, who confirmed their attendance for the following week.

The session began with public comments from Victor Tarrasso of the Crossville Cruisers, who expressed gratitude for the council’s support of a recent downtown car show that drew approximately 134 cars, with Councilman Fox selecting a 1934 model as his favorite, and invited Councilman Mayberry to the next event, noting the community’s appreciation for council involvement.

Janelle Hernandez then addressed the council, requesting to connect to the city’s sewer system without annexation for her property at 82 Foxfire Road, purchased on October 24, 2024, before new annexation policies were enacted. She highlighted prior assurances from city staff allowing a sewer tap-in for a $2,000 fee, expressed disappointment over a 3-3 Planning Commission tie, and sought to be grandfathered under the previous policies, noting existing sewer lines on her property.

The council discussed her request, acknowledging an ordinance effective September 10, 2024, requiring annexation for properties touching city limits, but deferred a decision due to concerns about setting a precedent, adding it to the next agenda.

The session also addressed several agenda items, including approving annexation recommendations for Rhododendron Circle, Cedar Circle, and Halstead Drive (due to a failed septic system), updating an ordinance to reflect a state-mandated increase in the municipal training education fee from $1 to $2, and revising the hotel occupancy tax ordinance to reference the city charter’s 3% rate while expanding its scope to include campgrounds.

Additionally, the council approved the CCHS homecoming parade route for October 9, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., adopted new airport rules and regulations, approved a $170/month increase for agenda management software, and awarded a $38,874 bid for a data center generator.

Three ARPA-funded water infrastructure projects were also approved: a $2,304,980 water booster station, a $3,988,600 water line exchange, and a $735,859 sewer upgrade to enhance capacity.

Finally, the council tentatively rescheduled the November meeting from Veterans Day to November 18, 2025, pending full council approval.

All items were added to the next meeting’s agenda, set for Tuesday next week.