In yet another twist in the Village Inn closing debacle, City manager Greg Wood submitted his resignation on August 10th stating he was taking full responsibility for the eviction of more than a hundred residents of the Village Inn on July 27th. This week, Wood, currently on paid suspension, submitted a letter to the City rescinding his resignation.

The City Council convened in a special called meeting earlier this week to take Wood’s resignation under advisement and either accept the resignation or not. Wood requested some payments such as paid sick leave and vacation pay in his resignation letter that the Council needed to decide about. During the meeting, City Attorney Will Ridley reported to the Council that Wood had cleaned out his desk and said he was going home. In a surprise move,  Council member Rob Harrison made the motion that the council should await the full investigation report from a Chattanooga law firm on what happened to cause the breakdown of communication that caused the (unlawful) evictions and closing down of the Village Inn.  Sources tell CNF there should have been legal action first, such as a court order signed by a judge, before the Inn could be shut down and residents evicted.  After some discussion, the Council passed Harrison’s motion 3 to 2 and postponed the City Manager’s resignation discussion. Council member R. J. Crawford (soon to become the new Crossville Mayor) took issue with delaying the Council’s action on Wood’s resignation stating that ‘if someone puts their John Hancock on a resignation letter – that’s a done deal.

Now that Wood has rescinded his resignation letter, the Council will take the matter up in another special called meeting next Friday, August 26th. after they review the independent investigation report.  Also at that meeting, the Council will need to appoint a new city attorney as Will Ridley will leave on the 31st to take on his new duties as Circuit Court Judge.

To date, the City official who gave to order, and with what authority, to evict the Village Inn residents with a 12-hour notice has not been revealed.  Reportedly, the City Police went to the Inn to serve a narcotics warrant after requesting the assistance of the Crossville Fire Department. No word yet on if anyone was arrested during the serving of the warrant. And it’s not clear how the warrant service turned into a full closing down of the entire Village Inn with the removal of the main electricity to the complex by VEC.  The power was restored and residents were allowed to return to the Village Inn the very next day after City Attorney Ridley advised there had been a ‘procedural error’ committed in the closing of the Inn.