The Crossville City Council met Tuesday, July 13, 2021, for their regular monthly session.

Highlights from the meeting include:

SECOND PROPERTY CONSIDERED FOR PROPOSED INDOOR RECREATION CENTER

The city council approved giving the city attorney power to negotiate for the possible acquisition of land nearly across Main Street from city hall. This runs from just north of the old Ford dealership building to behind Crossville Church of Christ on Livingston Road. The purpose would be for the building of a proposed indoor recreation center. Officials recently bought land in the amount of $594,000 near the corner of Genesis Road and Iris Lane for the center. Councilman Rob Harrison said he wishes to retain that as a backup. A grant could be applied for to cover the price of the new location considered but an environmental study on the land would be needed.

OPENING TENTATIVELY SET FOR DISC GOLF COURSE AT MEADOW PARK LAKE

The city council received an update on a new disc golf course at Meadow Park Lake. The local disc golf club membership has tripled to nearly 700 members since the initial announcement the course was being planned.

Disc golf is played much like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc or Frisbees. The sport started in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws

A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target, which is the “hole.” The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets. The most common is an elevated metal basket. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive throw from the spot where the previous throw landed. The trees, shrubs, and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Ultimately, the “putt” lands in the basket and the hole is completed. Disc golf is designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

The local disc golf club would sell sponsorships in the park to fund hole placements and the acquisitions of baskets and turf needed to play.

Officials said last night the new course has a preferred opening in October 2021 starting with a sanctioned tournament. More details on this will be released at a later time.

CITY COUNCIL ADDRESSES TREES GROWING INTO GLIDE SLOPE AT AIRPORT

The city council approved the application of a grant to pay to trim the tops of just over 400 trees growing into the glide slopes at the airport.

The pilot operates the aircraft so that the glide slope indicator remains centered on the display. That ensures the plane is following the glide path to stay above obstructions and reach the runway at the proper touchdown point.

The plan would be to cut the tops of the trees involved where the top is 10’ below the glide path. The cost is estimated in the area of $400,000 and the grant the city is looking at would cover 95 percent.

An environmental study will have to be done as there is a species of bats living in this area.

The glide slope is required to be maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration.

APPOINTMENTS TO HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES BOARD

The following will serve on the Health and Educational Facilities Board:

Dr. Jack C. Clark – term to expire 6/14/2024

Dr. John Simpson – term to expire 6/14/2024

Clark West – term to expire 6/14/2024

Frances Carson – term to expire  6/14/2026

Rob Patton – term to expire 6/14/2026

Pat Whittenburg – term to expire 6/14/2022

Howard Mercer, Jr. – term to expire 6/14/2022

ORDINANCES PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL

Several passed including amending Fiscal Year 20-21 Budget for $594,000 purchase of land for proposed Indoor Recreation Facility near Genesis Road and Iris Lane. This was the third and final reading of the ordinance.

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES 2021 RECREATION PLAN UPDATE

The city council approved the 2021 Recreational Plan Update in their meeting. The report states:

Introduction

In 2014, the City of Crossville contracted with Lose and Associates to complete a Master Recreation Plan to guide the City’s growth and expenditures for its recreation programs. The existing facilities in the plan included Centennial Park, Duer Soccer Fields, Garrison Park, and Meadow Park Lake. The plan also recommended modifications in the personnel structure of the Recreation Department. Progress in these areas is noted in the following milestones section.

Milestones

The most significant project identified in the City’s 2014 study was the renovation of the Garrison Park complex. Phase one of the project has been completed with the construction of a $1,200,000 splash pad and playground with supporting facilities.

On the night of August 2, 2017, the City’s own K-9 Cain gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting his handler as they pursued a fleeing felon. In Cain’s honor, the City applied for and received a Dog Park Dash grant for the renamed dog park. It was rededicated on March 31, 2019, and both sides of it received jump hurdles, tunnel houses, bridge climbs, balance beams, training platforms, hill climbs and additional benches.

With the growth in popularity of pickleball, the City self-funded the conversion of its tennis courts at Centennial Park into eight pickleball courts in 2019, which have been heavily utilized.

Trails and hiking were identified as a desired activity in the 2014 survey. Since that plan’s adoption, six (6) trails have been established totaling 7.3 miles. In conjunction with trail development, a hiking marathon has been established in the County with this year’s participation totaling 2,052 humans and 400 dogs. In addition to the hiking trails, the City participated in funding mountain bike trails at Cumberland Mountain State Park which now total approximately five (5) miles. The City has identified several existing trails at its Meadow Park Lake facility that can be linked together to establish more than five (5) miles of additional off-road bike trails. To facilitate this project, a multi-use trailhead should be built to support biking, hiking, and disc golf.

In October 2020, the City Council approved the construction of a disc golf course on City property at Meadow Park Lake. The project is privately funded with the City providing in-kind services and the land. The course will use existing park facilities for parking and restroom facilities. Project completion is set for summer of 2021.

One of the major needs identified in the 2014 plan was an indoor recreation/aquatic facility. In September 2020, Wold-HFR Design completed a study to further define the need and support for an indoor recreation facility that would include an aquatic center. That study is provided as an attachment to this update. As a first step in undertaking the project, the City submitted a preliminary application for acquisition funding through the LPRF program in 2020.

Demographics

The 2014 Plan estimated the 2018 Crossville population to reach 11,189. According to a special census completed in November 2017, population was 11,564, exceeding that estimate. Additionally, the City expanded its land mass by 1.02 square miles to 20.99 square miles. Since the special census, building within the City has been brisk with 115 residential permits during fiscal year 2018 -2019 and 142 residential permits during fiscal year 2019-2020. Those permits were dominated by two types of housing: starter-type single family homes and the Gardens, which uniquely targets RV owners with high-end homes specifically designed to house RVs. The recreation needs of these two

populations are quite different, since the first tend to be young families and the second often retired, more affluent couples. Using an average household size of 2.5 persons, the new construction should add approximately 640 persons to the City population, taking it over the 12,000 mark. In those same fiscal years, 507 residential permits were issued in the unincorporated areas of the county. Many were located in the Fairfield Glade and Lake Tansi developments due to the availability of public water supply and existing infrastructure. Residents in those areas are likely to use City facilities if they have children; the City is the only place where baseball, soccer, and softball leagues are available in the County. However, Fairfield Glade is heavily marketed as a retirement community with many amenities covered by homeowner’s fees and memberships. Lake Tansi, has some amenities which make it attractive to retirees, but has more young families and less amenities than Fairfield Glade.

Plan Updates

During 2020, three different surveys were undertaken to gauge various aspects for recreation and quality of life issues and opportunities. As part of the City/County Three Star Grant, Good Folks Creative + Marketing completed a survey that focused on image and quality of life issues including outdoor recreation, arts and crafts, and indoor recreation. The City commissioned Wold-HFR Design to complete a recreation study which covered all aspects of recreation, the major goal of which was to measure support for an indoor recreation facility. Finally, the City completed the five-year update of its Land Use Plan which also addressed quality of life, including recreation issues.

Future Projects

One of the shining stars in the public participation arena is the ever-expanding walking trail system fueled by volunteer labor and an annual City funding allocation of $10,000 in most years. Trail design and planning also receives assistance from the City’s Engineering Department.

Meadow Park Lake is one of the most significantly untapped resources of the City. As noted previously, it is the site of the new disc golf course. Hiking trails are already in place, but will continue to be expanded. A trail grant application will be submitted to construct a multi-use trailhead that will provide facilities for existing and expanded hiking trails, but also be an anchor for mountain bike trails. Additional plans include a new office/general store and expanding camping opportunities. Finally, if plans are approved by the appropriate state and federal agencies, the dam height will be raised by a projected eighteen (18) feet, which will at least double to acreage of the lake and provide much greater opportunity for water-based recreation and a water supply for the region to meet the needs for a projected half century.

A major project that will meet multiple needs for non-existent aquatic facilities and opportunities for indoor recreation activities year-round is an indoor recreation facility. The City specifically targeted validation of this need via the commissioning of the study by Wold-HFR Design. This survey found that 75% of respondents fully support funding the building and operation of a multi‐purpose indoor recreation.

Funding Options

In recent history the City of Crossville General Fund has been the primary funding source for recreation facilities and renovations. The most recent project renovating Garrison was completed using approximately 60% City funds, with another 45% coming from a LPRF grant, and the balance from a pass through grant from the Health Department from Tabaco Settlement funds and a grant from the three Cumberland County Rotary clubs. Projects such as the conversion of the City tennis courts to pickleball courts was 100% City funded. The trails program in the City and surrounding area is funded by the City and often constructed with considerable volunteer labor for the local Friends of the Trails group who also sponsor the annual hiking marathon which, as noted earlier, attracted over 2,000 participants in 2020.

As the City moves forward it will continue to seek funding sources which will include, LPRF grants, Healthy Tennessee grants, Diabetes Grants, Trails grants, Foundation and Corporate grants, and volunteer labor. However, it is anticipated the largest portion of funding will remain in the form of the City’s general fund primarily funded through tax revenue, with a small portion coming from users’ fees. If the City moves forward with an indoor recreation facility, it is anticipated that about 50 percent of the operating revenue will come through aggressive programing, while tax revenue will make up the difference and cover capital costs.

Conclusion

The City of Crossville is the “Golf Capital of Tennessee.” That designation is in line with its history of retiree recruitment. However, several factors indicate a need to expand beyond the limited focus on just golf as a recreational activity in Crossville and the greater Cumberland County area. Many of these additional needs were identified in the 2014 Master Recreation Plan; however, for clarity’s sake, we are updating them with additional data in this report. First, the area has so many options for outdoor activities due to the unique topography and biological diversity of the Cumberland Plateau; the area is selling itself short by not capitalizing on those. One evidence of this is the strong support for trails and hiking throughout the area. Second is the growing population with greater proportion of younger families. This calls for more diverse recreational offerings, including options for indoor activities during the winter when options are currently limited to schools or limited private facilities. Indoor facilities would serve both the senior population and young families. Finally, the need for some sort of aquatic facility is noted in the survey data compiled by both Good Folks Creative + Marketing and Wold-HFR Design. Therefore, the City’s priority is to address these multifaceted needs in one complex to optimize long term operating costs and efficiencies.

CROSSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT JUNE 2021 REPORT REVIEWED

The city council reviewed the latest Crossville Police Department report (June 2021) in the meeting:

CITATIONS ISSUED – 51

Insurance violations – 12

Seat belt violations – 8

Registration violations – 7

Speeding – 5

Light law violation – 4

Ran stop sign – 3

Child restraint violations – 3

Violation of open container law – 2

Window tint violations – 2

Ran traffic light – 2

Failure to exercise due care – 1

Texting while driving – 1

Change of address on driver’s license – 1

OFFENSES – 72

Vandalism – 10

Theft all other – 9

Theft of vehicle parts – 6

Theft from vehicles – 6

Shoplifting – 6

Fraud – 4

Deaths – 4

Overdoses – 4

Weapons law violation – 3

Possession of drug equipment – 2

Embezzlement – 2

Burglary – 2

Recovery – 2

Vehicle thefts – 2

Domestic assault – 2

Robbery – 1

Purse snatching – 1

Assault – 1

Drug violation – 1

Lost property – 1

Dog bite – 1

Juvenile runaway – 1

Intimidation – 1

ARRESTS – 173

Warrants served – 42

Drug violations – 30

Driving on a revoked, suspended or no license – 11

Possession of drug equipment – 10

Shoplifting – 9

Resisting/evading arrest – 8

DUI – 8

Domestic assault – 6

Public intoxication – 5

Criminal trespassing – 5

Theft all other – 4

Weapons law violations – 4

Vehicle thefts – 3

Hit and run – 3

Assault – 3

Burglary – 3

Theft from building – 3

Violation of implied consent – 2

Disorderly conduct – 2

Sex offender violations – 2

Fraud – 2

Criminal littering – 2

Violation of bond conditions/orders of protection – 2

Embezzlement – 1

Intimidation – 1

Misuse of 911 – 1

Tampering with evidence – 1

ACCIDENTS – 94

Minor – 64

Without injury – 24

With injury – 6

JUVENILE ARREST – 9

Runaways – 4

Assault – 1

No driver’s license – 1

Aggravated domestic assault – 1

Weapons law violation – 1

Vaping violation – 1