Thursday's Internet Edition, July 24, 2008.

Roane County Commissioner David Boothe and Anita Ashley, the attorney for Community Industries of Roane County, planned to meet this week to discuss a petition that will be filed in Roane Circuit Court.

During a Tuesday evening commission meeting in the courthouse, Commissioners Rodney Cox and John Greathouse said they had no problems with a draft petition that had been prepared by Ashley and Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sergent. Boothe said he had some questions about language in the document.

“It took months to get this draft to us,” Boothe said. “We should at least have a month to look at it.”

Boothe said he had not had the opportunity to discuss the petition with Sergent, as Sergent had requested at the previous commission meeting two weeks earlier.

“This thing’s been pending forever,” Ashley said, adding that she and Sergent had agreed on presentation of the facts.

The county economic development authority controls all the former Kellwood property with the exception of a parcel of which the shareholders of Community Industries feel they have an interest. Three of the private corporation’s shareholders, Bruce Parrish, Alice Parrish and Fanny Reed, attended the meeting.

Sergent said that once the petition was finalized, it could be filed quickly and gain a place on the court’s docket.

Commissioners previously authorized the filing of the petition. Cox said he would like to see the final version of the document once Boothe’s questions had been satisfied.

Commissioners also:

• Voted to adjust the minimum wage for the four part-time county employees from $5.85 to $6.55 an hour. The federally mandated raise takes effect July 24.

• Received two bids for replacing the air conditioning unit for the circuit courtroom. GW Heating and Cooling submitted a bid for $12,843 and Shimp’s Heating and Cooling bid $8,680.02. Cox asked that the two contractors be contacted to provide specifications on their bids before a decision is made.

• Heard from Greathouse that the county parks and recreation commission was planning to request $3,500 for fence posts that will be installed around the basketball court at Bessie Jones Memorial Park at Walton. Money is already available for the fencing, which will be on three sides of the court. Greathouse also noted that an official ceremony to mark the park’s opening was scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9 from 3-9 p.m.

• Delayed action on a proposed voluntary farmland protection program. Cox said he hoped to have a resolution for consideration at the next commission meeting on Tuesday, July 22 at 6 p.m.