Sunday's Internet Edition, September 07, 2008.

Attorney Anita Ashley attended Tuesday night’s commission meeting at the courthouse on behalf of Community Industries of Roane County Inc. She asked commissioners David Boothe, Rodney Cox and John Greathouse to provide a clear title for the property, currently leased to Armacell as warehouse space, to her clients.

Community Industries was established in 1962 with 10 shareholders as a private economic development corporation. The property was deeded to the county so that industrial revenue bonds could be obtained for the construction of a building.

Community Industries has paid taxes and insurance and collected rent from the property for more than 45 years.

“It’s our position that the county doesn’t have anything other than a paper title to the property,” Ashley said.

The issue was raised during a previous commission meeting when a request was made to transfer the property to the Spencer Development Authority. The request was denied when commissioners received a legal opinion that prohibited the transfer.

Ashley said having the commission sign a quitclaim deed would remedy the situation.

“That would clean up the title and members of the corporation can decide what to do with it after that,” she said.

Commissioners said they would like to see it in state code where they could legally give up their claim to the property. Ashley said she would provide the information at the next commission meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m., at which time prosecutor Mark Sergent is also expected to attend.

Also Tuesday, commissioners approved a drawdown of state funds that will be used to install three-phase electrical power at the Amma Industrial Park. A tenant at the park filed suit against Roane and state development officials last year claiming that a promise to install three-phase had not been kept.

Mark Whitley, economic development director for Roane and Jackson counties, said there was no timetable for starting the $25,000 project.

“We still have not heard from the power company about when they can start the job,” he said. “Hopefully it will be soon.”

Commissioners also voted to contribute up to $2,000 to the annual Stash the Trash countywide cleanup. The program, which is not eligible for grants as in past years, is scheduled for May. Boothe and Cox each said that they would like to see the program expanded from Spencer to outlying areas of the county in future years.

Commissioners also:

• Received a lone bid of $117,252 from Richard Randolph to compete a new cabin at Camp Sheppard. The bid will be referred to the camp’s advisory committee and an architect for approval.

• Amended an agreement to accept a $10,000 state grant for the livestock barn at Roane County High School. The money had previously assigned to Camp Sheppard.

• Appointed Jim McCulty, Doyle Tawney, David Kinison and Ben Robertson to terms on the Roane EDA ending Dec. 31, 2010. An appointment of Spencer Mayor Terry Williams to the county airport authority for a five-year term was postponed after Boothe questioned why the recommendation had not come from the airport authority. Williams is currently a member of the authority, although his term expired June 30 of last year. Sue Hamric, the commission’s administrative assistant, said she had called Williams to see if he would continue to serve on the authority.

• Appointed Boothe to the board of the Mid-Ohio Valley Workforce Investment Corporation.

• Received a request from attorney Orton Jones concerning rates charged by fiduciary commissioners. The request will be reviewed.

• Approved a final order from fiduciary commissioner Loretta Knapp for the Bertha Abbott estate.

• Learned that attorney Drew Patton was interested in renting space in the courthouse annex. Some items currently in storage would have to be moved and renovations done before the space could be used.