Northeast State scholarship honors Bobbye Webb

County commissioners also voted in December to proclaim this “Bobbye Ayers Webb Week” in Washington County. Webb, who died in October, had served the county for more than four decades in accounting and bookkeeping.

Committee casts ugly vote on Jonesborough school plan

The 4-1 vote did not include an actual endorsement of Scheme 6 from the HEW Committee, nor does it offer any recommendations on how to fund a project that Mitch Meredith, the county’s finance and administration director, told committee members would require the county to borrow at least $56 million to complete. That includes the amount state law requires the county to share with Johnson City schools.

County commissioners identify top growth goals

Those priorities were culled from seven initiatives identified by commissioners during a workshop last month. Commissioner Jodi Jones made the motion for the CIA Committee to send a resolution to their colleagues on Feb. 25 to ratify those objectives.

Questions remain for Jonesborough school property

Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy complimented Lowe’s for its willingness to work with the county on the issue, but said Tuesday a title attorney who reviewed those recent concessions has informed him that “additional issues” still complicate the purchase.

County Commissioners postpone John Sevier Center vote

The JCDA voted in September to buy the 10-story low-income housing building and to bring the units up to acceptable conditions, help transition residents to new housing facilities elsewhere in the city and then sell the John Sevier Center to a commercial developer.

County Commissioners to revisit tax incentive plans

The County Commission voted in December to delay action on a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with Johnson City developer Mitch Cox for a vacant warehouse in Gray, as well as postpone a decision on a $4.6 million tax increment financing plan for the Johnson City Development Authority’s purchase of the John Sevier Center.

Task force sets goals for regionalism

Members of the newly-appointed Blue Ribbon Task Force on Regionalism said Wednesday they want to make sure they are listening to the people who are in the know on those subjects.

Workshop brings goals for Washington County officials

Thirteen of Washington County’s 15 commissioners attended the workshop, which was held at East Tennessee State University’s Valleybrook Campus in Kingsport. Commissioner Jodi Jones — who helped to organize the workshop — said many of the costs for the food and other expenses were donated. As as a result, she said Washington County spent just $136 to hold the work session.

A new vision for the John Sevier Center

John Sigley said he was comfortable in his one-bedroom apartment, which is the third he has occupied during his nearly eight-year stay in the John Sevier Center. Even so, he hopes to soon sign a lease for one of the new units envisioned by JCDA in its TIF project.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Sigley said of the proposal.

Washington County has six audit findings

Auditors with the state Comptroller’s Office flagged three items under the mayor’s office, as well as an issue in the county school director’s budget, one in the Clerk and Master’s office and a single finding in the Washington County Sheriff’’s Office.

It's more of the same for Jonesborough K-8

Commissioner Jodi Jones said she was hopeful the land restrictions could be removed by February. Jones said that would give the HEW committee time to hold a special meeting to discuss Scheme 6 and funding options for a new K-8 in Jonesborough. She said many of the decisions to be made on the project have been long in coming and are “time sensitive.”

Joint EMS/fire station being considered

Once the plans are drawn, EMS Chief Dan Wheeley hopes Washington County will agree to partner with his organization to build a new station on land it has leased from the county on Stockyard Road. The project would include a training facility for volunteer firefighters, as well as an additional bay to accomodate a fire engine for the Limestone Volunteer Fire Department.

Lowe's reverses course on McCoy property

“We haven’t seen anything officially in writing yet, but the company has indicated it will remove the restrictions,” Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy said Friday. “We are waiting for something more from them solid, but things look better than they did a week ago.”

Washington County commissioners delay vote on PILOT

Washington County commissioners voted Monday to delay action on a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with Johnson City developer Mitch Cox for a vacant warehouse in Gray, and well as put off a decision on a $4.6 million tax increment financing plan for the Johnson City’Development Authority’s purchase of the John Sevier Center.

Commissioners to talk TIFs, PILOTs at meeting

The JCDA is also asking commissioners to amend portions of the 2008 redevelopment and urban renewal plan to bring it up to date with a 2012 state law. It wants commissioners to remove the TIF district’s current debt ceiling of $11 million and replace it with a figure based on 10 percent of the real property value in the downtown area.