Sullivan commission appropriates over $130K to regional tourism group

BLOUNTVILLE — The Sullivan County Commission approved a quarterly appropriation of more than $132,000 to the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association. The money comes from the occupancy tax in the county, commonly called the hotel-motel tax. The vote was was 19-0 with three commissioner abstaining and two absent. Abstaining were Commissioners Joyce Crosswhite of Blountville, Matthew Johnson of Indian Springs and Sam Jones of Colonial Heights. Hunter Locke of Kingsport and Mark Vance of Bristol were absent. Before the voting part of the meeting, Alicia Phelps of the Johnson City-based NETTA gave a quarterly presentation on their work for tourism in the county. She also pointed out that Sullivan County is 10th in the state's 95 counties for revenues from tourism, which she said reduces the local tax burden of residents by more than $500 a year. Later, just before the vote, Crosswhite asked if the NETTA board had any rural Sullivan County representatives. Johnson — also the diretor of Sullivan County Archives and Tourism — is on the board, he said, and represents a more rural area. Commission Chair John Gardner of Kingsport is also on the board, but represents an urban area. When the commission cast it ballots on the electronic voting tally board, Crosswhite — a supporter of heritage and historic tourism around Blountville — Johnson and Jones abstained. Gardner asked if the abstentions were for cause, which he explained potentially would affect the requirements for a super majority of 16 out of 24 for approval on first reading. Johnson mentioned his NETTA position, but Gardner said that wouldn't affect eligibility to vote unless Johnson was financially tied to the board. All three indicated the abstentions were not for cause. The temporary rules of the commission, which under Tennessee law can carry over 90 days from the 2022-26 commission term that ended Aug. 31, will end in late November. Charlie Churtis, executive director of the Tennessee County Commissioners Association, is to present commissioners from Sullivan County and other Northeast Tennessee counties who chose to attend, a presentation on Roberts Rules of Order and parliamentary procedures 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at the county's Finance and Administration Building, 155 School Ave., Blountville. Commissioner Mark Ireson is active in the association, as is association secretary and County Commissioner Jones. Commissioners get two hours of continuing education credit for attending the meeting. Gardner said the recently appointed Rules Committee of the commission will meet 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, at the old Sullivan County Courthouse in downtown Blountville, 3397 state Route 126. In other action, the commission: • authorized establishment of a new Pre-Hospital Regulatory Care Board. They also adopted a governing charge, regulations and permitting process for private ambulance services in Sullivan County and the cities of Kingsport and Bluff City. This does not apply to Bristol, Tennessee, which has its own such board. Sponsors are Hunter Locke of Kingsport, who works for Sullivan County Emergency Medical Services, and Mark Vance of Bristol, a former EMS employee. It would replace current bylaws adopted in 2004 and pre-hospital care regulations adopted in 2005, which would remain in effect until the new resolution's adoption. The vote was 22-0 with two absent; it was part of the consent agenda, approved together under one vote at the start of the voting. • added $6,000 to the budget to furnish the county attorney's new office space in the Finance and Administration Building. Commissioner Sam Jones of Colonial Heights sponsored it, with Mark Ireson of Colonial Heights, Kim Harvey of Bristol, Joyce Crosswhite of Blountville Dwight King of Colonial Heights, Gardner and Michael Cole of Blountville co-sponsoring. The vote was 22-0 with two absent; it was a late addition to the 16-resolution agenda, after the Oct. 8 work session, which the commission approved on waiver of the rules. • approved splitting the cost of the state Route 394 Corridor Management Plan Project between the county and Bristol, Tennessee on waiver of the rules. A Tennessee Surface Transportation Block Grant of $200,000 will be matched by $33,000 in local funds from the city and $17,000 from the county, making a total of $250,000. The absent Vance sponsored the resolution, cosponsored by David Akard and Kim Harvey, both of Bristol. Akard said the study is needed before the state would consider allowing driveway cuts and access to open up land along the part of state Route 394 from Bristol Motor Speedway to U.S Highway 421. The vote was 21-0 with one absent and one abstaining. • heard from John Rose, executive director of the BRIDGE regional economic development group for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. In answering a question about what air service might be coming to the regional, he said the not-for-profit group would like to see direct service from Tri-Cities Airport to New York.