[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6562525,"mediaKeyId","3274557-09456ce7fdf2bb701dcf97c006801c78","parentId",3274557,"title","Votes at a glance: Lenoir City Council approves new health plan, paving contract, sanitation fee increase and retiree COLA; zoning and annexation advance","audioSeconds",166,"startMs",2394000,"endMs",2560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3274557-09456ce7fdf2bb701dcf97c006801c78&start=2394&end=2560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3274557-09456ce7fdf2bb701dcf97c006801c78/thumbnail_2394000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6562525/Lenoir-City/Loudon-County/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-Lenoir-City-Council-approves-new-health-plan-paving-contract-sanitation-fee-increase-and-retiree-COLA-zoning-and-annexation-advance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562525-7f84b32eabdbacae502e3826061c4665/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442896&Signature=cFUzuPB-Ok1-LcQ51K5jI6~sKu1Lx0upPnNaasmSP9xNWcLxfB~LGhxQ~rL2zpUbDKHLW6nIKr06-99~sxWklKEF4Kkz5wI45QK0NI3mPYzWEWs6vFfvjV2ZsegXElYDNfxR0e5cxkoqDGLmIyS9w6VDvQ3aaIkJimb0gSVz6km-muu-KMT5AgcPcwHQSbdz2SGzzQBDhjw75hvq6u5s9~7iEZr-mtdgvmDBfSARHT36j6TzdCrPZZh3kP8mGDS3rvKADzxPlMGgHyZJNAZWJH1BZKy7G-iFBftd37pKMYoW3PCT3Yf6vxwDH95jIGAZpJwMUMf1H2cEluoXPjcgYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lenoir","date","2025-05-12T21:46:55Z","article","Lenoir City Council on multiple votes approved a package of operational and budget-related items, including a change in health insurance vendor, a paving contract, a sanitation fee increase for city customers, and a resolution to provide cost-of-living adjustments to employees in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS). The council also moved forward with a zoning change and an annexation request that drew discussion on traffic and state jurisdiction.

Health insurance: The council voted to accept a purchasing committee recommendation to move the city’s group health coverage to Cigna’s level-funded platform rather than renew with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Chris Waller, presenting the purchasing committee’s analysis, said Cigna offered a level-funded plan with a fixed city cost and a claims-funding layer of $1,100,000; the municipality would share 50% of any claims savings below that threshold. Waller said Cigna offered a $25,000 premium credit on the first bill and a $25,000 claims-funding guarantee, totaling $50,000 in one-time credits. He told council the net effect would reduce the projected increase to roughly $162,000 (about 16%); council approved the recommendation on a recorded vote.

Paving contract: The council approved awarding the city paving contract to PRI, the low bidder, for $498,500. The project covers city paving work scheduled for the current year; the contract does not include certain county-shared roads (for example, Forever Hollow and Johnson Drive are handled separately with the county). Council discussion touched on timing and coordination with county work; council moved and seconded the award and recorded the motion.

Sanitation fee: Council approved an ordinance to raise the monthly refuse/collection fee for city residents from $15 to $16, effective July 1; the charge appears on the Lenoir City Utilities Board bill as a sanitation line item. The fee increase was presented as necessary to keep pace with rising equipment, fuel and landfill costs and was approved on first reading with a roll call vote.

Retiree COLA (TCRS): The council adopted a resolution to allow cost-of-living adjustments for employees participating in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, citing Tennessee Code Annotated Title 8, Chapter 35, Part 2. Council members discussed funding options and decided to amortize the city’s obligation over a 10-year payment plan rather than a lump-sum payment; staff said that change will be budgeted and that the city’s rate pressure is expected to ease in about four years.

Zoning reclassification: The council approved a planning commission recommendation to rezone a roughly 2-acre parcel at 340 Poplar Street from R-1 (single-family residential) to R-2 (medium-density residential). Council members and staff described the lot as oddly shaped and said it will be subdivided into multiple parcels if development proceeds.

Annexation and development by Highway 70: The council approved first-reading action to annex approximately 1.82 acres near Highway 70 adjacent to Dollar General for commercial use (presenters described it as a gas/convenience site). The annexation drew the most discussion; several members raised concerns about existing school-traffic congestion and whether additional signalization or traffic control would be necessary. Staff and councilors noted that traffic on State Route 321 is under Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) jurisdiction and that the city has previously requested mitigations at nearby intersections. The council voted to move the annexation forward.

Other business: The city administrator said the request for qualifications (RFQ) for a comprehensive land-use plan will be advertised June 11 and accepted through 4:30 p.m. on July 18; a parks-and-recreation committee meeting to review a recent public survey is scheduled for the following day. Council also discussed an ongoing lawsuit against the city; officials said the matter was turned to the city’s insurer, that the insurer’s attorney is handling public-record requests tied to the case, and that they did not call an executive session during this meeting.

The items above were approved in separate motions recorded in the council minutes and denoted in the meeting roll calls. Where the transcript records specific vote tallies, the council recorded aye votes on each of these measures; no defeated motions on these items are recorded in the meeting transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lenoir City Council 5-12-25","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting the council selected a Cigna level-funded health plan, awarded a paving contract to PRI, approved a $1 monthly sanitation fee increase, adopted a resolution to provide cost-of-living adjustments for TCRS retirees, and advanced zoning and annexation items.","taxTitle","Lenoir City, Loudon County, Tennessee","taxId",57891,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562530,"Lenoir City council unanimously confirms Jonathan Bryant as next police chief",913,497000,1410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3274557-09456ce7fdf2bb701dcf97c006801c78&start=497&end=1410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3274557-09456ce7fdf2bb701dcf97c006801c78/thumbnail_497000.jpg","/articles/6562530/Lenoir-City/Loudon-County/Tennessee/Lenoir-City-council-unanimously-confirms-Jonathan-Bryant-as-next-police-chief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562530-917308c79a536f5eeecc4dba23e9ad31/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442896&Signature=RhYl0K41VJRqtlbFv~odoOKKHE0pPrRn8ixK7KKmCXr2jtlnoc1Rkq99YtN~ngYJIxwvsYDdp0b37z4QY120gXMpbFhdLtgwye9i1cNn3VgbSdsMZAWpHvgU5GP707IWrPf0QJ2CcAa84yAfgFda5Gcz7Zk~e~bWtDyDl0BoNT-4GLY9oPWvf8IzzimK8dCoVFMDtNE9CdUEEX8UUZP-6-8oeDJzUOzgj8~N7QgvclwXjrRuolZ-P5prDy~3wi0oP6jU2yrT4EvHZ9e1EYEpLJARd1iE~6aO291Drf5Sh~-DKvTyTLTkx6~oc0Bg2GT17t0rN~LBIwuaOGdutjsEjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lenoir City Council on a unanimous vote confirmed Jonathan Bryant as the city’s next chief of police, accepting the personnel committee’s recommendation and approving a transition plan that keeps current staffing and payroll intact during handover.

The council approved the appointment after hearing from personnel committee members and from Chief Don White, who said the department had planned for a “smooth transition” and recommended Bryant ‘‘based on his resume’’ and experience. Council members said Bryant’s ties to the community and law-enforcement background made him a strong candidate.

The confirmation followed a motion to appoint Bryant and a second; council members voted aye on the roll call. Council discussion addressed pay and timing: staff said the budget includes funds to cover both chiefs’ salaries during the transition period. Chief White indicated he expects the incoming chief to begin in July and said he plans to retire about a month later in August, while Bryant confirmed his readiness to assume the role.

Jonathan Bryant addressed the council and public after the vote, thanking Mayor Akins and the council for their support and saying he is “humbled, excited, and committed” to lead the Lenoir City Police Department. He pledged to work collaboratively with council, staff and community stakeholders and cited succession planning and continuity as key goals.

Council members pressed on transition logistics. One council member asked whether the city would be paying two chief salaries simultaneously; staff replied the budget contains funding for that overlap and that it is consistent with past transitional arrangements for other senior positions. Another council member asked about the willingness of current assistant chiefs to remain; Chief White said his assistant chief has indicated he plans to continue serving and has no immediate plans to retire.

The council took the action during its consideration of a personnel committee recommendation regarding the pending police chief vacancy, following a recommendation from the personnel committee that was described on the record as unanimous.

The vote ends a succession planning process the council and administration said began more than a year ago. No dissenting votes were recorded.

The council did not set a formal effective date for Bryant’s badge ceremony on the record; officials said the operational transition would begin in July, with White’s retirement expected in August.","After a personnel committee recommendation, the council voted unanimously to appoint Jonathan Bryant as Lenoir City’s next police chief and approved budget provisions for a transition period while Chief Don White retires.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Lenoir City Council approves new health plan, paving contract, sanitation fee increase and retiree COLA; zoning and annexation advance

Lenoir City council unanimously confirms Jonathan Bryant as next police chief