[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6487944,"mediaKeyId","5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca","parentId",5490090,"title","City staff reports Moody's rating retained, grant monitoring closed, and proposed internal-control and food/subscription policies","audioSeconds",1515,"startMs",331000,"endMs",1846000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca&start=331&end=1846","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca/thumbnail_331000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6487944/Sweetwater/Monroe-County/Tennessee/City-staff-reports-Moodys-rating-retained-grant-monitoring-closed-and-proposed-internal-control-and-foodsubscription-policies","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487944-7d5dde9dc3fe00f36464ac0623cede20/orig.mp4?Expires=1775288395&Signature=Yi0ugkYgrPPHQVpieZH0NjCau7Vf79hTP0sK4A0pDJ-4w6zIAWOpfZiHeHNP1eOmMdQ0uCNZkmiQRuGMjGJrHmP6z~5e05~UXkD3P~Klo~pYhjU8N-7CmtrJEfxgJ2TW7D9waMwsQXoO0UWPQp~GbXadofaiY3aMwQrdieXZbJJu9opidaTlvlmKNKryY5ENajs6yRDq0HeIeu8qpiP~VngzHqfe9z1S6eKjYh8nyUKmmRZGdMmQY1wdt3J~rNs3ZxQQ40auWP0YX4Ch413dNIlx3y1~re-uxzPZEdKw-I-9yTRsH2eaKAPfm95ezc8cIUYGFuXFZM9YSh02u3UyrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sweetwater","date","2025-07-29T00:46:32Z","article","City staff member Jessica Morgan gave the board a monthly fiscal and administration update covering year-end work, litigation, credit ratings, grant monitoring and a set of policy changes recommended after a comptroller review.

Morgan said the state approved the budget the board passed in June, with a single comment asking the city to keep certain line items under budget after an adjusted journal entry moved interest into the capital debt fund. She said staff plan to present full year-to-date revenues and expenditures at the August workshop.

On credit ratings, Morgan said Moody’s has retained Sweetwater’s AA3 rating and that Standard & Poor’s also maintains a positive rating (described as “plus” in the packet). She described AA3 as a prime investment-grade rating; staff said the rating reflects low long-term debt, rising revenues, improved fund balance and reduced net pension liability and that the rating will help with future borrowing for the community center.

Morgan reported grant-monitoring activity: a $1.6 million police grant recently closed with no findings; another Main Street Economic and Community Development (ECD) grant will be monitored in August. She warned that state grant monitoring is intensifying and will require tighter record-keeping.

Following a comptroller investigation, Morgan said staff and MTAS have recommended policy changes. Staff plan to present an updated internal-control manual and two ordinances at the August meeting: one ordinance would require purchase orders for purchases over $10,000 and would add a subscriptions audit process (a designated reviewer will verify subscription necessity at renewal); the second ordinance would formalize a non-travel food policy, requiring sign-in sheets for meeting-provided meals and listing permissible reasons for food purchases (employee morale, long meetings, training, etc.). Morgan said the changes aim to meet recommendations from the comptroller’s office and to safeguard city assets.

Morgan also reported leadership turnover: Parks director Sean Vestal is returning to the fire department, staff have five internal applicants for the parks director post and staff will begin interviews; department-head appointments will be brought to the full board for vote when a recommendation is ready. Morgan asked commissioners for any questions and said the packet includes more detail for the August first-reading items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Sweetwater TN monthly workshop of the Mayor and Board of Commissioners","oneSentenceSummary","City staff member Jessica Morgan told commissioners Moody's retained Sweetwater’s AA3 rating and outlined policy changes and grant-monitoring results prompted by a recent comptroller review.","taxTitle","Sweetwater, Monroe County, Tennessee","taxId",71280,"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},6487949,"Commissioners debate swapping property and moving community center after floodplain and appraisal questions",1576,1859000,3435000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca&start=1859&end=3435","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca/thumbnail_1859000.jpg","/articles/6487949/Sweetwater/Monroe-County/Tennessee/Commissioners-debate-swapping-property-and-moving-community-center-after-floodplain-and-appraisal-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487949-8b4f34a9ba85fb40a008e60f9d8c8f07/orig.mp4?Expires=1775288395&Signature=khP460WxmJWzQ4kTarTL64-tE2TuRcXNiwXeNF4w0EN8O39vGiBVGY7otNYcCKt4eKxl0uR6p0sstfaSaQ2SAuumJkV2IMyisbKnA6zlO79X~BbKb3n299B-VJ7nQ0tFmatuz2DY5ZzF0nxR90JHcw0XHr1Fq-WI4JLyz571V9ZdEC7H5v0UVJpPcYnOoKOsD-f6619v0EMBGUGHjGoPL-wFQxYwnQe~q8yLoIXLfSPLIyDKtP3Ob7Js9dCKE1sBkzMqehkwA81pQ5TdsdOGBWTVJxXM82ymFLG-tyyW2mlkSudtUr94uYU004QwURYhKcpACsLo7qYz7xCd9FJWmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor and commissioners discussed a possible property exchange with property owner Nick Bishop that would move the planned community center from its currently designed site to a green-space parcel behind the depot.

The board reported conversations with Bishop, who told commissioners he might swap five parcels for the city-owned building and lot behind the depot if conditions were acceptable. City staff said an appraised value of the city property used for the swap would be $750,000 (per a recent appraisal the city has on file) while the five parcels listed on the county tax roll total about $293,000. Staff advised the swap would require declaring the city parcel surplus, obtaining contemporaneous appraisals, and drafting a written agreement showing the exchange is in the public interest, per guidance from MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service).

Commissioners raised multiple concerns: an estimated $450,000 in increased design and construction costs to move the center; the need to raise build grade because parts of the Bishop parcels lie in the flood plain (staff said the site would likely need about 1 foot of fill; a core sample would cost a city estimate of $3,000–$5,500 to assess soils); the loss of roughly $400,000 of value if the swap were executed without cash equalization; and potential long-term land-use impacts if industrial activities remain adjacent to the visitor center. Staff noted the two small lots Bishop initially offered for parking are valued at less than $10,000 each per the tax rolls and that Bishop asked to reserve employee parking use on those lots; staff clarified any public parking owned by the city would be limited to private passenger vehicles (no tractor trailers).

Several commissioners said they preferred keeping the project on the currently designed site, citing minimal benefit for the added cost and floodplain complications. Staff noted the project could still move forward on the originally planned site: the portion of the building footprint would remain outside the floodway and the city already carries flood insurance through its insurer (PEP Partners). Staff offered to obtain an appraisal of Bishop’s parcels and to return with a cost estimate at the August meeting if the board wanted staff to pursue that option.

No formal vote was taken; staff were asked to bring back appraisal cost estimates and to place any required formal authorization on the August agenda.","Sweetwater commissioners discussed a potential property swap with local owner Nick Bishop to move the planned community center to an alternate green-space site, weighing appraisal disparities, floodplain/floodway constraints, added construction costs and parking agreements.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6487953,"City attorney outlines next steps after chancellor orders special master in TMG tax-sale matter",296,420000,716000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca&start=420&end=716","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca/thumbnail_420000.jpg","/articles/6487953/Sweetwater/Monroe-County/Tennessee/City-attorney-outlines-next-steps-after-chancellor-orders-special-master-in-TMG-tax-sale-matter","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487953-65fd9481db80a38323edb27cf0e41c6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775288395&Signature=EwtqBnPCFaG0KZhqFoctuwgUOTn4Por6~QVT0ITSnoqt5VklWftfHB5YT5NoDSM85qRd414sCl9jkATqXmG3WKJMEXe4fPboqgrdUCbEbCHfX4esZxjWyGu4waiHfNwz9JeklM86lI4egfiJA0WyTH7qVYuzxmsDk9gKT4h3u9-WgKpS9N2g3JmaWaqweJIk~QCU4FzzWqCNj-hG6QPho7rt-eCymnLy0nIxW-pJvoVE-xTiHR6EVhw4puOUuQUDt7HsnVqYbuU5Af7380Mu4OJv71sikA-BB9trzDcVD3zurwEcRz0tFa9pblQhyA~o2pSKpGh0F5jY1AdvGQMaMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Cleveland, identified to the board to provide a legal update, said a chancery court judge granted in part the city’s motion for judgment in the tax-sale litigation involving a taxpayer identified as Swanfried and ordered a tax sale process to proceed.

Cleveland told commissioners the chancellor appointed Teresa Schoate, the clerk and master, as a special master to conduct a hearing to determine the amount of delinquent taxes. He said he had proposed a stipulation on the tax amounts to avoid that stage but received word from the taxpayer’s attorney within the last half hour that the taxpayer would not agree. Cleveland said that will require a clerk-and-master proceeding, a report to the chancellor, and then a hearing before the chancellor on whether to accept that report; the taxpayer will likely seek a full hearing and could file an interlocutory appeal at any stage.

Cleveland estimated timelines are uncertain and said he could not confidently predict when a sale would occur. He offered a ballpark of “five or six months” but cautioned the process could take longer if the taxpayer files appeals or demands further hearings. He also reported the city is owed roughly $850,000 in total (including interest, penalties and attorneys’ fees) and that the City’s portion is “just a little under $300,000.”

Commissioners asked procedural questions about appeals and whether the chancellor retains authority; Cleveland explained the statutory process allows the judge to consider each step and noted there is not a guaranteed appeal right short of final judgment but that a lawyer could file interlocutory appeals that delay the sale. No formal action was taken; the matter remains in active litigation.","City legal counsel John Cleveland updated the board on a court order appointing a special master to determine delinquent taxes in the long-running TMG/Swanfried tax-sale litigation and described likely further hearings and delays.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6487958,"Sweetwater Fire Department reports ISO improvement to Class 3 after March audit",0,2538000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca&start=2538&end=2538","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5490090-4ba3d901dd37da3ebed738503a2ae5ca/thumbnail_2538000.jpg","/articles/6487958/Sweetwater/Monroe-County/Tennessee/Sweetwater-Fire-Department-reports-ISO-improvement-to-Class-3-after-March-audit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487958-4d37d9977cee10cae0da284851e0b7d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775288395&Signature=ZXB-TXDXzrJTuVtxzl-~u74x1WXKsKChM7WcykKCQX6GAtdb66OmXgmsAAIMhfriJIWKCpSzZ7ZQZDTU4O9pdZSsNee6XpAOtHfwfR7jQ5d5RWjzdhshaGKZh1NTgBD10l44ruHI85I7BLpz80RIw7HkSYsjRdlonWNGNoSNkEx60n9pSH~IT9tauF6AFhPm8CMT8btAuZ3cvx4xqipcJOpM0Psp1HC6VUQEixmsucopPnAklwcM6Vi23y8oVhozV9S6fOmQsuBwzb4NQYi20kgiYhuqhfNM1XHbvG6BJ9TH0TNPZBkHjBmSWydcMXSGeotVGclCvvPDwjRun8Nuag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sweetwater Fire Department Chief John Anderson told the Sweetwater Board of Commissioners that the department improved its Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating to Class 3 following a March audit.

Anderson said the department began pursuing ISO improvements in 2015, moved from a Class 5 to a Class 4 in 2015 and narrowly retained a Class 4 in 2019 with a score of 60.25. He said the March audit produced a 17-point increase and a solid Class 3 result, which he described as an uncommon achievement: “We have a solid 3,” Anderson said, adding that “what only 8% of departments in the state and only 10% in the whole country have accomplished” had been achieved by Sweetwater.

The ISO rating influences property insurance costs because the ISO audit evaluates a fire department’s readiness and capabilities that insurance companies consider when setting rates. Anderson credited department personnel and the commission’s support for the improvement, saying the work required significant additional effort from staff and volunteers.

Commissioners thanked Anderson and invited department members present to stand for recognition. No formal vote or policy change accompanied the announcement.

Chief Anderson’s remarks were a public update to the board; he did not request specific action other than recognizing staff and noting continued focus on maintaining equipment and readiness.","Sweetwater Fire Department Chief John Anderson told the Board of Commissioners the department improved its Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating from Class 4 to Class 3 following a March audit, a change he said only 8% of departments in the state and 10% nationwide achieve.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City staff reports Moody's rating retained, grant monitoring closed, and proposed internal-control and food/subscription policies

Commissioners debate swapping property and moving community center after floodplain and appraisal questions

City attorney outlines next steps after chancellor orders special master in TMG tax-sale matter

Sweetwater Fire Department reports ISO improvement to Class 3 after March audit