Crossville council approves fire truck purchase, authorizes municipal-adviser talks and backs filing of back-tax suits

The Crossville City Council approved a series of formal actions at its April 1 meeting, including the purchase of new firefighting apparatus, direction for the city attorney to negotiate municipal-adviser terms for a fire station financing, and authorization to pursue delinquent-property tax suits with a narrow exclusion for very small balances.

The council approved the purchase of a new fire apparatus (agenda item 5M). Councilman Turner corrected a previously published price and said the full apparatus cost is $1,300,000, with a smaller $39,650.52 deposit to be placed into a special account. Turner moved to approve; a second was recorded and the motion carried.

On the Fire Station 2 financing, council voted to allow the city attorney to negotiate a contract with Commerce Securities to review potential municipal-adviser terms and return the proposed contract to council for final approval. Mayor RJ Crawford moved the measure; after discussion the council conducted a roll-call vote: Mayor Pro Tem Gurnt — aye; Council member Turner — aye; Council member Fox — no; Council member Mayberry — no; Mayor Crawford — aye. The motion carried 3–2. The mayor and others emphasized the step is to gather terms and does not itself bind the city to a final contract.

Council also authorized the city attorney to file suit to collect delinquent property taxes, asking that anyone who owed $5 or less be excluded from the lawsuit. The attorney described sending reminder letters and noted a statutory provision that allows small-dollar accounts to be omitted; the motion to file was moved and seconded and passed.

Other formal actions included approval of the consent agenda (items 5A–5L), the reappointment of Don Cole to the Stormwater Board of Appeals (motion, second, voice vote; motion carries), and a mayoral reappointment of Jerry Wood to the Crossville Regional Planning Commission (mayor appointment announced; vote not specified on the record).

Council members briefly acknowledged the military museum after earlier budget action, noting council had previously approved $22,000 in support. The city clerk recorded votes and outcomes in the minutes.

Votes at a glance - Reappointment: Jerry Wood — reappointment announced as a mayoral appointment; vote not specified in the public record (agenda: Crossville Regional Planning Commission mayor appointment). - Reappointment: Don Cole — motion to reappoint to Stormwater Board of Appeals; motion carried by voice vote (mover/second not named in transcript). - Consent agenda 5A–5L — approved by voice vote. - Item 5M — Approval of purchase of new fire apparatus. Councilman Turner moved; second recorded; motion carried. Turner corrected the public record that the apparatus cost is $1,300,000 and estimated delivery is about 32 months. - Municipal advisor (Fire Station 2) — motion to allow city attorney to negotiate with Commerce Securities and return a contract for council approval; roll-call: Gurnt Aye, Turner Aye, Fox No, Mayberry No, Crawford Aye; outcome: approved 3–2. - File delinquent-tax suits — motion to authorize filing by April 1 excluding accounts owing $5 or less; motion carried.

Council minutes will reflect roll-call results where recorded and the city attorney indicated negotiated documents will return to council for final action.

Ending The council left further details — final municipal-adviser contract terms, delivery schedule and funding plan for the fire apparatus, and the list of accounts included in the tax-suit filings — to follow-up documents that will return to the council for formal approval.