Council to also consider power board applications

Shelbyville's city council will begin conducting interviews next Friday for the vacant city manager seat.

City recorder Betty Lamb, who is also currently the acting city manager, told council members Tuesday that the council needed to start the interview process "as soon as you can."

Interviews will be conducted on March 12, 18 and 19 starting at 1 p.m..

The 13 names currently under consideration for the job are:

• Kay Parker of Shelbyville
• Steve Landers of Shelbyville
• Scott Clary of Shelbyville
• Steve Kaiser of Shelbyville
• Chris White of Shelbyville
• Mike Dill of Shelbyville
• Linda Roberts of Bell Buckle
• James R. Johnson of Franklin
• Seth Sumner of Knoxville
• Jack Miller of Crossville
• David Clabo of Georgia
• Hal Mason of North Carolina
• William Sheridan of Montana

Council members will talk to four applicants on each day and will schedule a fourth round of interviews if needed.

Members decided to interview local applicants first and then speak to those seeking the job from outside the community.

Lamb asked what the salary range for the job would be so she could advise the applicants and councilman Al Stephenson suggested starting at $60,000 "just for the beginning."

Lamb also stated that it is possible that some of the out-of-town applicants will not come for an interview.

The city manager slot has been empty since last October after Ed Craig was asked to resign by the council by a 4-2 vote. The vote followed a letter from council members demanding Craig's resignation. At the time, city attorney Ginger Shofner called the act of circulating that letter a violation of the Sunshine Law.

The council also received a stack of 17 applications for the Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewer Board.

The slots on the board have recently been the focus of controversy, with Stephenson, asking for term limits for members and another councilman, Thomas Landers, taking issue with the fact that insurance is offered to board members and their families.

Applying for the board seat are:

• Henry C. Whitaker
• Rose M. Peacock
• James M. Darden Jr.
• Steven Foster
• Emma Jane Bourgoyne
• Wanda Woodlee
• Anthony (Tony) Cornish
• Paul R. Stacy
• Robert B. Smith
• Robert S. Finney
• James Dye
• Lizzie M. Peoples
• Larry E. Wells
• Nelly C. Barnes
• Megan Armstrong Kingree
• Maurice Burgess
• Fay C. Womble

A brief called meeting was held by the council to approve a contract with Tennessee Department of Transportation for help in building an industrial access road to the Newell-Rubbermaid Package Operational Center.

The council also announced that anyone who paid city taxes on Monday, March 1, can come back to city hall and be reimbursed for a one percent late charge.

An attorney/client meeting was also held before Tuesday's study session. Council member Lee Roy Cunningham was not present for Tuesday's meeting.