NEWPORT-The Cocke County Regional Planning Commission will meet in a special session on Tuesday, Feb. 2, to draft a letter expressing support of strict regulations on upstream, polluted wastewater that is discharged by a paper mill in Canton, N.C. into the Pigeon River.

The Chairman of the Planning Commission, Phil Morgan, suggested the session at the regular monthly meeting of the Commission that was held Thursday.

The Feb. 2 meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the conference room of the Cocke County Annex.

Morgan said he attended the recent hearing in Waynesville, N.C., on the paper mill in Canton.

'Greed and arrogance' alleged

He said of those North Carolina officials who spoke at the hearing, "The greed and arrogance were really offensive."

Morgan said he was particularly irritated that after the paper mill's defenders spoke, they immediately left the hall rather than stay and listen to opposing views, most of whom come from Tennesseans that live downstream from the paper mill.

"That's arrogance any way you slice it," Morgan said.

He said Friday, "We're encouraging all board members and citizens to send in a letter to deny the draft permit as it is." He said stricter regulations are needed to stop the pollution.

New requirements for surveyors

In another matter, after some discussion, the planners at their Thursday meeting voted to require all surveyors to submit plats for review in a PDF format to Bettye Carter, administrative assistant to the county mayor, and state planner Ronda Sawyer, at least 10 days prior to being discussed at a Planning Commission meeting.

The plats will then be sent on to planning commission members by email so they are better informed on what questions to ask or how to vote prior to their regular monthly meeting.

Commissioner Doug Shoemaker said, "I do want enough information to make an (informed) decision" when asked to vote on a plat at a meeting.

Sawyer, the state planner for several communities in East Tennessee, including Cocke County, said, "In other communities, if it (the plat) is not ready to be considered, it does not go on the agenda. That last plat (the Lorene Robeson plat) should never have been on the agenda" because it was not complete.

Commissioner Mike Johnson said he believes the county works with a total of eight surveyors.

Approval sought for property survey

In another matter, Robin Ballard asked that a survey of her property in Cosby be approved and recorded by the Planning Commission.

She told commissioners she needed approval by the commissioners in order to apply for government grants to support a wildlife refuge on her property.

During considerable debate, commissioner Lee Willis said, "We can't turn it (Ballard's property) into a subdivision and say we don't have any jurisdiction over it."

Cocke County Attorney Fletcher Ervin disagreed.

He said, "She (Ballard) is not presenting it as a subdivision." Ervin later also said, "She's not asking you to approve it. All she is asking (the board) to do is say we have no jurisdiction over it."

The vote on a motion to approve Ballard's property for recording purposes only was three "no", two "yes", and two abstentions.

Morgan, Willis, and Jack Clark voted "no". Mike Johnson and Renee Hurst voted "yes." Doug Shoemaker and Gay Webb abstained. The motion, therefore, did not pass.

After more discussion, the chairman asked, "Is there any way we can help this lady?"

The board then decided that the county attorney and state planner should meet with Ballard after the meeting to enable her property to meet county subdivision standards. "(State Planner) Ronda (Sawyer) handles a lot of real technical issues," Morgan said Friday.

No one to represent two properties

In another matter, no one attended the meeting to represent the Lorene Robeson property in Cosby.

The state planner recommended that since the property was being presented to the Planning Commission in its current state, then the board should vote on it. A motion denying approval of Robeson's plat was then passed.

Brian Seigler, also on the agenda, also did not attend Thursday's meeting.

In other business, the commissioners voted to postpone a decision on a variance request for a front-yard setback on a new home planned in the Little Bear View subdivision.

Land surveyor Brennon Garrett said all he did was re-survey an existing lot. He also said it was a recorded plat.

After commissioners Willis and Webb said they would like to visit the lot before making a decision, the board decided to consider the variance request at the next monthly meeting of the planning commission. It will be held the fourth Tuesday of the month, on Feb. 23.

County road list discussed

In a discussion about the County Legislative Body's standards for accepting roads into the official county road list, Willis said, "We need to have roads up to standards before they are accepted into the road list" to be maintained by the county.

County Attorney Ervin noted that the CLB has the final authority on which roads are accepted into the road list.