Go to the homepage for the Sylva Herald and Ruralite

Commissioners endorse ETJ opponents

By Lisa Majors-Duff
With a delegation of Cullowhee residents opposed to Forest Hills' extra-territorial jurisdiction proposal making up the majority of the audience, Jackson County commissioners last week agreed to petition local legislators on their behalf.

By a vote of 5-0, commissioners agreed to send a resolution to the General Assembly outlining their opposition to the Village of Forest Hills' proposal to establish an ETJ. The move followed pleas from several Cullowhee residents who reside in the proposed ETJ.

Wayne Hooper, a former chairman of the county board, said the state law allowing a municipality to establish an ETJ is a good one when it enables a town to control its services - police, law, fire, water and sewer - as they expand to area neighborhoods. The logical next step of an ETJ is annexation, he said. But Forest Hills has no services to provide to its neighbors, Hooper continued.

"I own nine acres... and I don't want anyone from Forest Hills telling me what I can do with that land," Hooper said. "I'm offended by it."

The motivation for Forest Hills' move toward an ETJ is increased property values and to stop large-scale construction, said Lou Spagna of Pressley Creek. "Geology and geography will stop this type of construction," he said. "Also, the Forest Hills leadership has insulted the people who live here by telling them they need to be educated."

"A lot of people live in mobile homes and can't afford to build if something happens to their homes," said Jeanette Fox, referring to Forest Hills' zoning regulations with regard to manufactured home, which could be applied to an ETJ.

"When I came to speak to you before, I asked you to send a resolution to the Legislature," said Mark Jamison, who spoke before the board last month about the ability of the General Assembly to enact a bill to rectify the "injustice of ETJ." "It's time for you to stand up and be counted. ETJ is bad government, plain and simple."

Commissioner Roberta Crawford said she plans to draft a resolution for board review during its next regularly scheduled meeting Thursday, May 18.

"The Village of Forest Hills has not declared or begun a formal ETJ process. No landowners have been notified," Mayor Irene Hooper said in response to the county's move. "The council is considering ETJ as an action to provide some land-use planning. "I find it somewhat disturbing and difficult to believe that the Jackson County commissioners would take any type of action without first contacting and having dialogue with members of the (Forest Hills) council," she said.

In other business to come before the board, Commissioner Stacy Buchanan raised objections to the preliminary drawing for a new law enforcement complex to be constructed on the Justice Center campus. The plan being developed by Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, an architectural firm in Knoxville, Tenn., shows offices for the Sheriff's Department taking up about two-thirds of the facility.

"It appears to me that in the preliminary drawing that there is proportionally more administrative space than jail space," Buchanan said. "It also appears that some of the administrative space, in terms of individual offices, is too large. If the preliminary drawings are any indication, then we may need to look at the administrative space in relation to the total cost of the jail, which I have thought all along is entirely too high."

County officials are under the gun to replace the 40-year-old facility, which has been condemned several times by local and state authorities. The new law enforcement center is slated to house 60 prisoners, compared to the current 24-prisoner capacity, and provide office space for the Sheriff's Department. Officers are currently housed throughout the old courthouse.

By a vote of 3-2, commissioners approved submitting a grant proposal to the Criminal Justice Partnership Program that could bring in $54,000. Buchanan joined Chairman Jay Denton in opposing the move after Denton announced that the financial administration of the grant had not been reviewed by county finance officer Darlene Fox.

Board members agreed to a request from Leon Jones, chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, to assist as they can with the tribe's plans to extend water and sewer lines into the Whittier area.

"I don't see how we cannot be interested in this project," said Commissioner Conrad Burrell. "This would open the avenue to businesses along (U.S.) 441. I think it's a good idea."

During his comments to the board, Chairman Denton said the 2000-01 budget process is well under way, with most departments submitting "conservative" requests. Also, Denton said, most reports indicate that voters were pleased with the new voting machines used during the May 2 primary.

A $35,500 contract for auditing services to be provided by Crisp, Hughes and Evans was approved, as was a request to abandon a portion of Old Mill Road (SR 1179), which will be sent to the Department of Transportation for its approval.

Also approved was a proclamation declaring May 14-20 Law Enforcement Week and May 17 Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Day.

Following a brief closed session to discuss personnel, board members voted unanimously to offer the position of alcohol information officer to Jane Oliver at a salary of $18,072.

Commissioners will hold a joint work session with the Jackson County Board of Education in the Justice Center tonight (Thursday) at 6 p.m. to continue Smoky Mountain High School renovations discussions. They'll meet again at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 18, for a work session, to be followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m.

Back to Archive: 05/11/00.