It seems as though there is another stalemate in the lawsuit between the Town of Cedar Bluff and the Cedar Bluff Utility’s Board over the AT&T Lease Agreement associated with the water tower in the Cedar Bluff Park.
On Thursday the Utility Board held a Special Called meeting in order to discuss an offer to be submitted to the Town which would have resulted in the Utility Board dropping the suit.
The Utility Board also agreed to allow the Town to retain the $30,000 collected to date from AT&T’s lease agreement; the offer also stated that the Town would add $10,000 to the $30,000 for a total of $40,000 and then apply for a matching grant to use for improvements to the park. The Town would have also had to agree to allow the utility Board to verify all expenditures associated with said improvements.
That offer also stated the following;
• The Utility Board would receive the next five lease payments in full starting with the November 2015 payment. And there after will receive one half of all future payments associated with the water tank.
• The Utility Board agrees to allow the Town of Cedar Bluff to use the automobile covers located at the lagoons on Boundary Avenue to store their garbage trucks, and allow the town to use a vacant pond to wash the trucks on a monthly basis with the town taking on full responsibility of maintenance on the pond and assume any liabilities thereafter.
• The Utility Board agrees to not raise the garbage billing rates except in case of a postage increase and or unexpected growth, whereas the Utility Board will only increase based on their cost increase.
• The Utility Board and Town of Cedar Bluff agree to share ownership of the water tank and share all future income and expenses fifty fifty.
• The utility Board agrees to continue to keep the water tank on their insurance policy and the Town agrees to pay half of the yearly premiums.
That offer was unanimously approved by the Utility Board in addition to the Boards Attorney and was approved to be immediately sent to the Town Council who likewise held a Special Called Meeting to discuss the matter with their Attorney.
The Town Council convened their meeting and then went into Executive Session to review and discuss the matter, following a more than hour long deliberation it was decided to table the issue for further discussion.
The case is set to go to before Judge Shaunathan Bell in Cherokee County Circuit next week.
