by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Overriding the objections of Mayor Greg Maloof at the Oct. 27 meeting, the Monteagle City Council voted to transfer $500,000 from the operating budget into capital reserves. The council revisited two discussions from the September council meeting: holding a public hearing on a terminated employee and amending ordinance to clarify a developer’s responsibility for infrastructure costs. During the Alderman comment period, Dan Sargent expressed concern about a Monteagle police officer named in a lawsuit brought by Rodney Kilgore.

Alderman Grant Fletcher introduced the motion to transfer $500,000 from the operating budget to capital reserves “to beef up what we’re going to need in the future for deteriorating resources. There are a lot of depreciating assets.”

“I’d like to wait until we meet with the accountant,” Maloof objected.

Fletcher pointed out that four months into the fiscal year, there was an excess of $2 million in the operating budget.

“I agree with Grant. I brought this up at the last two budget meetings,” said Alderman Nate Wilson. “We’ve been talking about it for a long time. The accountant says we need between nine and six months of operating capital. That’s between $1 and $1.5 million. We have well over two.”

Maloof voted against transferring the funds.

Revisiting the council’s September decision to have a public hearing to review the termination of an employee fired for falsifying reports, Alderman Dean Lay asked when the hearing would be held. Maloof proposed addressing the issue at a workshop. “We’ll gather the facts and information and present it at a town meeting,” Maloof said. The council approved Lay’s motion for having the hearing at a special called meeting. Maloof again voted, no.

Wilson proposed a second reading vote on an ordinance amendment clarifying the developer’s responsibility for costs when a project called for “extensions and improvements” to water and sewer lines. Unable to determine from the minutes if the vote in September approving the amendment was pending review by the city engineer, the council voted to approve the change on first reading. Wilson noted the ordinance also allowed the town “to waive [holding the developer responsible for costs] if it is in the town’s best interest.”

Referencing a lawsuit against the city brought by Rodney Kilgore, Alderman Dan Sargent said the Monteagle police officer named in the lawsuit had been declared “not eligible to be an officer in the state of Tennessee” by the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (POST). “That’s not what POST says,” responded Police Chief William Raline offering clarification. “Sargent [Hafiz] Karteron had accusations brought against him. He was arrested. Everything was dropped. He had a diversion. [According to the court record] it never happened. I called POST. They said there is nothing they can do. He is a certified officer.”

Sargent objected, “The last thing I read from the Rutherford County document releasing this gentleman from the duties he served as a police officer in that county said he was not fit to be an officer in the state of Tennessee.” Raline again stressed, “Once the court case happened, he got a diversion.” According to Raline, POST maintained no waiver was required to hire Kateron who is also employed by the Grundy County Sheriff’s Department. “I’m questioning the authority of this individual,” Sargent said. Raline maintained, “Since he’s been in law enforcement with Grundy and Monteagle, he’s not shown anything [questionable]. He puts the safety of Monteagle citizens before his own.” Heated verbal exchange followed between Raline and a resident. Maloof ended the discussion insisting, “We’ll deal with it.”

In new business, the council approved an amendment to the ordinance regulating fencing, changing the word “opacity” to “transparency.” The Monteagle Planning Commission recommended the change to rectify the ordinance’s inaccurate and misleading use of the word “opacity.”

The council also approved the Beautification Committee’s request to purchase two Voice of the Voiceless communication boards for use with autistic and nonverbal children to help them communicate and play with others in the parks, cost $225. The boards allow children to select image icons representing what they want to say or to select letters to spell words to communicate.