Staff Writer

CUMBERLAND GAP - In a special called meeting Monday, Aug. 29th, the Cumberland Gap aldermen and Mayor John Douglas decided to offer their support for the idea of a regional treatment plant.

Harrogate has instated the idea of a regional wastewater treatment plant to serve the cities of Harrogate, Cumberland Gap and Lincoln Memorial University. Mayor John Douglas said during Monday's meeting that he felt the state would never permit such a facility because it would be draining into the Powell River.

"Gary McGill and I have conveyed to the state that we are going to stay on course where we're at right now," said Douglas. "We will continue to improve our treatment plant and wastewater facilities. It's our best interest right now."

McGill said that his opinion, the town of Cumberland Gap has a solution to it's waste water treatment problem. He went on by saying the town had the money in place to implement that solution.

McGill also reminded Douglas and the board members that the town is under a director's order from the state to proceed on a schedule with the town's treatment plant repairs. Those funds were awarded by Rural Development last year with a grant that exceeded one million dollars.

"The state called me about two weeks ago - they had gotten an isolated call regarding this issue and asked about it," said McGill. "I told them what little I knew about it and of course, they said it would be impossible to get it permitted."

McGill said he doesn't see a problem going to meetings, listening and keeping and open mind - just as long as there is no long term commitment. He said a project of the size Harrogate is talking about would take years to implement.

"We (town) do not have years," he said.

Douglas said regardless, they are going to keep their obligation to take care of their waste water treatment plant.

"Later down the road, if we can find a different alternative to handle our waste water treatment, save time and money, then we'll look at it," said Douglas. "But right now, we have to focus on what we first set out to do."

Municipal management consultant Ron Darden made a presentation to the board regarding the idea of a regional plant. He confirmed that discharge can not empty into the Powell River directly but there are other tributaries that could be acceptable for discharging the waste.

Darden said Pete Debusk was going to meet with Gov. Phil Bredesen and ask for $10 million in funding for the facility to be developed in the area.

"What I'm recommending is that you all support the regional concept," said Darden.

Darden explained that Harrogate's town aldermen and Mayor Bill Fultz agreed to support the idea in a special called meeting just hours prior to the Gap's meeting.

He said that by supporting the regional concept, it doesn't require the town has to join any authority, but instead, means if the authority is put in place and the project gets under way, the town would have the option to participate.

Aldermen Bill McGafee and John Adams said that their main concern was watching the rates of such a system.

McGafee reminded the board of a few months ago when the town was looking at joining the Claiborne County Utilities District and abandoning the Gap's treatment plant. If the town had done that, monthly sewer bills would have topped more than $84 average per household.

"We got a lot of old people in Cumberland Gap that are on fixed incomes," said McGafee. We've got to watch our rates."

Another item Darben asked the board was for the proposal that the town retain it's current engineer to complete what work the town has going on within in the system, as long as they are operating their system - when Harrogate gets ready to launch the plant and plans, they can select an engineer for the project.

Darden said at some point, if an authority forms, they would appoint an engineer for the project. Harrogate would also be abiding by the same proposal.

The board, under Tennessee law, would be made up of five members of the appointing city (in this case, Harrogate) and cities that join would get one vote or one member, which is appointed by the mayor within concurrence of the city council.

"The need for this is because we do not want the confusion of which engineer is going to do what," said Darden.

The board and Mayor decided to go along with the engineer proposal but because they are not committed, only open-minded to the idea, the second proposal is not effective.

The board of mayor and aldermen will meet Monday, Sept. 11 for their regular session, which is set back a week due to the Labor Day holiday.