City council work session, beer board meeting set for Monday

By Jim Young / jimyoungreporter@gmail.com

September 04, 2008 05:06 pm

— The Crossville City Council will have a busy two days Monday and Tuesday of next week with a work session and special-called Beer Board meeting Monday and public hearings and a regular meeting on Tuesday.
At press time, Crossville Mayor J. H. Graham III remained in a Birmingham hospital following emergency surgery last Sunday for an intestinal blockage. The mayor is expected to be back in Crossville for the meetings scheduled next week.
While the final agenda for the regular September meeting will not be available until after press time for Friday's paper, the information for Monday's meetings has been released.
At 4 p.m. on Monday the council will hold a work session requested by councilman Jesse Kerley on the director of engineering and public works department. Previously Kerley pushed hard for public works director Tim Begley's firing after the issue of payments to the former airport manager Norm Westerbhur came to light. Previous city manager Jack Miller was fired over the issue of authorizing payment amounts over the $5000 his position was authorized to approve.
The 30-minute work session appears to seek the combination of public works under the engineering department which could eliminate the need for Begley's position. The session is only a work session for discussion of the topic and no vote or decision could be made on the matter.
Following the work session at 4:30, the council will hold a special-called meeting as the Beer Board and discuss the final action to be taken against several beer licensees for violations of the city's municipal code. Three beer licensees were charged with stock liquor while others were charged with underage sales. All the cases have been finalized though the court system and the Beer Board can suspend or revoke the businesses' licenses.
Licensees facing punitive action include Redhead's Bar and Grill, Las Margaritas, BJ's Lounge, Porky's Barbeque and R & B's Café. Redhead's is no longer open at the location on Highway 101 and BJ's Lounge is in the process of being sold.
The Beer Board will also consider action against beer licensees that failed to show up for a mandatory meeting the city held Aug. 5, 2008.