Preston T. Cobb

The meeting commenced with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the approval of minutes from the December 11, 2025 session. The Mayor issued proclamations honoring Coach Shawn Witten for achieving the most wins in Elizabethton High School Football History and recognizing the Elizabethton High School Betsy Band. The City Manager presented monthly departmental reports for December. Key actions included approving the appointment of Jess Sutton to the Planning Commission & Board of Zoning Appeals. The Consent Agenda approved multiple resolutions and ordinances, such as administrative service agreements for a THDA HOME Grant, applying for a TDEC Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Grant for grid resilience, approving software contracts, approving a Task Order for the Laurels Road Waterline Extension Project, and considering three budget ordinance amendments. Under Old Business, the Council passed an ordinance on second reading to rezone a parcel from R-1/B-2 to solely B-2 designation. New Business involved passing a resolution to accept a $400,000 Downtown Improvement Grant, ratifying the Mayor's signature on a $540,000 THDA Home Grant, approving the first reading of an ordinance to rezone three parcels from M-1 to R-3 district, approving a TEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant application for electric service in the Holston Mountain area, approving Assignment #3 with J.R. Wauford & Company for EDA Sewer Interceptor Rehabilitation Project services, and approving the purchase of the Gasboy EKOS Fuel Management System.

The City Council held a strategic planning session to discuss and reach a consensus on the city's values, ensure the mission and vision statements remain relevant, set realistic goals, review the upcoming budget, and conduct the annual city manager review. The council reaffirmed their core, solid, and aspirational values, and confirmed the mission and vision statements. They discussed maintaining current assets and infrastructure, reviewed the next year's budget, and addressed council members' issues such as office space, swimming pool renovations, economic development communication, additional gymnasiums, and code enforcement. The council also set SMART goals, including developing office space, completing pool renovations, ensuring the Tweetsie Trail Jam concert series breaks even, upgrading code enforcement, securing new economic development contacts, and adding gymnasiums at the Tetrick Center. The city manager's performance was reviewed, with an average compiled rate of 4.46.

The City Council meeting agenda includes a proclamation for National School Resource Officer Day, a special presentation to a former mayor, and various departmental reports from the City Manager. The meeting will address appointments to several boards and commissions. New business items include a vacancy in the City Judge's office, an ordinance amendment adding a consent agenda section, and several resolutions concerning task orders, grant applications, contract extensions, budget amendments, and audit services contracts. Purchases, expenses, and bids for January 2025 will also be reviewed.

The Carter County JECDB Board of Directors meeting on November 16, 2023, covered elections of officers (Mayor Alexander as Chair, Commissioner Holdren as Vice Chair, and Mr. LeVeau as Secretary), city updates including the Façade Grant program and the Downtown improvement grant, and county updates such as the Tweetsie Trail grant and the NE TN Recovery Center. Discussions also included the West Carter Development Corridor, agricultural considerations related to the rise of Airbnbs, tourism development, and the Property Evaluation Program.

The City of Elizabethton, Tennessee Beverage Board held a regular session meeting on December 12, 2024. The agenda included approval of the minutes from the previous meeting on September 12, 2024, comments from citizens, old business, and new business. A key item of new business was a beer permit application for Tobacco Depot at 751 West Elk Avenue for an off-premise permit.