The Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) on Wednesday afternoon named its chief engineer, Mark Harrison, as the interim executive director.
Chairman Mike Moon opened the meeting by having a moment of silence for former Executive Director Cleveland Grimes, who died unexpectedly on March 29 at the age of 58.
Chairman Moon said, "I open this meeting with a heavy heart. This is our first board meeting since the death of Cleveland Grimes."
He appointed a committee to work out a process for hiring a permanent executive director. Panel members include himself, Peter Avisto, Ed Watt and Dick Gee.
The chairman said, "We will start in the near future evaluating the search process and how we go about it. The WWTA is in good hands right now."
Mr. Harrison will be paid the rate that was paid Mr. Grimes. He will continue his duties as chief engineer.
He delivered the director's report, saying the WWTA is getting requests for subdivision connections at Ooltewah. He said one with 50 lots is Snowy Owl by Green Gap. Another developer at Ooltewah is planning 288 lots.
The board heard an appeal from an official of a business in East Ridge at 103 Hurst that has not been able to get the water turned on at a house because a previous tenant did not pay the water and sewer bill.
Attorney Ed Schemel said his client, when turned down at the variance committee, was given a section of state law that purportedly gives the WWTA the right to withhold turning on water due to a past bill from someone else. He said that section only gives the WWTA the right to put a lien on the property - not withhold cutting on the water.
WWTA Attorney Chris Clem said there are other sections of state law that give the WWTA the right to do so. He said, "We've been doing that for years under a number of statutes."
He said he won a case on the issue before Chancellor Jeff Atherton two years ago.
Attorney Clem said he has a handout prepared on the subject, and he has given hundreds of them out following numerous complaints on the policy.
The board denied the business's request.
Meanwhile, County Commissioner Tim Boyd, who said he gets a high number of complaints about the WWTA, said he will hold a meeting on the WWTA topic on April 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Bank Community Center.