Page 3 - Tennessee 811 Magazine 2021 Issue 1

from the desk of
Bill Turner
Come on 2021! I think we can all agree that 2020 proved to be a very challenging year. I am pleased to report that due to the efforts and dedication of the Tennessee 811 staff, we never missed a beat. Prior to COVID, approximately half of our call-taking staff worked remotely. To transition the remaining staff was easier than if we had to start from scratch. Administrative and GIS staff returned to a transitional in-office schedule in June 2020, and we are still limiting the amount of people in the office until the vaccine is available to all.
We finished 2020 with a record ticket volume of 982,467 tickets, a 7.8% increase over 2019. In addition, we have increased our Remote Ticket Entry (RTE) usage to almost 50%. If you are interested in finding out more about RTE, ask our agent to refer you on your next call.
These difficult times require us to be flexible in how we meet. Our annual membership meeting is currently planned as a face-to-face meeting at 9:00 AM CST on April 26, 2021. I can assure you that we will provide a safe environment
and respect social distancing guidelines. For those that might still be restricted from meeting in person, we will provide an option for remote participation. More information will be mailed to members and available on our website at www.tn811.com
For those that have attended and participated in our Damage Prevention Summit, we have decided to move the event later in the year for 2021. We’ll return to the Embassy Suites in Cool Springs (Franklin) on September 20th and wrap up on the 22nd. We hope that given this extra time for vaccinations it should assist with better attendance. Save the date and stay tuned for additional details.
In 2020, our legislative efforts were delayed by COVID (delayed by COVID sounds like a broken record, right?). Our amendment made it all the way through the House Committees but was not sent to the
floor. The Senate decided after COVID that they were only dealing with COVID related bills. We have reintroduced the amendment this year (same language as last year) for approval. All stakeholders were in support of the bill last year and we expect a quick and supportive passage. These proposed changes have been outlined and shared in previous issues of this magazine. If you have any questions, please contact the Damage Prevention Liaison for your area (see page 9 for a reminder).
Finally, this year marks our 24th Anniversary of the “811 Invitational Golf Tournament”. The tournament will be held at The Hermitage Golf Course on April 27, 2021. Last year’s tournament was delayed by COVID, but we still had to turn teams away due to overwhelming interest once we reopened registration. More information will be mailed and available on social media as we get closer to this year’s event.
Thank you for all your support and hard work in damage prevention and creating a safer Tennessee. Remember to always Call or Click 811 Before You Dig!
Respectfully,
William “Bill” Turner President Tennessee811
Mission Statement
To Provide the
Best Communication, Education and Notification Service to Facilitate Damage Prevention to Underground Utilities.
2021, Issue 1
Tennessee811 • 1