 TVA, Citizen Action Line, this is Sandra Flanagan. May I help you? My name is Harold Barnes. I have a farm that's over near the Gallatin Steam Plant, and there's a TVA railroad that goes near there, and they've got a fence up on it. It's what we call the number one pump house road. And anyway, they're supposed to keep that road and all that good repair, and I went over there this morning and tried to get one part of my farm to another, you know, through their fence down there, and the gates all rusted shut. And when they put it in, they said they were going to keep it in good condition. Okay, what I need to do is call someone in our power construction offices and see about the repair on this fence, if it indeed belongs to TVA, and from what you said it would seem that it would. So let me get your phone number and your address, and I'll get back with you as soon as I've found out something. 555-2631, and it's route number two. Okay, and this is a Gallatin number? Right. Okay, I'll give you a call back in just as soon as I find something out, hopefully this afternoon. Okay, thank you. Okay. Mary, remember that call you had the other day about a fence on TVA property that hadn't been repaired in a long time? Yes, I think it is. Who did you talk to about that? Because I've got something that's real similar. I ended up calling Joe Wilson down in power in Chattanooga because it was, you know, a power-related problem, and he was going to check into it and see about replacing the fence for the man. Could I speak to Joe Wilson, please? This is Sandra Flanagan with the Citizen Action Line in Knoxville. Uh-huh. I had a call from Harold Barnes in Gallatin, Tennessee. He has an easement on his property for a railroad track that runs the Gallatin steam plant. Yeah. And there's a fence that separates the railroad from his property, and this fence hasn't been kept in very good repair, so that now he can't get to the other side. He has land on the other side of the fence also, and he can't get to it. Do you know anything about this particular area? Well, let me see. Do you know what side of the steam plant that's near? Well, it's near Number One Pump House Road. I'm not real familiar with that area, but I know where the railroad is and the fences on it. I'll send somebody out there and see what's the matter. Well, I was under the impression that these areas were supposed to be kept in pretty good repair by TVA since he's supposed to have access to his land on the other side. Do you not usually go to the area and repair those things periodically? Well, we do check them from time to time, but I'm sure that, you know, I thought we got going on that we might miss a few. Well, when do you think you could send someone out there to look at it? In a couple of days. Okay, would you give me a call back as soon as you've done that so that I can get back with Mr. Barnes with an answer? Sure will. Okay, I'm just wondering what he can do in the meantime. He really can't get through that fence. Is there no way you can get someone there sooner? Let me call somebody over at the steam plant and see what they can do. Okay, would you give me a call back this afternoon after you've done that so that I can have some information to give him? Sure. Okay, I'd appreciate that. Hello, Mr. Barnes? Yes. This is Sandra Flanagan with TVA Citizen Action Line. I talked to our people in power construction and they've told me that they have a lot of these areas that they need to upkeep and they just haven't been looking at this one lately, so that's why the fence is in such bad repair. But they've said that they will send someone down this afternoon to look at that property. If in any case that they haven't repaired the fence within a reasonable time, would you let me know about it and call back? Yes, I will. But I will be calling you back in the next couple weeks anyway to see if the work has been done or to get an update on it. Okay, well, thank you. Bye-bye. TVA's Citizen Action Office was established last year. The office is the public's link to TVA. The Action Line staff receives about 100 calls a day. Trained information coordinators help answer questions about the agency and receive comments about how TVA operations can be improved. The staff is ready to cut through red tape, get quick answers to complaints, and seek solutions to problems people have in dealing with TVA. We were having some problems resulting from a project that TVA was involved in near our home and one was our road was washing away due to the need of some minor reconstruction of a ditch and cover at work. Also, they had installed a nightlight that we found very disturbing to our family and there was the usual trash and litter left around a construction site that we were able to see from our home. I had heard about the TVA Citizen Action Line through one of our local TV news stations and thought I'd give it a try and it worked. Two days after I called the reconstruction of the ditch was taken care of and within a week and a half after the light was completely removed and the trash and litter was cleaned up, also your representative called back and I really appreciate that within three or four weeks to ask if everything had been taken care of and if we had any other problems. The Citizen Action Office is another way for people of the Valley to learn about the agency and help TVA better serve the people in the region. In an attempt to cut red tape and find answers to questions quickly TVA's Citizen Action Office has established a number of toll-free telephone lines. These Citizen Action Lines are available 24 hours a day to help Valley residents with their questions about TVA. Dawn Ford explains. The Citizen Action Office was created to ensure that citizens in the Tennessee Valley have an opportunity to participate in TVA's decision-making process. There are many ways that they can do this through public hearings and other public participation processes which we conduct but one way in which they can make their voice heard is through our Citizen Action Lines. We have six toll-free telephone lines which are available to any citizen who resides in the Tennessee Valley. They can use the lines for three purposes. They can call to get quick information. I don't know if you've ever called a large organization and you get put on hold or you get transferred. Here they talk to one person. We do all their legwork for them and we get them their information hopefully the same day that they call. Secondly, they can call if they have a complaint about TVA or if they feel they've been dealt with unfairly by TVA and we will conduct an independent investigation and try and work out a solution for the citizens. And thirdly, they can call the lines if they have any suggestions or complaints or opinions about TVA's programs and we will see to it that these opinions are forwarded to the TVA Board of Directors. The lines are open from 8.30 in the morning to 4.30 in the afternoon on weekdays. If a citizen calls at any other time, they are put on a recording and our community information specialists will call them back. And I think one of the most interesting aspects of the lines is that managers work on the lines on a regular basis, even the Board of Directors, so that a citizen could call in and actually be talking to the person who's responsible for the program they're complaining about.