The new Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen met for the first time Tuesday night and took the oath of office to begin their new terms.
City attorney Vester Parsley administered the oath of office to the new aldermen-elect as a group and then to newly elected mayor Bennett Armstrong.
Armstrong was elected to fill the remaining two years of an unexpired mayoral term in the Alexandria Municipal Election on Thursday, September 3.

Kelly Pyburn, David Cripps, and John F. Suggs were each elected to four year alderman terms while Danny Parkerson and Matthew Boss were each elected to fill two year unexpired alderman seats.
Tuesday night’s meeting was the regular monthly session of the Alexandria Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
The group addressed a variety of issues during the meeting including zoning.
“What they voted to do tonight is create a temporary fix for a zoning ordinance issue by restricting new residential construction to 1500 square feet for a period of 120 days until a more permanent ordinance is in place. The city’s zoning requirements haven’t been updated in a long time and current enforcement provisions are vague,” said City Attorney Vester Parsley.
The issue was raised by Alderman Danny Parkerson who made the motion to adopt an ordinance establishing the new residential zoning provision. The motion was seconded and passed by the aldermen. Second and final reading will be considered at the next regular meeting, which has been rescheduled from Tuesday October 27 to Tuesday, October 6 at 7:00 p.m. to be preceded by a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. at city hall.
The aldermen also authorized application for a community development block grant which if approved would fund the purchase of a new fire truck. The grant amount is $331,580 including the town’s matching requirement of $16,580.
Although no action was taken, the mayor and aldermen also discussed changing the city charter regarding the city election, possibly having it to run in conjunction with the County General Elections in August in order to save the city money. Any change in the city’s charter would have to be approved by the Tennessee General Assembly.
(Pictured Above:
Seated: City Recorder Stacey Baker, Mayor Bennett Armstrong, Alderman Danny Parkerson; Standing: Aldermen Pat Jackson, John Suggs, Kelly Pyburn, Matt Boss, and David Cripps)

Oral arguments were heard Tuesday on a motion by Cookeville Boat Dock asking a judge to reconsider a recent ruling that it must pay over $200,000 in DeKalb County property taxes, interest and penalties.
After hearing from attorneys on all sides in the case, Judge Amy Hollars requested they submit to the court supplemental briefs within the next few days before she makes her decision. Cookeville attorney Jon Jones represents Cookeville Boat Dock. Vester Parsley is the county’s tax attorney. And Mary Ellen Knack of Nashville is representing the state on the constitutionality of issues being challenged by the marina.
“We have ten days to file supplemental briefs. Mr. Jones will then have ten days beyond that to file his supplement so at least twenty days out from now she (Judge Hollars) can make a decision, but whether she does it that soon I’m not sure,” Parsley told WJLE.
The boat dock has refused to pay the taxes since 1998 and Judge Hollers ruled in April that the dock’s challenge to the tax was invalid.
The attorney for the marina, now argues the county cannot collect taxes beyond 10 years; that the judge’s ruling on the “Supremacy Clause” of the U.S. Constitution was incorrect; and that the amount of interest the county wants to charge is above what is allowed by law.
In the motion for “additional consideration of issues,” attorney Jones points to a Tennessee law that states, “All taxes assessed against real property and personal property in this state shall be barred, discharged and uncollectible after the lapse of 10 years from April 1 of the year following the year in which such taxes become delinquent, whether suit be brought within that time or not to collect the taxes…”
As for the interest issue, the defendants argue “prejudgment interest may be awarded by courts or juries in accordance with the principles of equity at any rate not in excess of a maximum effective rate of 10 percent per annum.”
The motion states that the county “has not provided a breakdown regarding its proposed computation of prejudgment interest. However, defendant (boat dock) expects the county will claim prejudgment interest at a rate of 18 percent per annum. This exceeds the maximum rate of prejudgment interest this court is allowed to award.”
The defendant goes on to suggest the interest rate “should correspond with the interest rate DeKalb County has paid during the relevant time.” Showing documentation the county borrowed money or issued bonds in recent years at rates varying from one to 5.5 percent, the defendant claims “these rates should provide the upper limit on an award of prejudgment interest that the court may make in this case.”
In relation to the “Supremacy Clause,” the defendant asks the court “to reconsider its opinion in this regard.”
Initially the defendant had claimed a section of Tennessee law violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution by discriminating against a lessee of the United States in favor of lessees of the State of Tennessee. It was argued since the boat dock pays fees to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which are used, in part, to pay DeKalb County a sum of “in lieu of taxes,” that having to pay property tax to the county was, in effect, double taxation.
In April Judge Hollers ruled the Supremacy Clause “does not prevent a state or local government from imposing a tax on an individual or a corporation ‘using government property in connection with a business conducted for its own private gain.’” The defendant now claims “the court ‘short circuited’ the issue of whether” the state law “is reconcilable with the Supremacy Clause.”

In an effort to replace a 1981 fire truck and possibly improve the city’s ISO rating, the Alexandria Aldermen Tuesday night voted to authorize the filing of an application for a Community Development Block Grant to purchase a new fire engine.
Alexandria Fire Chief Brian Partridge addressed the issue with the mayor and aldermen during the regular monthly meeting.
The total grant project would be for $331,580 including the city’s local matching obligation of $16,580 should the grant be approved.
Speaking to WJLE after the meeting, Chief Partridge said if the grant is approved, the city would have funds to purchase a new custom cab class 1 pumper, which would improve the department’s water flow capabilities in fighting fires. By having a new fire truck, Chief Partridge said the city’s ISO rating might even go from a 4 to a 3, which could mean lower commercial and homeowners insurance premiums. The city must keep two fire trucks in order to maintain its current ISO rating. Earlier this year, the city learned that the Insurance Services Office raised Alexandria’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating from a Class 7 to a Class 4.
The Alexandria Fire Department is staffed with twelve volunteers and two fire trucks. The oldest truck, a 1981 model, is on indefinite loan to the city from Wilson County, but would be returned if a new truck is purchased. The other fire truck is a 1997 model. Although the primary engine (1997 truck) is still in good condition and could be used as a backup, Chief Partridge said the 1981 engine has serious mechanical problems and brake system issues.
If the city were to be awarded a grant to purchase a new fire truck, Chief Partridge said no additional equipment would be needed. “We already have the equipment. All the equipment we received from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant four years ago,” he said.
It could take up to a year before the city learns if it will get the grant.

Reserve now for the 10th History Hayride at Edgar Evins State Park on Center Hill Lake, Silverpoint, on October 10th. The park is between Cookeville and Smithville.
Reservations may be made at www.tnvacation.com/events/9216 This link will also be posted on the Friends of Edgar Evins State Park Facebook page (friendsofeesp) and the website at http://foeesp.alturl.com . Provisions for groups and timely cancellations are on the registration site. A Visa or a Master Card will be accepted. If you need assistance making reservations on-line please call the park office at (931) 858-2114 or toll free at 800-250-8619 to obtain contact information for Fount Bertram, President of Friends of Edgar Evins State Park.
Ride hay wagons back into the olden days as costumed re-enactors at several stops along the circuit portray people and events from earlier days in the park and surrounding area. A narrator on each wagon will reveal more history between stops. This is not a Halloween themed event and it is not recommended for small children or anyone who has difficulty sitting quietly for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. It has been described as ” … kind of like theater in the round except the audience is sitting on a hay wagon.” Wagons will leave the Visitors Center approximately every 30 minutes from 1:30 to 7 p.m. to begin the circuit. Reservations will be for specific wagons and times. This event sells out early every year with the most popular departure times selling out first. Some like to go in the daylight to see better. Others appreciate the ambience fire and lamp light add to the enactments.
This popular annual event is a fund raiser for the Friends of Edgar Evins State Park, an all volunteer organization that is dedicated to helping the park and improving the park experience for all. This event is a result of team work between the volunteers and the park employees. Information on joining is available in the park office and the website http://foeesp.alturl.com
For those wishing to make this an overnight or weekend outing there are cabins and camping available at the park. Reservations for those are on-line at http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/edgar-evins
The restaurant at Edgar Evins Marina will be open and will offer a 10% discount to Hayride patrons at the event upon showing a printout of the reservation or the History Hayride armband.
For GPS users the address of the park is 1630 Edgar Evins Park Road, Silver Point, TN 38582. It is located approximately 20 miles north of Smithville, 20 miles west of Cookeville and 60 miles east of Nashville. From I-40 take exit 268 at State Highway 96 and Center Hill Lake.

Although a legal challenge is expected if the legislation is passed, State Representative Mark Pody believes the Tennessee General Assembly should take a stand against a U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same sex marriage.

Speaking at a DeKalb County GOP sponsored picnic Saturday, Pody said the “Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act”, sponsored by Pody and State Senator Mae Beavers, calls for Tennessee to defend current state law and the constitutional amendment adopted by voters in 2006 specifying that only marriage between a man and a woman can be legally recognized in the state.
Representative Pody said the push defining marriage as between a man and woman in Tennessee had its origins when Democrats still controlled the legislature. “I want to compliment the Democrats on something. Do you know what they did? They passed something that says marriage should be between a man and a woman. And that passed in Tennessee under the Democratic control. We know that in June that five Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that. But we had a rally down at the capitol (Nashville) on Thursday. There were a thousand people. And we filed a bill to go back and say marriage in Tennessee should be between a man and a woman. I know it’s going to be challenged immediately once its passed but we want to at least be in this battle. Some may say you’re fighting the Supreme Court. But if we’re passionate about something and we believe in something, it means you fight. Even David, who said he was going to fight Goliath. He went out and fought. We filed that bill and I think we’ve got a good shot at doing something with that. We want to be heard on the first amendment to see what we can do on that ruling. We believe two of the (Supreme Court) Justices that ruled on that (same sex marriage) should have recused themselves. They had already performed same sex marriages and because they did that they had a public stance saying they were in favor of it. I don’t think they were neutral in hearing the case. I believe they should have recused themselves. We want to get back in front of this Supreme Court,” said Representative Pody
The “Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act” rejects the Obergefell v. Hodges decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in June giving same sex couples the fundamental right to marry and calls on the attorney general and reporter to defend any state or local government official from any lawsuit to the contrary.
House Bill 1412 / Senate Bill 1437 also aims to protect court clerks and ministers who have religious objections to marrying same sex couples from prosecution or civil action.