The Smithville Mayor and Board of Aldermen Monday night, following a public hearing, adopted a resolution seeking a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
The resolution states that the city is in dire need of a sewer system rehabilitation project due to excessive infiltration or inflow of surface water into the sewer system.
The total project is estimated to be $582,000. The city’s local matching portion would be $82,000 if the grant is approved.
Fire Chief Charlie Parker gave notice to the Mayor and Aldermen that the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department would no longer be providing extrication services at wrecks outside the city limits effective January 1st.
Parker says ” A couple of weeks ago I was informed by DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green that the County Fire Department had purchased some rescue equipment and wants to assume extrication service to the county as of January 1, 2007.”
Parker says “This is just to go on record that as of January 1st, the Smithville Fire Department will no longer be responsible or liable to respond to calls outside the city limits of Smithville as first call or automatic response.”
“We will continue to provide service to the City of Smithville as we have for the past 21 years. We will however respond outside the city with available personnel to requests from any agencies, including law enforcement, EMS, fire, and rescue anywhere that our services may be needed.”
Parker says “The Smithville Fire Department started rescue services to Smithville and DeKalb County in 1985. Under the leadership of then Mayor Waniford Cantrell, the city managed to purchase the Jaws of Life equipment, and with a lot of personal involvement from then Fire Chief W.J. “Dub” Keith and then Captain Buddy Parker, members of the community and the fire department, a used step van was converted into the first rescue vehicle. We have been adding or replacing some equipment ever since.”
In other business, the city board approved the employment of certified police officer Travis Bryant and water treatment plant trainee Bruce Medley.
The mayor and aldermen entered into an agreement with Charles McGaughy, doing business as Mack Air LLC, to use a portion of the main airport terminal building to make repairs and maintenance to aircraft there.
The city board also set the regular meeting dates for the calendar year 2007.
The mayor and aldermen will meet at 7:00 p.m. at city hall on the following dates: February 5th and 19th, March 5th and 19th, April 2nd and 16th, May 7th and 21st, June 4th and 18th, July 2nd and 16th, August 6th and 20th, September 17th, October 1st and 15th, November 5th and 19th, and December 3rd and 17th.
The city board will not meet on January 1st for New Year’s Day, January 15th for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday observance, and on Labor Day, September 3rd.
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