Smithville property rights voters would be required to vote by absentee ballot in all future Municipal Elections and city referendums under an ordinance adopted on first reading Monday night.
The aldermen have approved a similar measure before for specific referendums but this ordinance would apply to all future municipal elections and city ballot issues.
The proposed ordinance states that “By passing this ordinance it does hereby require that those non-resident property owners for City of Smithville elections or City of Smithville referendums which is on the ballot shall be required to vote absentee for said election or referendum”.
“The ordinance shall be effective for any Smithville election or referendum placed on ballots for the City of Smithville”.
“The DeKalb County Election Commission shall notify the non-resident property owners as set out in TCA 2-6-205 of the requirements of this ordinance.
Without such an ordinance, the city’s property rights voters would likely have to go to two places to vote on election day. This process only applies to property rights voters, those who live outside the city in DeKalb County but who have property inside the city and are qualified to vote in a city election.
In 2014 the city adopted a new charter which extends voting rights to county residents that own commercial property in the city (two persons per deed) and allows property rights voting for county residents who own at least 3,500 square feet of property in the city.
The ordinance will be up for second and final reading passage at the next regular monthly meeting on April 4.
In other business Monday night, Mayor Jimmy Poss recognized DCHS 9th grader Friedrich Dodge of Boy Scout Troop #347 who is repairing a Smithville Rotary Club sign as an Eagle Scout project. He will also be planting some shrubs around the sign. The aldermen gave Dodge permission to proceed with the project on the city owned property. Dodge will be assisted in the project by members of the boy scout troop and the Rotary Club. It should be finished in April.
The aldermen awarded a bid to purchase a chassis for a new water and sewer utility truck for the public works department. The city will buy the chassis from Edd Rogers Valley Ford in Sparta for $39,500. It was the lowest of the two bids submitted.
Joe Johnson was hired by the aldermen as the city’s new building & codes inspector. Johnson was the only applicant for the position.
Bert Driver was appointed as a citizen member to the Smithville Industrial Board to fill the unexpired term of Richard Judkins who has resigned.
In other action, at the request of Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins the aldermen adopted a policy to establish departmental guidelines for the acquisition and deployment of the patrol rifle/carbines. Another policy was adopted to provide police officers with instructions on when and how to use body-worn cameras so that officers may reliably record their contacts with the public in accordance with the law.
Alderman Shawn Jacobs asked that the city look into the possibly of making application for any available state parks and recreation grants. “The state has local Parks and Recreation Grants and the fund has been increased to $500,000 this year. Governor Bill Haslam and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have announced an increase in grant funding for local parks and recreation funds. The deadline to apply for this is April 22. The grants are a 50/50 match. I would like for us to at least look into it,” said Alderman Jacobs.
City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson said the issue will be discussed at the next city planning commission meeting.
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