Signage and trash cans discussed during city meeting

Many trash cans at homes and businesses in the city have been damaged. The city is researching the cost of replacing them but the cost of ones previously purchased by the city had doubled.

With the start of summer and the end of the fiscal year approaching, it was mainly business as usual for Sparta Board of Mayor and Alderman at their final meeting for the month of May.

City Administrator Brad Hennessee told the aldermen that the 2021/2022 budget is almost complete and will be ready for its required first reading at the regularly scheduled meeting, on June 3, with its second reading scheduled for June 17.

“I don’t anticipate any problems,” Hennessee told the board members. “We are still making adjustments, but I will make everyone aware of every adjustment that is made. I’ll communicate the best I can between then and now.”

During the meeting, the board approved the Recommendation of Award for the materials and labor for site prep, grading, foundation, concrete work, block work, stone work, electrical work, and site restoration for the Gateway Monuments to be installed at the northern and southern city limits, on Highway 111.

While the bid came in from J.A. Sergio and Sons Inc., of Sparta, at $57,400, the anticipated cost to the city, after adding in $8,000 for the signs and $2,500 for the engineering work, will actually only be $53,900 because of a grant from the Rotary Club in the amount of $14,000

“It’s going to be a great asset to our community,” Mayor Jeff Young said.

Young said Tennessee Department of Transportation had to rewrite some of their manuals and reevaluate some of their safety codes for this project to move forward.

“We’ve already heard from other communities wanting to do the same thing and follow suit,” Young said. “It’s great that the city of Sparta is showing the lead on this. It’s going to make our community very welcoming to people passing through.”

The board also approved the Recommendation of Award for the Sliding Gate Opener in the amount of $11,700 to Security Fence Inc., of Cookeville, to replace the opener at the water plant.

Public Works Director Dillard Quick explained to the board that replacing the gate opener is a necessity, as the old one was no longer working and could not be repaired.

“We’ve been leaving it open during the day but against the TDOT regulations because of the chemicals we store down there,” Quick told the board before they voted to approve the purchase.

A vote to retire an 8 ft. x 40 ft. Enclosed Trailer that had been declared as surplus from the city’s fire department and prepared for sale on GovDeals was also unanimously approved.

The board of aldermen meeting was briefly suspended so that they could convene as the Beer Board and approve an application by Don Sergio with Calfkiller Brewing Company for a Temporary Beer Permit for Special Events, specifically the Local Vendors with local Goods/Farmers Market also known as the Green Market.

When the board of mayor and aldermen reconvened, they heard reports from each of the city’s department heads as to how their daily operations were progressing. During this time, it was noted that many of the trash cans at homes and businesses in the city have been damaged, and Quick stated they are currently looking at the cost of replacing them but that the cost of ones previously purchased by the city had doubled.

“Everybody should have [a trash can],” Quick said in response to Alderman Jerry Lowery’s question as to how many homes were without a trash can and added that his crew had tried to repair some in the past weeks. “I’m not going to say their lids are not working properly, but if a resident has a can that is not working as it should like the lid or wheels, if they call us, we will take care of it.”

Lowery made a motion that was seconded and unanimously approved to authorize the city administrator to work with Quick to locate and purchase new cans as they are a budgeted item, and the funds are still available under the current fiscal year’s budget.

Under unfinished business, Young told the board that there had been $35,000 set aside in the 2020/2021 budget to work on the city’s walking trail for the purpose of expansion and extension, but, because of more pressing projects, the public works department had not been able to do anything toward that end as of yet.

“I asked Dillard [Quick] if his guys could start working on the space between South Young Street and the old TVA station,” Young told the board, reminding them that the city had previously acquired that piece of property. “It needs to be cleared, bush hogged, and ultimately paved. Not sure how much we can get done this year, but we are going to work to get at least a portion of that.”

Young told the board that some of the work, and the funds, may carry over into the next year’s budget. 

Before the board adjourned, Sharon Langford with Friends of White County Animals approached them to request that the city help with the costs associated with controlling the cat population in Sparta and White County. Langford asked the board to provide $10,000, much above their usual donation, because of the difficulties with fundraising opportunities in 2020.

“We’re out of money,” Langford said. “COVID really took us out on our fundraising.”

 Langford said that all of the staff are volunteers and don’t ask to be reimbursed for their time, rather the funds are used for spay and neuter costs as well as food, litter, and medical bills.

“I hope that next year we will be able to have our normal fundraiser,” she said. “Hopefully, this will be the last time I have to come back.”

As this request came during the citizens comments portion of the meeting, the board did not respond at the time or make any motions about the request.

The next scheduled meeting of the Sparta Board of Mayor and Alderman is 5 p.m., June 3, at Sparta City Hall.