Three patrolmen for city are administered oaths of office

Rodney Daniel promoted to sergeant

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The final meeting of the year for Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen was held on Dec. 17, with the board approving a few personnel changes before hearing reports from each department that all held the same theme: Sparta is running efficiently.

Vice Mayor Jim Floyd, who was presiding over the meeting because of the absence of Mayor Jeff Young, administered the oath of office to new police department patrolmen Justin Cunningham and Brandon Farris and returning patrolman Brent Copeland, and then the board unanimously approved the promotion of Rodney Daniel to the rank of sergeant for Sparta Police Department.

“Rodney is an 18-year veteran with the city of Sparta,” Police Chief Doug Goff said.

Goff explained the vacancy occurred when Cole Stickler took a position with Tennessee Highway Patrol. Daniel is now over the firearms department, and Goff said he is very knowledgeable. 

“I think Rodney would make a good sergeant,” Goff said.

The board voted to approve another internal promotion for the position of sewer plant operator.  Josh Roberts, whose title has been sewer plant operator-in-training, was able to remove the “in training” portion with the recent completion of the needed certification.

“He was scheduled to do this in the spring, but, because of COVID, the test was cancelled,” public works director Dillard Quick explained to the board. “He has proven to be a very good worker. I think he could go to any plant in the state to work and do just about anything, so he’s a little bit of an asset to us.”

Before the board listened to reports from the department heads, they voted to authorize the solicitation of bids for electric panels and air release valves at the water filtration plant for the public works department after Quick clarified the items should be two separate purchases, therefore there should be two separate bids.

“The electrical panels are outdated, and we can’t get parts for it,” Quick said.

 Quick explained the last time the electric panels were repaired, the city purchased the last part they could find and had it shipped in. He then added the screens would need to be replaced because of the build-up of silt over time.

 “This is in desperate need of being done,” Quick said. “I got an initial quote of $17,000 for one and $45,000 for the other, but it is in the budget, and the budget numbers will still cover the cost.”

During reports from the department heads, the board was informed the police department’s new body cams should be functional by Dec. 29, 2020, and the dash cams are now being installed.

Kirk Young, Sparta fire chief, reported about the number of calls his department had responded to, including a call the night before for a fire at Life Care.

“The sprinkler system did take care of the problem,” he said,  and added that they would have some clean-up to do because of a lot of water from the system but that it was a good ‘save.’ “They should be repairing their COVID wing today and should be back and running service in the next couple of days.”

Quick reported the sanitation department was having some repair issues with one of their trucks, which could cause some double runs for his remaining truck over the holidays. He warned that trash pick-up could be later than usual for some residents.

“If we don’t get that other truck back, we are scheduled to run a double run next week and another one the week after Christmas,” Quick said.

 Quick said he had talked to his driver, and he would run two routes in the same day if the second truck wasn’t repaired in time. “If your can’s not picked up, leave it out. It could be 10 at night, but we are going to get the trash.”

Electric manager Belva Bess reported mostly business as usual but did discuss a problem they are now having with someone shooting out streetlights.

“BB guns, guns, people are shooting them out,” Bess said. “We’ve replaced the same light probably four or five times in the last month.”

Residents in the areas that are having the worst problems are watching and have been asked to call the police department if they see someone shooting at the lights.

“We keep replacing them, and they shoot the same ones back out. It’s probably kids, but it causes us trouble,” she told the board.

Under new business, Alderman Hoyt Jones asked the board to consider a resolution to increase the speed limit from 25 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour on South Young Street.

“It’s difficult to maintain 25 miles per hour, especially coming into town,” Jones said, adding that every other road coming into the town is 35 miles per hour and that he appreciates the city police department trying to monitor the driving on South Young Street and keep the vehicles within the posted limit. “I appreciate their effort, but nobody does 25 miles per hour on South Young Street.”

Brad Hennessee, Sparta city administrator, was asked the appropriate measures that needed to be taken. Hennessee responded that he can, with the board’s approval, initiate a traffic study to determine the safety and feasibility of increasing the speed limit. He told the board that things like visibility because of curves and hills at the point at which side streets intersect with South Young Street would have to be looked at, and the safety of drivers coming from those area would need to be determined.  The board approved the initiation of the traffic study.

Before the board adjourned for the last time in 2020, Vice Mayor Floyd had some encouraging words for them.

“On behalf of the mayor and myself, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas,” he told the board. “It has been a trying year for everyone involved, especially for the employees of city of Sparta. They are to be commended. With that being said, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”   

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