News-
March- April 2007
Animal Ordinance
Click here
to view the full ordinance.
Youth Leadership class members
meet governor
The
Haywood Youth Leadership Class of 2006-07 has
completed its year of leadership training. Members of
the class, all Haywood High School juniors, were
chosen by their teachers and have been attending
different training sessions each month since last
September. Class members, pictured with Gov. Phil
Bredsen during their recent trip to the State Capitol,
are Alex Edwards, Morgan Dennis, Savannah German, Amy
Olmedo, Adam Marlar, Maggie Gardner, Brett Stoots,
Ricky Taylor, Melanie Dennis and Robert Callery. Alan
Callery of InSouth Bank and Ken Hall of Brownsville
Baptist Church accompanied the group to Nashville. The
Youth Leadership Program is sponsored by the
Brownsville-Haywood County Chamber of Commerce.
VICIOUS DOGS
City
Ordinance 780 prohibits any Pit Bull Terrier or
Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire
terrier breed of dog, or any mixed breed of dog which
contains as an element of its breeding the breed of
American Pit Bull Terrier or Staffordshire Bull
Terrier or American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler,
German Shepherds, Husky types, Malamutes, Wolf dog
hybrids, Doberman Pinscher, Chows, or any mixture of
any of the above or any other exotic breed of animal
that may cause injury to, or otherwise threaten the
safety of human beings or other domestic animals.
A
vicious dog is “unconfined” if the dog is not securely
confined indoors or confined in a securely enclosed
and locked pen or structure upon the premises of the
owner of the dog. The pen or structure must have
secure sides and a secure top attached to the side. If
the pens or structure has no bottom secured to the
side, the sides must be embedded into the ground no
less than one. All such pens or structure must be
adequately lighted and kept in a clean and sanitary
condition.
Nine graduate from Leadership
Haywood County
Leadership Haywood County held its graduation banquet
Thursday night, March 29, at the First South Bank
Community Center. Presented with certificates were
(from left, front row) Debra Greenway (MTD/Cadet) and
Karen Shaw (First South Bank); (second row) Dennis
Evans (Haywood Company), Ervin Turner (Haywood
Company), Bobby Bell (Dynametal), and Michelle Sills (InSouth
Bank); (third row) Martin Zalte (Lasco Fittings),
Jamie Parchman (Fastenal), and Yvette Blue (Haywood
County Schools). Ervin Turner (Haywood Company) was
presented the “Outside of the Box” award and Yvette
Blue was selected as the 2007 Board Member. Leadership
Haywood County was organized in 1993 and is led by the
Leadership Board of Directors that is comprised of a
member from each prior graduating class. Areas of
study for class members include economic development,
law enforcement, health, welfare, and culture,
education and state government. The goal of the class
is to promote knowledge, participation and leadership
in the community.
Haywood County unemployment rate
down in February
The
state released its figures this week, and Haywood
County’s unemployment rate dropped from 7.1 in January
to 6.9 percent in February. The total estimated
workforce in Haywood County is 9,980, of which 9,290
are working. Tennessee’s rate is 5.3 percent, and the
U. S. rate is 4.9 percent without seasonal
adjustments.
Several surrounding counties are following the trend,
showing a decrease over January’s figures. Fayette
County’s rate is 6.4 percent, down from 8.7 percent in
January. Lauderdale County’s rate is 7.0 percent, down
from 7.1; and Hardeman County decreased to 6.9 percent
from 7.7. Crockett County’s rate actually increased
from 7.5 percent in January to 7.8 percent in
February, while Madison County stayed the same at 5.7
percent and Tipton County remained at 5.9 percent.
For a
look at the entire Tennessee Labor Force Estimates
document, go to
http://www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/february2007county.pdf
Leaders want to spend a
half-million dollars on Stanton
Megasite in focus
Stanton could get over $500,000 for clean-up, fix-up,
according to Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith at
the commission meeting on Monday night, March 19. The
cash will come, local leaders home, from multiple
grants.
Commissioners agreed to apply for a $100,000 grant
from the US Department of Commerce. The federal grant
requires a 100% match. Matching funds could come from
a hoped-for $60,000 grant from the Delta Regional
Authority and $40,000 from local government. The cash
will be used for the “purpose of planning and
providing preliminary engineering for infrastructure”
for downtown Stanton.
Mayor
Franklin Smith said Stanton has applied for a $320,000
community development block grant that will help them
clean up.
The
efforts to make Stanton more presentable comes on the
heels of information the county got from Toyota. Smith
said Toyota executives, touring the megasite
neighborhoods, were “shocked” at the condition of the
community nearest the megasite. Industry locating at
the megasite will have a Stanton address, according to
Smith.
Roads happy with McCarley
Commission adds additional
appointments
Greg
McCarley will continue to run the highway department.
Haywood County Highway Department commissioners
unanimously agreed to reappoint McCarley to his
supervisory position in the department for four years,
and March 19, the county commission confirmed his
appointment.
Other board members confirmed
County legislators also confirmed three appointments
to the Emergency Communications Board. Joe Stephens,
Kizzie Boyd and Patricia Herron will serve four-year
terms. Betty Robison has been appointed to a term on
the Equalization Board.
New fire truck could lower fire
insurance rating
County Commissioners agreed March 19 to purchase new
firefighting equipment. The water truck/pumper
approved in a $137,000 purchase is capable of
delivering 4,000 gallons of water to rural fires.
County Mayor Franklin Smith says the new truck could
pave the way to lower fire insurance rating and lower
insurance premiums for rural businesses and
homeowners.
4-H, UT, considering huge
investment in Haywood
The
4-H Club – via the University of Tennessee – is
considering investing $16 million in Haywood County.
The club is looking for a place to build a new 4-H
camp.
County Mayor Franklin Smith said he’s told UT
officials he thinks the county commission might be
willing to offer up part of a farm county government
owns located on Shaw’s Chapel Road as a location for
the camp.
The
club needs 30 acres – and the farm – just east of the
landfill on Shaw’s Chapel Road – has plenty of room,
according to Smith.
Mayor
Smith says the 4-H club holds only a few camps for
kids annually. A larger attraction is the corporate
retreats that would likely also be held at the camp,
which is expected to be capable of housing 400 people.
Locals give thousands to local
charity
The
local Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child
Abuse was a winner Saturday night, March 10, at its
annual dinner and auction. Guests at the annual affair
and other contributors - through their purchase of
tickets or their donation or purchase of auction
items, raised $22,500 for the center. All of donations
are used for operating expenses at the local center.
Leaders hopeful bridge will honor
Halbrook
If
city fathers get their way, the bridge crossing I-40
at Exit 56 will be named the Jimmy Halbrook Bridge.
Mayor Banks has asked state representatives to name
the bridge as a memorial to the late Mayor Halbrook.
Halbrook served as vice-mayor and as an alderman for
28 years before being elected as mayor. He served as
mayor from 1990 to 1994.
Halbrook’s accomplishments included preservation of
the Carnegie Library. His legacy also includes sound
financial management.
Central Business District
protected
Downtown Brownsville gets new protection if, next
month, new historic protections reach final passage.
The first reading for the protections ordinance passed
March 13. The new rules place the downtown area (known
as the Central Business District) in the city’s
historic zones. The rules mean stricter guidelines for
new buildings or remodeling.
New junk car ordinance about to
be enforced
Mayor
Webb Banks said during the March 13 city board meeting
that he cruised two streets in Brownsville spotting 38
vehicles out of compliance with the junk vehicle
ordinance passed last month by the city board. The
mayor didn’t say which streets he surveyed.
In
February, the city strengthened its derelict vehicle
rules, hoping to clean Brownsville of broken down
vehicles.
Banks
says he fears there may be “three or four hundred junk
cars in town.”
He said the city will begin notifying those in
violation right away.
City approves liquor by the
drink; adds beer
You’ll be able to buy beer in restaurants that have
liquor by the drink licenses in Brownsville.
An historic decision Tuesday night, March 13, by the
city board changed the city’s ordinances to comply
with the decision made last fall by voters approving
liquor by the drink.
It
wasn’t without controversy though. The city’s four
aldermen are split on the subject. Just like last
month Aldermen Leon King and John Simmons voted
against the ordinance because they, apparently, don’t
want beer added. Aldermen Carolyn Flagg and Joe Taylor
stuck to their affirmative vote and Mayor Webb Banks
broke the tie – opting for beer.
The
public hearing on the subject was brief. Baptist
pastor Grover Westover said he fears the measure paves
the way for package beer sales next. That, so far,
hasn’t been a topic of discussion.
The
new ordinance requires licensees to pay the city half
of what they’ll pay the state for a local license.
City utility hits record
February; new credit rules
Brownsville Vice-Mayor Joe Taylor said more propane
was sold during February by the city’s utility
department than any other time in history. The utility
sold 131,607 gallons of gas.
The
utility has adopted new credit rules, too. The utility
board, Taylor says, will charge deposits to new
customers ranging from no-charge up to $250, depending
on credit worthiness.
City sets salary rules for 07/08
budget
Brownsville’s city board members like City Clerk Jerry
Taylor’s suggestion that all city employees “from the
lowest paid to the highest” get a dollar an hour raise
next year.
Taylor made the suggestion at the March 13 meeting of
the city board.
The
city does not grant annual percentage raises. For a
number of years, under the Banks administration, a
“scale” has been set for raises. Taylor said the scale
is out-of-date and needs revising, and he said the $1
an hour raise would be a good way to raise salaries
next year while the scale is revisited.
The
raises, Taylor said, will cost taxpayers $240,000.
County to get state clean-up
grant
A
state grant will help Haywood County pay for needed
equipment for the solid waste department. Governor
Phil Bredesen and Department of Environment and
Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke announced the state
is awarding $379,000 for projects to help reduce
landfill waste across Tennessee.
Haywood County Solid Waste Department Manager Clinton
Neal said Haywood County will pay for skid loaders, a
trailer and waste containers with the $25,000 local
award.
State street aid helps city
streets
The city will spend
$270,000 on city streets in the coming months. That’s
how much cash they’ll get from the state’s gas tax. On
the agenda are improvements to about nine streets
according to a letter Mayor Webb Banks sent to the
Tennessee Department of Transportation.
-
Hatchie Street starting at South Washington to the
bypass (paved and striped).
-
South Washington staring at Hatchie to Jefferson
Street (paving).
-
Anderson Avenue starting at Cynthia Drive to the
bypass (paved and striped)
-
East Main Street starting at Boyd Avenue to the
bypass (paved and striped)
-
Dupree Avenue starting at East Main to Welch Street
(widen, curb, pave, stripe and to include a turning
lane)
-
Thomas Street starting at Mclemore (paved and
striped).
-
Key Corner starting at Thomas to Meadow (good
condition no work required).
-
Meadow starting at Key Corner to Briarcliff Street
(paved and striped).
-
Briarcliff Street at Meadow to Highway 19 (paved and
striped).