City To Apply for CDBG Grant for Sewer Line Rehabilitation

January 8, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Three months after completion of the $2.8 million upgrade at the Smithville Waste Water Treatment Plant, city officials now want to begin a rehabilitation of existing sewer lines in the system.

During Monday night’s meeting, the Aldermen voted to apply for another $525,000 Community Development Block Grant through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for this purpose. The Upper Cumberland Development District will administer the grant application on behalf of the city. If approved, the city will have to pay the required local grant match.

Although the bulk of the funding for the sewer plant rehab project came from the city’s water and sewer fund surplus, the municipality received a previous $525,000 CDBG grant for that project two years ago.

City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson said now that the sewer plant upgrade is completed, the city can apply for another grant. “As you know we’re closing out our grant for the sewer plant so now we can apply for another Community Development Block Grant from the state to do sewer line rehabilitation. Although we have done the sewer plant work, there are a lot of lines in the system that need to be replaced,” said Hendrixson.

January 8, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department will reach an important milestone next month.

During Monday night’s meeting of the Mayor and Aldermen, Fire Chief Charlie Parker said the department will officially be turning 80 years old on Saturday, February 3. The department was established on that date in 1938.

Chief Parker said members of the department hope to have a special observance soon to mark the occasion.

There will also be another reason to celebrate.

Chief Parker said the city is scheduled to take delivery on a brand new fire truck by next week. Members of the department plan to make a trip to Wisconsin this week to make sure the manufacturer has built the truck to specifications. “We leave Wednesday to go and do the final inspection on the truck. If everything is up to par the way its supposed to be then it should be delivered hopefully next week. They will deliver it to us on site. It will take a little time to get it in service. Some of the equipment that goes on it is already in but there is still more to come. Some equipment will come on the truck and the rest of it will be brought in over the next two weeks. We should be up and running by sometime in February,” said Chief Parker.

In January, 2017 the aldermen voted to spend $751,575 over a two-year period to purchase the new fire truck, a Pierce Impel PUC Rescue Pumper, which is a combination fire engine/rescue vehicle. It will replace the fire department’s oldest truck, a 1992 model, and a 20-year old rescue and service truck. The new vehicle will also come equipped with five air packs and other tools and equipment.

Once the new fire truck is in the fleet, the city plans to sell the 1992 truck along with the rescue truck and service truck.
The fire department has three fire trucks, a 1992 and 2001 model along with a 2012 ladder truck.

In other business, the aldermen approved Chief Parker’s request to approve the current list of volunteer firefighters and officers serving the department for the city.

January 8, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

WJLE and participating local businesses are giving you a chance to bid on and buy merchandise at a discount in the RADIO SHOPPER on Thursday, January 25.

Starting at 9:00 a.m. that morning, WJLE will be opening up the phone lines for you to bid on various items from local businesses.

WJLE will set a minimum bid on each item and continue the bidding until the item is sold. The program on Thursday will be limited to around three hours. If we have more items to sell, the program will resume on another day. For bidders, they have a chance to buy merchandise or services at a discount. For the businesses, they get ads on WJLE just for putting items up for bids.

If your business would like to participate, contact Dwayne Page at 615-597-4265.

It’s going to be fun and exciting! Be sure to be by your radio and your telephone on Thursday, January 25 at 9:00 a.m. and call in a bid to RADIO SHOPPER on WJLE. The program will also be streamed LIVE at www.wjle.com.