The DeKalb Utility District recently began serving 30 new customers in a portion of the county that previously did not have “city” water.

The $915,543 project was funded through a $500,000 Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Block Grant and $415,543 in funding allocated by the DeKalb Utility District.

Under the program, the DUD extended water lines to families on Tramel Branch Road, Oakley Road, Carter Lane and the Alexandria to Dismal Road.

Amanda Mainord of Grassroots Planning & Consulting, the grant administrator, briefly addressed County Mayor Tim Stribling and the County Commission Monday night to report that a public hearing was held prior to the commission meeting as part of the grant process to give the public an opportunity to comment before the project is closed. No comments were offered. However, Mainord said several of the new customers have contacted her since getting water service to express their appreciation.

“I am pleased that these residents who have needed potable water for so long are now being served thanks to this water line grant and the DUD with the support of the county commission. I have also heard from these residents who are so pleased to now have water in the area where they live. This was a successful project. And now that this project has been completed the county will be eligible to apply for the next round of CDBG grants,” said County Mayor Stribling.

“We have never had a project where the people have shown more gratitude than this one,” DUD manager Jon Foutch told WJLE Tuesday.

The DeKalb Utility District Board of Commissioners last September awarded bids to two contractors to extend water lines in the targeted areas. The board accepted a bid of $392,865 from Flo-Line Contracting of Monticello, Kentucky to do the work on Alexandria to Dismal Road and for $294,345 for the project on Carter Lane and Oakley Road. Mofield Brothers Construction of Carthage got the bid for $148,580 to extend water lines on Tramel Branch Road.

County Mayor Stribling brought the resolution to the DeKalb County Commission in January, 2016 authorizing the filing of the grant application, which was approved.

The county had applied for and been denied the grant twice before within the preceding two years. But the last time in order to improve its chances, the county asked for a little less grant money while the DeKalb Utility District committed to ante up more in its local match commitment.

A check for $3,000 was presented to the DeKalb Prevention Coalition Tuesday morning by representatives of the Caney Folk Music & Arts Festival.

Making the presentation were Carl Massaro of Cherry Hill Farm at Silver Point; Stephen McCord; and Ashley Anderson, Marketing Director for the Festival.

The Caney Folk Music & Arts Festival, a “first-of-its-kind all- day outdoor community event, was held at Cherry Hill Farm last October to celebrate music, art, the natural beauty of Center Hill Lake, and the gorgeous Caney Fork River.

This event featured an artisans fair showcasing the area’s best in visual arts and crafts, outdoor and recreational vendors, a “KID ZONE” (4,800 square feet of kid rides and activities) a wide variety of tasty food and beverage vendors, and a full day of live music performances by the region’s best folk, bluegrass, and blues artists.

In addition, the festival hosted instrument workshops for all aspiring musicians by some of the areas top ranked musician instructors.

Finally, the festival also played host to a “live” celebrity auction event that took place throughout the day including the sale of a guitar autographed by country music star George Strait.

All the proceeds of the day’s events went to benefit the DeKalb Prevention Coalition’s Health Adventure which provides free healthy activities that promote physical and emotional health including: yoga classes, art instruction, martial arts, tai chi, healthy cooking demonstrations, senior chair volleyball, senior chair yoga, walking clubs, nutrition education, along with classes provided for teens and adults with disabilities.

Pictured: Carl Massaro; Ashley Anderson, Lisa Cripps, DeKalb Prevention Coalition Coordinator; Norene Puckett , DPC Community Outreach Liaison; and Stephen McCord

Too High!

Construction of a new fire hall in the Four Seasons Community will have to wait a while longer after the County Commission Monday night voted to re-bid the project concluding that the two bids received were too high.

Bids were opened for the fire hall on March 29 and two were received including one for $284,000 from Preston Brothers of Woodbury (minus $11,000 if the county put the gravel on the parking lot) and $197,000 from FTM Contracting of Cookeville (deductive alternate of $2,400).

Members of the county budget committee met April 9 and voted 4 to 1 to recommend to the county commission that the project move forward with the lowest bidder and that it be funded using $100,000 already allocated for the fire hall plus an additional $100,000 from the capital projects fund which has $588,000 in available money from the unrestricted fund balance account.

“I think those bids are way high. I have done some research and talked to three contractors and they have all told me the same thing. I even called a company and their bid (not turnkey) to do the building, the slab, do the insulation, and the doors is $32,768. I think we could save the county a lot of money if we re-bid this. I just believe it is out of line. The way they have it on the low bid figures at $90 per square foot. I just think it’s too high,” said 2nd District Commissioner Jimmy Midgett.

According to County Mayor Tim Stribling, plans call for the fire hall to be 40’ x 55’ in size consisting of two bays, a restroom, shower, and a small meeting room. He said while the plans do not include any frills it will be a turnkey project with all the work including construction, concrete pad, septic tank, etc all to be done under one contract.

Midgett made a motion that the project be re-bid. All members present voted in favor of Midgett’s motion.

Plans are to advertise for new bids as early as next week with a projected bid opening date of May 24 and then to present the recommended bid to the county commission for final approval by the next monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 29 after Memorial Day.

A new fire station at Four Seasons would be the 12th station in the county operated by the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department. The other fire halls are on Short Mountain Highway, Midway Community, Belk, Keltonburg, Cookeville Highway, Austin Bottom Community, Liberty, Temperance Hall, Main Station, Johnson Chapel, and Blue Springs.

In other business, three members of the DeKalb County Beer Board were re-appointed to new two year terms and one new member has been named to fill a vacancy.

The County Commission Monday night approved the reappointment of Beer Board members Myron Rhody in the 2nd District, Robert Rowe in the 4th District, and Leonard Dickens in the 6th District. A new member, John Hummer will succeed Rhonda Caplinger in the 5th District. She recently resigned after having moved out of the 5th District. Hummer will serve out the remaining year of Caplinger’s term and will be up for reappointment to a two year term next year.

In 2016, the commission voted to set terms for members of the beer board. All seven members serve as appointees and the terms are staggered with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, & 7th district positions being appointed in odd years. The 2nd, 4th, & 6th district seats are filled in even years. The beer board is to re-organize (name officers) every year.

Members of the beer board are Jim Stagi in the 1st district, Myron Rhody in the 2nd district, Edward Frazier in the 3rd district, Robert Rowe in the 4th district, John Hummer in the 5th district, Leonard Dickens in the 6th district, and Johnny King in the 7th district.