Chamber to Seek Downtown Improvement Grant (View Video Here)

July 28, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The City of Smithville has given its blessing for the Chamber to seek a Downtown Improvement Grant.

During Thursday night’s special called meeting, Chamber Director Suzanne Williams addressed the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen asking for their support.

If fully funded, the $300,000 grant under the Tennessee Downtowns Program would be for wayfinding signage as well as courtyard, streetscape, gateway, and façade improvements at no cost to the city.

Tennessee Main Street communities and those that have participated in the Tennessee Downtowns program in Rounds 1-7 and have an active Design Committee are eligible for a grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for downtown improvements. Grants of up to $300,000 will be awarded to organizations that can illustrate the need for improvements and the ability to execute an effective design plan.

Williams explained that the grant would be similar to a $100,000 grant received a few years ago which funded façade improvements to several downtown building store fronts.

“The grant application is for $300,000 this time and it would be a tremendous boost to our downtown,” said Williams. “Of course, the state has told me even if we get this grant, it might not be in the full amount but that is what I am applying for. I just need a letter of support from the mayor and a vote of support from you to do it,” Williams continued. “There is no cost to the city. All the matching money for the grant (no more than 25%) would come from the property or business owners who would benefit directly from the grant. I really would like to get Market Street looking good. It needs a whole lot of work on that street. Of course, I also like to reward people who have put a lot of money in like all those people on Walnut Street because they still need good windows, doors, and other things that make buildings better and more efficient as far as utility bills,” said Williams.

Eligible projects under the grant include the following:

Façade improvements- exterior improvements to for-profit or nonprofit commercial businesses including signage, painting, awnings, lighting, windows, doors, entryways, and other approved activities. At least 50% of the proposed project must be façade improvements.

Gateway improvements- Physical improvements including landscaping and signage at the gateways to downtown.

Streetscape improvements- Physical improvements such as planters, benches, lighting, sound system, landscaping that improve streetscapes and unify the district.

Courtyard improvements- Physical improvements to prominent courtyards downtown including seating, landscaping, lighting, and signage.

Wayfinding signage- Signage that is consistent with the community’s brand that directs tourists to places of interest in town.

Meanwhile, Williams mentioned that she has also applied for another Tourism Enhancement Grant to fund a new tourism website as well as digital billboards for the Fiddlers’ Jamboree during the month of June in several locations including Nashville, Cookeville, Murfreesboro, instead of the regular billboard signs on Interstate 40.

In other business, the aldermen adopted an ordinance on second and final reading to establish $25,000 as the maximum amount for purchases without public advertisement and competitive bidding.

According to the ordinance, the City of Smithville is subject to the provisions of the “Municipal Purchasing Laws of 1983” and this law permits municipalities to increase the dollar amount of purchases requiring public advertisement and competitive bidding. The governing body of the city has determined that it is in the best interest of the city to increase the amount from the current level of $10,000 to $25,000”.

With passage of the ordinance, public advertisement and competitive bidding shall be required for the purchase of all goods and services exceeding an amount of $25,000 except for those purchases specifically exempted from advertisement and bidding by the Municipal Purchasing Act of 1983.

Three written quotations are required whenever possible for purchases costing less than the $25,000 bid threshold adopted for competitive bidding and public advertisement, but more than 40% of the threshold amount.

The aldermen also adopted on 1st reading an ordinance amending the city personnel policy.

City attorney Vester Parsley said the intent of the amendment is to clarify the language as to vacation time for city employees.

“The previous policy was unclear about whether you (city employee) had to wait until your (hiring) anniversary date (for a designated period of vacation time). We clarified that to say you don’t have to wait until your anniversary date,” said Parsley.

“The intent of the board was also that after the first six months of employment, you could get 40 hours (5 days) of vacation. In the original ordinance it talked about “weeks” but really, we were taking not about “seven” day but “five” day weeks or 40 hours so what we did was put in (specify) that after the first six months you get 40 hours (5 days) of vacation time. When you work a full year, you get an additional 40 hours (5 days) for a total of 80 hours (10 days),” said Parsley.

According to the policy, city employees who work at least 6 months from their hiring date earn 40 hours (5 days) of vacation.

Employees who serve for as long as a year (1-3 years) qualify for an additional 40 hours (5 days) of vacation for a total of 80 hours (10 days)

Employees who serve 4 years earn an additional 40 hours (5 days) of vacation time for a total of 120 hours (15 days)

Those employed 15 years or longer can take an additional 40 hours (5 days) for a total of 160 hours (20 days).

Vacation time cannot be carried over from year to year.

In other business, the aldermen adopted an ordinance on 1st reading as recommended by the city planning commission to rezone 600 & 602 Estes Street belonging to Dan Boyd from R-1 (low density) to R-2 (high density) residential.

Boyd briefly addressed the mayor and aldermen.

“All the other properties on the same side of the street (as mine) are already duplexes and all the other properties are already zoned R-2. When the zoning originally happened this one (tract) got missed and its an R-1. The residence there at the time was later converted into a duplex but its zoned differently than everything else in the area,” said Boyd.

July 27, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A man and woman who allegedly used a taser on a five-year-old child have been indicted for child abuse and aggravated child abuse.

35-year-old Mark Dwayne Cantrell of Smithville and 39-year-old Nikesha Danielle Cooper of McMinnville will be arraigned in DeKalb County Criminal Court on August 7. Bond for Cantrell is $200,000 and $300,000 for Cooper.

According to the nine-count indictment, the offenses occurred on or about August 26, 2021 when the child was five years old until August 25, 2022. The child’s date of birth is July 27, 2016.

“This was a situation where a taser was used on the child”, District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway told WJLE Thursday.

Both Cantrell and Cooper are co-indicted for two counts of aggravated child abuse and four counts of child abuse. Cooper is also indicted for one additional count of aggravated child abuse and two additional counts of child abuse.

The counts against the two for aggravated child abuse allege that “On or about August 26, 2021 to August 25, 2022 in DeKalb County and before the finding of this indictment, Cantrell and Cooper did unlawfully, knowingly, and other than by accidental means, abuse (victim), a child under 18 years of age, such act of abuse, neglect, or endangerment was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, or involved the infliction of torture to the victim, thereby committing the offense of aggravated child abuse in violation of state law”

The counts against Cantrell and Cooper for child abuse allege that “On or about August 26, 2021 to August 25, 2022 in DeKalb County and before the finding of this indictment, Cantrell and Cooper did unlawfully, knowingly, and other than by accidental means, abused or neglected, and inflicted injury on (victim), a child under 18 years of age, such act of abuse or neglect so as to adversely affect the child’s health and welfare, thereby committing the offense of child abuse in violation of state law”.

July 27, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A state electrical inspector of Smithville was named in a sealed indictment returned by the DeKalb County Grand Jury this week for official misconduct and theft of property.

55-year-old Shannon Lee Patterson of Olen Drive is under a $10,000 bond and will be arraigned in DeKalb County Criminal Court on August 7.

The case was investigated by the District Attorney General’s Office of the 13th Judicial District.

District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway told WJLE Thursday that according to the investigation, Patterson, who was an electrical inspector for the state accepted fees from numerous individuals, businesses, churches, etc. without performing inspections.

The list of victims totals more than 270. (View pdf here)

https://wjle.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/23cr85.pdf

One count of the indictment states that “between the dates of January 1, 2020 and April 11, 2022 in DeKalb County and before the finding of this indictment, Patterson did unlawfully and knowingly obtain or exercise control over property, including but not limited to, cash valued at over $10,000 belonging to (victims) with intent to deprive the owners thereof and without the owner’s effective consent in violation of state law”.

The second count of the indictment alleges that “between the dates of January 1, 2020 and April 11, 2022 in DeKalb County and before the finding of this indictment, Patterson did unlawfully and knowingly, while acting as a public servant, commit an offense with intent to obtain a benefit by theft, in violation of state law”.

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