City and Animal Coalition Getting Close to Terms on Amended Agreement

July 30, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Getting close!

The City of Smithville and the DeKalb Animal Coalition who have been at odds for several months over who is in control of the shelter may be close to an agreement.

In March the aldermen voted to terminate the city’s 99 year lease with the Animal Coalition to put the city in total control of the operation. The Coalition went to Chancery Court to challenge the decision and was granted a temporary stay or injunction pending a hearing. Since then the parties have been trying to come to terms on an amended contract subject to the court’s approval.

The mayor and aldermen were scheduled to act on the agreement during Thursday night’s special called meeting but Mayor Josh Miller said some finishing touches are still needed.

“I talked to (City Attorney) Vester Parsley this evening and I think it is best that we table this. There are a couple of items we need to talk about a little bit further. I will try to meet with Ms. (Sarah) Cripps (Coalition attorney) and Mr. Parsley sometime next week. We will probably need to have a special called meeting within the next week and a half to vote on something. We just did not feel comfortable taking that to a vote tonight,” said Mayor Miller.

July 30, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Although he has survived a lineman reportedly suffered second degree burns on 45% of his body after being electrocuted at a job site Tuesday afternoon in Smithville.

Robert Lynch of Crossville was part of a crew for Gallaway Construction of Sunbright, Tennessee doing contract work on behalf of Smithville Electric System when the incident occurred near the intersection of Broad Street and Anthony Avenue.

Lynch was in a bucket truck tying in a wire on an insulator when he came in contact with the electric pole resulting in him being electrocuted. He was lowered to the ground and removed from the bucket truck where CPR was administered. Lynch was then taken by EMS to the hospital where he was airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital.

At last report Lynch was alert and talking. He is expected to recover.

July 30, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

For years the City of Smithville has provided a limited free pickup service to residents for removal of brush and tree limbs but new restrictions have been put in place to cut down on abuse of the policy.

During a special called meeting Thursday evening, the Mayor and Aldermen updated the policy with passage of a resolution establishing new guidelines.

Under the new policy, city residents will only be entitled to two free pickups of brush and tree limbs from their properties per year provided they do their own cutting and trimming. No commercial tree cutting debris will be collected by the city.

The aldermen voted 5-0 to adopt the resolution but prior to the vote Alderman Jessica Higgins inquired about the reasons for a two pickup limit.

“We have a lot of people who take advantage of it,” said  City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson.

“Some people we pick up nine or ten times a year. They will put small piles out there and sometimes big piles,” added City Public Works Director Kevin Robinson.

Other provisions of the new policy are as follows:

*The pile of brush must be close to the edge of the road and piles must be kept away from mail boxes and other structures to avoid damage to the structures.

*The maximum diameter of limbs must be no more than six inches. Anything thicker than that will not be picked up.

*The butt ends must be facing the road.

*Nothing longer than 10 feet.

*Residents will only get two pick-ups per year.

*No vines or root balls.

*No building materials, trash, plastic, metal, wire, cardboard, paper,  or glass.

*No commercial tree cutting will be collected by the city. If you have hired a commercial tree service, you must have them haul off the debris. The city is not responsible for picking up anything cut by a trimming or cleaning service.

*City will only collect bush or limbs free for residents who do their own trimming, cutting.

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