City to apply for $1.1 Million State Multimodal Grant to Extend Sidewalks on (South Congress Boulevard) Highway 56

July 1, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Nineteen months after being awarded a state $934,000 grant to put down sidewalks on Highway 70 east, the City of Smithville is going to try for another grant in the amount of $1.1 million for sidewalk extensions on South Congress Boulevard (Highway 56) to the city limits.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the aldermen authorized an application for a Tennessee Department of Transportation Multimodal Access Grant at the request of Mayor Josh Miller as well as a commitment of $60,000 for the local match should the grant be funded.

“This grant would be to put down sidewalks on Highway 56,” said Mayor Miller. “When they (TDOT) put the new road in (South Congress Boulevard) they put sidewalks up to the Pentecostal Church. We can apply to take those sidewalks on out to the city limits. This grant is a little more than $1.1 million and our portion (grant match) would be $60,000. We may not get the whole $1.1 million, or we may not get anything, but we should apply,” said Mayor Miller.

“Some people may ask why we can’t do this for city streets. A Multimodal grant has to be connected to a state highway in some form either by a crosswalk, sidewalks, or something of that nature,” Mayor Miller explained.

Although no sidewalk installation has yet been done on Highway 70 east from Multimodal grant awarded in November 2022, Mayor Miller said the project is on the way and may start by September.

“In 2022 we were awarded a Multimodal Access Grant that was a little over $900,000 ($934,000) to put sidewalks in on Sparta Highway,” said Mayor Miller. “Our portion (grant match) was $47,000. We have just paid a little bit of that fee so far. This is a state project. They are handling it but as you’ll see there are no sidewalks on Sparta Highway yet, but we are on the state’s timeline. We have been awarded that so hopefully it will start very soon. I think they plan to start ramping things up about September,” added Mayor Miller.

Under the 2022 Multimodal grant already approved, plans are to put down sidewalks on Highway 70 east from near the intersection of Highway 56 (South Congress Boulevard) and to install high visibility crosswalks and ADA compliant curb ramps in the areas where Highway 70 intersects with Bright Hill Road and Colvert Lake Road. The total cost is $934,000 but thanks to the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Access Grant, the city will receive $887,000 for this project with a local grant match of $47,000.

Meanwhile, the aldermen adopted on second and final reading Monday night an ordinance to rezone property belonging to owner/developer Matt Stanley at Juniper Lane and Bell Street from R-1 (Low Density) Residential to R-2 (High Density) Residential as requested by Stanley. According to city officials, Stanley plans to develop a subdivision there.

Last month, City administrator Hunter Hendrixson said Stanley’s property with the R-1 zoning already qualifies for a subdivision. “I believe he is asking for the R-2 zoning to squeeze in a few more lots so its already going to be a subdivision. The Smithville Planning Commission’s recommendation was for this property to be rezoned from R-1 to R-2,” said Hendrixson.

According to the city’s zoning ordinance, the minimum lot area for a single-family dwelling in R-1 is 10,000 square feet and for R-2 its 7,500 square feet.

In other business the aldermen adopted on second and final reading following a public hearing an ordinance to rezone a portion of property on Kendra Drive belonging to Chris Allen from I-1 (Light Industrial) to R-2 (High Density) Residential as requested by Allen. No one showed up to comment during the public hearing.

City Administrator Hendrixson addressed Allen’s request during last month’s meeting.

“I gave you (aldermen) a printout of where the old Georgia Girl factory is,” said Hendrixson. “This is not on the Miller Road side but Kendra Drive. He (Allen) has requested, and the Smithville Planning Commission has recommended to the city council along with our planner Tommy Lee to rezone a small section from I-1 (Light Industrial) to R-2 (High Density) Residential to do an apartment or duplex, etc. but its only for a small part of the property,” said Hendrixson.

Mayor Miller announced that he and the aldermen will have a workshop followed by a special called meeting after the city planning commission next Monday, July 8 at city hall.

July 1, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A motorcycle operator who fled on foot after being found with meth and cocaine more than 16 months ago was apprehended last week and charged in the case.

44-year-old Hani Mohamad (BJ) Ittayem of Walker Street, Smithville is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; possession of a schedule II drug (cocaine); and evading arrest on foot. His bond totals $77,500 and he will be in court July 11.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on February 19, 2023 a detective tried to confront Ittayem but he fled into the woods on foot after abandoning the motorcycle he had been operating. The detective conducted a visual inspection of the motorcycle and found on it a green scale with residue. A further search of the motorcycle yielded a bag which held a clear crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine that weighed 19.78 grams and a white powdery substance thought to be cocaine which weighed 3.69 grams.

A man who since November had evaded arrest was finally taken into custody on Monday June 24 charged with two counts of resisting arrest. He was already wanted for violation of an order of protection.

23-year-old Marcus Jay Majka of Midway Road, Smithville is under a $5,000 bond and his court date is July 11.

Sheriff Ray said that on November 24, 2023 a deputy first located Majka at a residence on Kings Court Road where he intended to arrest him for a violation of an order of protection, but Majka jumped out of a window and ran off into the woods.

The next confrontation came almost two months later on January 11, 2024 when a deputy went to East Broad Street Apartments where he tried to arrest Majka on several warrants. According to Sheriff Ray, when Majka opened the apartment door and saw the officer standing there, he slammed the door, ran through the house, jumped out of a second story window, and fled on foot. The deputy ordered Majka to stop but he refused. Officers conducted an extensive search of the area but could not locate Majka.

45-year-old Gregory Wayne Roberts of Midway Road, Smithville is charged with criminal trespassing. He is under a $7,500 bond and his court date is July 18. Sheriff Ray said that on June 27 a deputy was summoned to a residence on Midway Road due to a complaint of a trespasser and reckless burning. Upon arrival the officer confronted the suspect, Roberts who was still on the property. Knowing that Roberts had committed the same offense (trespassing) there before, he was placed under arrest.

53-year-old Christopher Dwayne Cole of Cookeville Highway, Smithville is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and he will make a court appearance on July 25. Sheriff Ray said that on June 30 Cole was at Pates Ford Marina in an intoxicated state. He was unsteady on his feet. His eyes were bloodshot, and he admitted to having consumed alcohol. Cole was placed under arrest.

29-year-old Kaylea Morgan Davidson of Banks Pisgah Road, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence and child abuse or neglect. Her bond is $6,000 and she will make a court appearance on July 25. Sheriff Ray said that on June 30 a deputy was called to a traffic accident on Banks Pisgah Road involving a Nissan Sentra that had wrecked in a ditch. Upon arrival the officer spoke with the driver of the vehicle, Davidson and with her was a 6-year-old child. Davidson smelled of alcohol. Her eyes were glossy and her speech was slurred. She admitted to having consumed two beers two hours prior to the accident. She submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.

30-year-old Joel Cabrera Castillo of Big Hurricane Road, Smithville is charged with violation of bond conditions. He is under a $2,500 bond in this case and his court date is July 11. Sheriff Ray said that on June 29 Castillo was at his mother’s residence on Big Hurricane Road where a deputy had gone to investigate a domestic assault. Central dispatch informed the deputy of an NCIC check which revealed that there were active bond conditions on Castillo from a domestic assault charge against his mother on September 2, 2023. Under conditions of the bond, Castillo was to have no contact with her.

July 1, 2024
By:

The Leadership DeKalb Class of 2024 attended a graduation celebration held June 18 at Hosanna Farm in Alexandria. They reflected on the past nine months of learning and team building by seeing pictures and retelling stories. Members now have a network of friends, mentors, and community leaders to lean on in the future. They are equipped with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in their homes, work places, organizations, and communities.

The Class of 2024 includes Shara Adcock (C&S Farms and the Realty Firm), Emily Bell (Hosanna Farm), Randy Caldwell (The Purple Door), Patyn Carter (DCHS Student), Tom Clark (Lakeview Mountain Estate HOA), Autumn Duke (Wilson bank & Trust), Amy Estes (Tenneco), Ethan Hale (Middle Tn Natural Gas), Brynn Harvey (DCHS Student), Joe Mitchell (DTC), Melissa Mullins (Liberty State Bank), Zack Vantrease (Wilson Bank & Trust), and Rick Walker (The Arts Garage). Thank you to THE BEST CLASS EVER! We also want to thank all of our sponsors, speakers, and volunteers who helped throughout the year.

Applications for the class of 2025 will be available soon! If you would like to participate, you may call the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce at 615-597-4163 or email leaddekalb1@gmail.com

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