City Seeks Community Transportation Planning Grant

March 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The City of Smithville is embarking on a plan to eventually build new sidewalks and improve pedestrian crossings but it will need some financial help to make it happen.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, Mayor Josh Miller asked the aldermen to take the first step in the process by authorizing an application for a $75,000  Community Transportation Planning Grant through the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The program is a 90/10 match grant that facilitates a study to create a plan for specific projects. Mayor Miller said he would like to build sidewalks on East Broad Street and South Congress Boulevard and to add and improve sidewalks and pedestrian crossings in the downtown area.

The city is hoping to use funds from a health department grant to cover the 10% match which would be $7,500.

Should the grant be approved, the city would then take the next step in the process by seeking a federally funded TDOT Transportation Alternatives grant to cover construction costs for the specified downtown projects up to $1 million. This is an 80/20 match grant and all engineering and design work would have to be completed or funded by the city.

For the proposed sidewalk projects on East Broad and South Congress Boulevard, the city would need to apply for a Multi Modal Access Grant. This program is a 95/5 match for construction up to $1 million.

Mayor Miller said the city needs these improvements but they won’t come overnight. “I need to get the study done and plans drawn so that hopefully by fall we can apply for the grants including the Multi Modal Grant.”

March 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A southern gentleman, sweet mannered, handsome, and intelligent. Sounds like the perfect guy, right? Meet “Bear” who is all those things and more!

“Bear”, a two year old Akita/Shepard mix, is the “Pet of the Week”, a regular segment on WJLE featuring a lovable critter at the DeKalb Animal Shelter that needs a good home.

“Bear” gets along well with his neighbors here at the shelter and loves a nice long walk. He is waiting ever so patiently to be adopted so that he can spend his days in his forever home, loved for the sweet boy he is. Are you Bear’s hero? If you think Bear is the perfect fit for you please fill out an application and set up a time to meet him,” said Megan Moore, Director of the Shelter.

For more information call 615-597-1363.

The shelter, located at 186 Transfer Station Road behind Tenneco Automotive, is open Thursday and Friday from noon until 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon.

March 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

For several years Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker has asked the city to fund at least a couple of full time positions in the fire department.

As of today the only full time firefighter is Chief Parker himself. The other twenty seven members of the department are volunteers. Chief Parker said its becoming more difficult to recruit and retain volunteers and the city would benefit from having full time firefighters ready to respond at a moment’s notice

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, Chief Parker requested and received permission from the aldermen to apply for a SAFER Grant which if approved would fund the staffing of two firefighters for the Smithville Fire Department for up to three years.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), is a federal FEMA program created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities.

The grants are funded 75% federally with a 25% local match for the first two years and 35% federally with a 65% local match the third year.

“Our grant request would be for two firefighters per day, for five days per week, at nine hours per day for a total of forty five hours per week for three years. If fully funded the grant would total $308,591 with a local match totaling $120,065,” said Chief Parker.

“That gives basically forty five hours a week for day time personnel for two people at the fire hall,” added Chief Parker.

The city is up against a March 22 deadline to get the grant application in. The anticipated funding selection date is May 1 and the city should know by July 31 if the grant is awarded.

The grant funding would only be for three years. After that the city could apply for a new grant, drop the program and let the two paid firefighters go, or pay the entire costs of keeping the two firefighters on staff.

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