DeKalb Cleanup Day Postponed Until May 18

May 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb County Mayor’s office would like to invite residents across the county to participate in the DeKalb County Clean Up on Saturday, May 18th. The DeKalb Clean Up event will be held in conjunction with the Keep America Beautiful initiative going on across the country.

The event had been scheduled for Saturday, May 11 but has been postponed due to the weather.

Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup the nation’s largest annual community improvement program that harnesses the power of over 4 million volunteers to build vibrant communities. Each year over 1,200 affiliates and participating organizations engage volunteers to take action in their communities through programs that deliver positive and lasting impact through events focused on waste reduction, recycling, beautification and community greening.

County Mayor Tim Stribling says, “We invite people to come out and help clean up around our communities and highways. Folks are welcome to pick up litter at places of their choice, or we will be glad to assign a safe place for you.”

Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, would like to remind everyone that DeKalb County’s peak tourism season is about to begin, so now is a great time to start getting things spruced up for our coming visitors. According to Williams, “I think we are all aware of the value and importance of beautification in our communities to attract newcomers and tourists to our area and to maintain a stable and growing economy.”

To get a head start on clean up, dumpsters will be set up at highly visible and convenient locations a few days prior to the main event. Dumpster locations will be at the Dowelltown Community Center, Liberty Community Center, Alexandria City Parking Lot (behind square), and the County Complex parking lot.

DeKalb Clean Up volunteers are asked to stop by the DeKalb County Complex on May 18th between 9 AM and 10 AM to sign-in and pick up the provided trash bags, rubber gloves, and bottles of water. We will be taking a group picture at 9:30 AM for the media if you like to participate in that.

For early sign-up, you can stop by the Chamber, located in the Courthouse, Room 201, anytime during regular office hours by May 17th to pick up supplies. Or if stopping by is not convenient, call the Chamber office at 615-597-4163 to be counted as a DeKalb Clean Up volunteer — just give your name and the general area where you will be working. Whether you’re cleaning up around a street, a highway, park, ball field, stream, or your own home, what a difference we can make through working together to make our communities safer, healthier and more livable! Don’t Just Sit There…Do Something Beautiful!

May 10, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin may be getting more help in her office.

The budget committee of the county commission Wednesday night voted 5-0 to grant Martin’s request to fund another full time employee for her office subject to final approval of the county commission later this summer. Martin currently has three deputy clerks working for her.

According to the wage scale for county general employees, a new worker with one year of service is paid $26,786.

The budget committee further voted to cut a total of $7,000 from Martin’s budget in the line items for part time and other salaries.

Martin’s total budget comes to $270,497.

In March, Martin first addressed the budget committee with her request. “With three clerks in the office, sometimes that is hard because on top of just those daily customers, we have as many as three courts going on at the same time which requires three of the four of us being out of the office. If it’s a circuit/criminal court day, there are always two clerks in the courtroom, which is me and another girl and three times, since I have been in office, I have had to close my office doors because we have had multiple courts going on at the same time. In one incident, one of my deputy clerks had to be out one day and we had three courts going on so we had to shut everything down. When I shut everything down there is no money coming in to the office unless they are paying online. I definitely feel a need for a new clerk in my office,” said Martin.

By having another employee, Martin said her office could pursue for the county the process of recouping funds from the state for a portion of unpaid court costs and other judicial resources expended in connection with felony criminal cases which could be as much as $100,000 a year. Its known as the state cost bill.

“I had a lady from local government come in one day to address the state cost bill but she told me that it would be impossible for me to collect that money with the staff I have right now and it would be impossible to hire a part time person and do the amount of work it would take. It is nothing I am mandated to do in the office. Its free money. It’s kind of like a grant. If I apply for it I get it but if I don’t, I don’t. This is something we would collect monthly. That’s $100,000 extra coming through my office,” said Martin in addressing the budget committee again Wednesday night (May 8).

However, Martin said she would not be able to seek the extra funds without extra full time help.

“I appreciate anything you could give me but honestly I am not going to find somebody for $10 an hour (part time) and I wouldn’t ask for something I didn’t need. I don’t have the time to pursue it if I don’t have somebody helping get those fees,” she said.

Martin added that there are other court related fees that could be added or increased that would raise more revenues for the county.

Meanwhile, Martin is losing one of her employees next week. Kate Arnold, who worked in the office for several years, is leaving to become the new Coordinator of the DeKalb County Recovery Court.

May 9, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber had a Ribbon Cutting for Old Timers Antiques and Unique Treasures and Farm House Café located at 108 W. Walnut Street in downtown Smithville.

Store/Café Owners are Wes and Joyce Frazier. The Antique Store is open Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Farm House Café is open Thursday through Sunday from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM. For more info, call 615-597-9700. Remember to Support our Local Small Businesses/Try DeKalb First!

Pictured l-r:

Chamber Board Members Kathy Hendrixson and Josh Issac, Business Owners Wes and Joyce Frazier, Kathy Kelly, Jackie Baker, Martha Conger, Chamber Director Suzanne Williams, Chamber President Beth Adcock

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