Construction Expected to Begin Soon on New Smithville Police Department Building

June 30, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Construction is expected to begin this summer on a new Smithville Police Department building.

City officials have already adopted a new budget and bond resolutions to secure funding but efforts continue to cut costs of the projected $2.7 million project without sacrificing needs.

Mayor Josh Miller and Police Chief Mark Collins said Thursday night, June 25 that they have received good news on that front from Wayne Oakley of Studio Oakley Architects, LLC of Lebanon who designed the proposed building, prepared construction documents, and assisted the city in putting the project out for bids.

“What he (Oakley) told me on the phone is that as of right now the project has been cut to $2,414,000 but he believes that when all is said and done the final cost would be around $2,380,000 with all the changes he and I have made. For example we changed the tile and counter tops. They were able to change some of the design in the roof. It had 10 foot ceilings but that has been changed. We did all that without changing the design. It is still very functional,” said Chief Collins.

“It looks like right now the savings is $270,000 but he (Oakley) said all the numbers are not in and he thinks the savings will be a little bit more. He told the Chief and I to allow for $2.4 million. That is close to a $300,000 savings,” said Mayor Miller.

The cost of furnishings to the new building are not included in the construction project.

Mayor Miller said the contractor is ready to go to work and could get started right away once the city is ready to proceed.

In May, the aldermen voted unanimously to adopt a debt management policy and an initial bond resolution in preparation for the issuance of bonds. The vote was 4 to 1 on the more detailed bond resolution which actually authorizes the issuance and sale of general obligation improvement bonds not to exceed $2.7 million. Alderman Brandon Cox voted against it. The action came prior to first reading passage of the city budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year which includes debt service funding of $172,310 or less for the first year of the project with a projected payout schedule over 20 years The budget was adopted on second and final reading last Thursday night, June 25 to take effect July 1.

The Boyce Ballard Construction Company of Murfreesboro had the lowest bid on the new police department project at almost $2.7 million for a total roofed area of 12,800 square feet which includes a 1,400 square foot sally port.

Plans are to build the new police department on the north side of the city hall/fire department complex at Don Cantrell Street on land donated to the city.

The proposed facility encompasses a front lobby, records clerk office, hallways, three holding cells, armory, conference and training rooms, offices for the chief, captain, detectives, and other officers, rooms for records, evidence, investigations, filing reports, locker room, electrical room, closets, restrooms, break room, and a sally port.

June 30, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County’s confirmed number of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 52.

As of Tuesday , June 30 the Tennessee Department of Health reported that 1,915 people had been tested with 1,863 negative results and 52 positive. There have been no deaths in DeKalb County from the virus and 38 of the 52 persons tested positive have recovered.

The DeKalb County Health Department conducts free drive through assessments for COVID-19 Mondays through Fridays from 9am- 11 am. The health department will not be open or testing for Covid-19 this Friday, July 3rd

At 52 cases, DeKalb County now ranks 8th highest in the 14 county Upper Cumberland region behind Putnam with 783 (7 deaths), Macon 394 (3 deaths), Cumberland 168 (3 deaths), Smith 90 (1 death), White 63 (3 deaths), Warren 62, and Overton 56, Other counties in the region with COVID-19 cases are Cannon 27, Jackson 26, Fentress 17, Clay 16, Van Buren 7, and Pickett 6.

June 29, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

A 31 year old Sparta man accused of seriously injuring a 4 year old child resulting in a bone fracture has been indicted by the DeKalb County Grand Jury for aggravated child abuse.

Charles David Woody is under a $50,000 bond and will be arraigned in DeKalb County Criminal Court on July 14. He was named in a sealed indictment returned by the grand jury earlier this month and was arrested within the past week.

On May 9th, the indictment alleges that Woody did unlawfully, knowingly, and other than by accidental means, inflict injury upon a 4 year old child resulting in serious bodily injury, : to wit: bone fracture thereby committing the offense of aggravated child abuse.

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