Too High!

Construction of a new fire hall in the Four Seasons Community will have to wait a while longer after the County Commission Monday night voted to re-bid the project concluding that the two bids received were too high.

Bids were opened for the fire hall on March 29 and two were received including one for $284,000 from Preston Brothers of Woodbury (minus $11,000 if the county put the gravel on the parking lot) and $197,000 from FTM Contracting of Cookeville (deductive alternate of $2,400).

Members of the county budget committee met April 9 and voted 4 to 1 to recommend to the county commission that the project move forward with the lowest bidder and that it be funded using $100,000 already allocated for the fire hall plus an additional $100,000 from the capital projects fund which has $588,000 in available money from the unrestricted fund balance account.

“I think those bids are way high. I have done some research and talked to three contractors and they have all told me the same thing. I even called a company and their bid (not turnkey) to do the building, the slab, do the insulation, and the doors is $32,768. I think we could save the county a lot of money if we re-bid this. I just believe it is out of line. The way they have it on the low bid figures at $90 per square foot. I just think it’s too high,” said 2nd District Commissioner Jimmy Midgett.

According to County Mayor Tim Stribling, plans call for the fire hall to be 40’ x 55’ in size consisting of two bays, a restroom, shower, and a small meeting room. He said while the plans do not include any frills it will be a turnkey project with all the work including construction, concrete pad, septic tank, etc all to be done under one contract.

Midgett made a motion that the project be re-bid. All members present voted in favor of Midgett’s motion.

Plans are to advertise for new bids as early as next week with a projected bid opening date of May 24 and then to present the recommended bid to the county commission for final approval by the next monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 29 after Memorial Day.

A new fire station at Four Seasons would be the 12th station in the county operated by the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department. The other fire halls are on Short Mountain Highway, Midway Community, Belk, Keltonburg, Cookeville Highway, Austin Bottom Community, Liberty, Temperance Hall, Main Station, Johnson Chapel, and Blue Springs.

In other business, three members of the DeKalb County Beer Board were re-appointed to new two year terms and one new member has been named to fill a vacancy.

The County Commission Monday night approved the reappointment of Beer Board members Myron Rhody in the 2nd District, Robert Rowe in the 4th District, and Leonard Dickens in the 6th District. A new member, John Hummer will succeed Rhonda Caplinger in the 5th District. She recently resigned after having moved out of the 5th District. Hummer will serve out the remaining year of Caplinger’s term and will be up for reappointment to a two year term next year.

In 2016, the commission voted to set terms for members of the beer board. All seven members serve as appointees and the terms are staggered with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, & 7th district positions being appointed in odd years. The 2nd, 4th, & 6th district seats are filled in even years. The beer board is to re-organize (name officers) every year.

Members of the beer board are Jim Stagi in the 1st district, Myron Rhody in the 2nd district, Edward Frazier in the 3rd district, Robert Rowe in the 4th district, John Hummer in the 5th district, Leonard Dickens in the 6th district, and Johnny King in the 7th district.

A man has been charged with aggravated criminal trespassing after allegedly entering the home of his neighbors without permission.

38 year old Brian Edward Clark of Patterson Road, Smithville is under a $5,000 bond and his court date is May 2. Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Sunday, April 22 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Patterson Road due to a suspicious person. Upon arrival he spoke with two women who reported that their neighbor, Clark entered their residence without permission. Clark was found at another home on Patterson Road and placed under arrest.

23 year old Taylor Nicole Hensley of Floyd Drive, Smithville was cited for simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance after detectives conducted a probation search of her at a residence on Lee Homer Road, Smithville Friday, April 13 and found 0.01 gram of a substance believed to be methamphetamine. Her court date is April 26.

20 year old Hadley Anne Tucker of South Rutherford Boulevard, Murfreesboro is charged with no drivers license and cited for expired registration, no insurance, and violation of the light law. Her bond is $3,000 and her court date is May 3. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, April 17 while traveling on Highway 70 a deputy spotted a vehicle with a light not working and conducted a traffic stop. He spoke to the driver, Tucker who produced an identification only issued by the state. Tucker said she did not have a driver license and that she had been in trouble before for the same offense. A computer check verified that she had no license. Her registration expired on May 30, 2017.

33 year old Jennifer Nicole Harvey of Nashville Highway, Dowelltown is charged with domestic assault. Her bond is $2,500 and she will be in court on May 3. Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, April 17 a deputy was dispatched to a residence and upon arrival spoke to a man who said his wife, Harvey had grabbed his cell phone from his hand while he was trying to record her yelling at him. As he tried to get the phone back from her, she threw it across the room causing physical contact between them which he found extremely offensive and provocative.

46 year old Vickie Lenae Alvis of High Street, Alexandria is charged with a 3rd offense of driving under the influence and a 4th offense of driving on a revoked license. Alvis’ bond is $10,000 and her court date is May 3. Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, April 18 a detective was traveling east on Highway 70 when he spotted a vehicle in front of him cross over several times into the opposite lane of travel. The officer conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, Alvis. He smelled the odor of alcohol on her person and noticed an open beer in the vehicle. Alvis performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. She also submitted to a blood test. Her prior DUI offenses were in 2011 and 2013. A computer check revealed that her license were revoked for a DUI in 2013 and that she had prior driving on revoked charges against her in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

39 year old Amy Renee Ford of Chumbley Hollow Road, Watertown is charged with assault. Ford’s bond is $3,000 and her court date is May 10. Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, April 20 a correctional officer heard shouting coming from the cell where the females are housed at the jail and went to investigate. The officer witnessed Ford hitting another female inmate in the face several times with an open hand. Ford was determined to have been the primary aggressor and was arrested for assault.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is hosting a public scoping meeting 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 3, 2018 at the Buffalo Valley Community Center to present information to the public regarding a current Dam Safety Modification Study (DSMS) to further reduce risk at Center Hill Dam. The center is located at 2717 Buffalo Valley School Road, Buffalo Valley, Tenn.

Since 2008 the Nashville District has worked to reduce risk at Center Hill Dam from a foundation seepage issue.

“More recently, however, operability issues have been identified with the 70-year old main dam spillway gates that add project risk during a large flood event” said Corps Project Manager, Linda Adcock.

In the early 1990’s a self-eroding structure called a ‘fuse plug’ was built into the top of the saddle dam to add the ability to safely pass a rare, extreme flood downstream.

“If the main dam spillway gates don’t operate as intended, the fuse plug on the saddle dam could operate at a smaller flood than intended,” Adcock added.

Currently, risk of this occurrence is higher than the Corps deems acceptable. A study is underway to evaluate spillway gate repair alternatives and potential changes to standard gate operations during a large flood. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Corps of Engineers is initiating scoping and preparing a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to support the DSMS. The study will produce a recommended plan to reduce potential project risk. The Corps seeks public input on the array of alternatives being considered.

Examples of measures, either individually or in combination, that have potential to affect structures or operations of the dam may include:

a) Replacement of the current gate machinery with hydraulic machinery that can operate under water;

b) Addition of equipment to the current spillway gates to keep them open if the operating machinery is underwater;

c) Modification of the spillway gates or gate machinery to allow operation from the top of the dam;

d) Relocation of the gate operating machinery to the road level, which would require raising or relocating Highway 96 that crosses over the dam;

e) Modification of the emergency operations plan in the water control manual that determines how to manage floods at Center Hill Dam; and

f) Other measures as identified by on-going engineering studies, the public, and agencies.

The announcement seeking public input is located on the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/04/20/2018-08291/intent-t…. This announcement includes information on how to provide comments to the Corps of Engineers regarding this study.

To read more on the dam safety project, visit the Nashville District webpage at http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Current-Projects/Construction/Cen… . For more information about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, visit the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and http://www.facebook.com/centerhilllake , and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.