The Town of Huntingdon will start charging $115 on each court citation, according to action taken at the Oct. 13 council meeting. The former charge was $113.50.
“We are updating our records system and also obtaining the ability to take payments by credit or debit cards which would help in the clerical accounting,” Mayor Dale Kelley read from a memo from Public Safety director Walter Smothers.
Smothers noted in the memo that the change in the costs would help eliminate the need to keep quarters and one-dollar bills on site. There would only be the need to keep $5 and $10 bills.
It would also simplify the process of tracking the amount of all payments, according to Smothers.
A resolution was passed that approved for an application to be made to the Tenn. Dept. of Transportation for a 2020 Multimodal Access Grant. This type of grant is designed to assist communities in their efforts to enhance transportation concerns.
The town has plans to construct sidewalks along East Main Street from Barnett St. to Buena Vista Road.
“Applicants may receive up to 95 percent in state grant funds with a 5 percent local match,” said Kelley.
According to other action by the council, a resolution authorizing the town to participate in the Public Entity Partners’ Property Conservation Matching Grant Program passed.
The program is offered through the Public Entity Partner’s Insurance program with the qualifying amount based on the total insured property value. Based on the town’s total insured value, the town should be eligible for a $4,000 matching grant. This grant will be used for security cameras at the Public Works Department plus security cameras and security lights at Kelley Sports Complex.
A couple of amendments that had to do with agreements with Tegrah Engineering for services for Safe Routes to School grants were approved.
Amendment 2 relates to the 2015 Safe Routes to School Grant for the Clark Street Sidewalk Phase I project. It is necessary due to additional services for Environmental Permitting and modifications to services for concrete field testing related to the project. The amendment amount is $1,320 for a total adjusted agreement of $30,320.
Amendment 1 relates to the 2016 Safe Route to School Grant for Clark Street Sidewalk Phase II. It is necessary due to modifications to services for concrete field testing relating to the project. The amendment amount is $750 for a total adjusted agreement amount of $40,750.
In other business, a request from the First Baptist Church Youth for use of Kelley Sports Complex soccer field in October and November was granted.
During the meeting, the mayor commended fireman Fire & Rescue Lt. Michael Allen for a job well done when he prevented a brush pile fire from spreading to a nearby woods.
In the commendation letter from Director of Public Safety Walter Smothers, he said: “Had it not been for the dedication of Lt. Allen by walking some distance from his truck for a better vantage point, his keen spotting of the fire in the woods, and his quick response in getting his equipment and extinguishing the fire, I have absolutely no doubt that we would have had a forest fire that we could not have contained and it would have very likely burned many acres of woods.”
