There will be no Bruceton in May celebration again this year.
In the meantime , a committee will be formed to explore if the once annual festival can be reinvented for future years.
Alderman Jack Blocker said there is not enough volunteers now to put one together. In the past, Bruceton Woman’s Club has helped with putting it on. It has not been held in two years due to the pandemic.
Town Recorder Annie Hand said many of the members were now retired and the club has lost members.
Citizen Jeff Baker gained permission from board members to place a food trailer on a lot across from Little General. Mayor Bob Keeton will negotiate the rent price with Baker.
“I want to start within a month to five weeks,” said Baker. “I would buy a business license.”
The mayor and aldermen were pleased that someone was bringing a food business to town since Perry’s Barbecue Restaurant closed.
“I think that would be great,” said Mayor Bob Keeton.
Baker says he will have hamburgers and hot dogs and has a snow cone machine to make summer treats. His truck will be painted blue and white like the school colors.
“I think you will do well,” said Blocker.
The board passed the first of two required reading on an ordinance that authorizes the use of a collection agency. The ordinance will allow the town to contract with a collection agency to collect unpaid municipal fines, costs and other debts. This applies to fines that have not been collected within 60 days of their due date. This also includes past due utility bills.
The mayor said in his remarks that he had been informed about a lawsuit that the town was named in. However, he said it would not be a problem and would be dismissed because the town was not involved in the chase that involved the death of the Franklin couple.
A March 18 date at 2 p.m. was set for an executive planning meeting on what options the town has to spend the American Rescue Plan of $413,000.
In other business, aldermen:
• Heard Vice Mayor Cliff Sturdivant brag on the police department for the February report. There were an average of six stops a day during the month. Citizens were complimentary of seeing the presence of police in their neighborhoods, he said.
• Passed a resolution that supports restoring the historic Revenue Sharing Relationship between the State of Tennessee and its Local Governments and to return the Local Share of the Single Article Cap to Local Governments.
• Approved B & E invoices of $2,065 and $4,170.96 for siren upgrades to digital.
• Approved a request for sealed bids for waterproofing, sealing and painting of the water plant per Water and Sewer Five-Year Capital Plan.
• Agreed to to postpone until next month’s meeting any decision on purchasing a lawnmower until a list of the acreage amount to mow is known.
• Approved the request for sealed bids for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) for 640 residential water meters and some other types of meters, as well as references on bidders and a computer system as per Water and Sewer Five-Year Capital Plan.
• Agreed to contract with TAUS on Backflow Preventers for $1,355. The town has to send off test kits which relieves the town of liability.
• Agreed to donate $500 each for a Central High School boy and girl to attend boy and girl’s state.
• Agreed to sell the Tahoe vehicle purchased from the Sheriff’s Department and purchase a new Ford F-150 truck.
