Huntsville creates parks advisory board

December 1, 2005

HUNTSVILLE — The Board of Mayor and Aldermen here took the final step Monday to create an advisory board that will form long-term plans and make recommendations for the town’s park and recreation facilities.

By a 4-0 vote with Alderman Sharra Crowley absent, the board passed the second and final reading of an ordinance that establishes a Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. The board will consist of five members with staggered terms. Vice Mayor Mark Love will “be responsible” for the board, Mayor George Potter said at Monday’s regular session.

The ordinance, which was adopted following a motion by Alderman Rob Smith and a second by Love, cited a “need for organized parks and recreational programming and facilities.” The second reading followed a public hearing on the ordinance that was held before the meeting.

In a separate public hearing before Monday’s regular session, Evan Sanders informed the board of the procedures that will need to be taken for the town to reapply for a Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) to cover the rehabilitation of the town’s sewer collection system.

The town applied for a Fiscal Year 2005 CDBG grant in February, but learned in October that its application was not successful.

Sanders told the board that CDBG will only fund 50 projects in FY 2006, as opposed to its traditional 75-to-80 projects, which will make it more difficult to secure funds. But, Sanders said, “I still think we’ve got a pretty good shot.”

The CDBG grant would provide the town up to $500,000 for the sewer project and would require a match of 11 percent, or $61,000.

During the regular meeting, the board voted unanimously to authorize the application for the CDBG grant.

In other business, the board heard a report from John Poole, who was hired to conduct an audit of the town’s financial matters, as required by the State of Tennessee.

Poole told the board that the town is “in good shape.” He said that the town currently has $139,000 in funds and owes $148,600. Those figures do not include $414,000 in principle that is owed on the town’s sewer system.

Poole informed the board that the town’s sewer system operated at a loss last year, and added that the state requires utilities to “cover themselves” and earn at least $1 in profit one year in a three-year period.

The bottom line, Poole said, “We did what we thought we would do based on our budget.”

Finally, the board voted to give town employees a $100 Christmas bonus.

newsroom@ihoneida.com

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