By Karen Hall

Editor

Six Boy Scouts from Troop 352 attended Chapel Hill's monthly meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen this week. They are working on a merit badge that requires attendance at a town meeting. Also in attendance was Jenita Daughrity, a member of this year's Leadership Marshall class, which is also required to attend some local government meetings.

"As an old Scout master, it does this old man's heart good to see you here," said Mayor Carl Cooper. "We do approve of what you're doing."

Cooper noted the first Eagle Scout from his troop was now a professor at Vanderbilt.

Cooper praised Town Administrator Mike Hatten and Recorder Dawn Lovins for the work they do for the town.

"They present us with the information we need to make a decision," Cooper explained to the Scouts.

The first item on Hatten's report was the bid for fencing. One company bid $49,551 for fencing three areas: behind the fire hall for an impound lot, around the water plant, and at the new park on Depot Street.

"We thought it was going to be around $75,000," said Hatten. "But we only got one bid."

City attorney J. Todd Moore explained it was perfectly legal to award a contract to the sole bidder.

"He does all TVA's fencing," Hatten said. "We are looking at a couple of his references now."

Alderman "Bucko" Bryant recommended conducting a background check as well.

"We are starting to see signs of the community coming back to life," Hatten said. "The whole county's starting to see it. We're fixing to go into growth. We have a growth plan, but there are some measures we've got to begin to take." He mentioned the town needed a professional to upgrade their website.

"We need a work session to discuss where Chapel Hill will grow, and how," he said.

"We have to be sure what we do is right," agreed Cooper. "There are unknowns out there. A lot of the land around us is farm land. If they start to develop land outside our boundaries, that shuts down your growth area and we're hemmed in."

Alderman Tommy Lawrence asked for an update on the traffic lights, and Hatten reported Duck River Electric Membership Corporation had announced they were getting out of the traffic light business within the next two years.

"We can start looking for grants to update the traffic lights," Hatten said.

"Or we can go to a four-way stop," said Alderman Marion Joyce. She went on to say it was impossible to turn left at the main traffic light at some times of day, and thought traffic would flow better with four-way stop.

"Cornersville went ahead and shut down theirs," said Hatten. The former traffic light at the center of Cornersville is now a flashing yellow caution light, and the traffic light near the high school has been eliminated completely. Cornersville City Administrator Scotty Brock cited the high cost of a new traffic light as one of the reasons for his town's decision to do without traffic lights.