By Karen Hall

Editor

Thanks to signing a cooperative purchasing agreement for asphalt with the county, the City of Lewisburg will be able to complete three small paving projects in the very near future, said City Manager Randall Dunn at the work session Monday.

The projects include

* Repaving 0.2 mile of Old Farmington Road which is inside city limits.

* Paving the turn around at the dead end of Boyette Avenue.

* Repaving Fox Lane.

"This is just something simple that can be done fast," said Dunn. Total cost of the three projects is estimated at $50,000. Other larger paving projects will be done in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Transportation in the spring

Mayor Jim Bingham pointed out that the cooperative purchasing agreement was a big help because it allowed the city to save $10 per ton on the price of asphalt.

Recreation Director Jimmy Stitt reported that the city got notice they could proceed with the Safe Routes to School project.

In other business at the non-voting work session, councilmen decided that active duty members of the armed forces should be allowed to use the Recreation Center for free.

The topic was introduced by Councilman Robin Minor.

"I'm just the messenger," he said. "It was suggested that ordained and unpaid members of the clergy and active duty military should get free access to the Rec Center."

"The military is appropriate," said Dunn. "Clergy is a little hard to define. We have a lot of people who do good things in this town."

"The city employees use it for free," Stitt pointed out.

Further questions revealed that Marshall County currently has eight service members deployed now, and that the daily charge at the Rec Center is $7, or $2.50 for just the fitness room.

"The number doesn't really matter, because of what they're doing for our country," said Dunn. "I think we should extend the courtesy. The military is a unique and definable group."

"Checking IDs is easy," added Councilman Trigg Cathey.

"We must respect our military and honor them whenever we can," said Bingham.

Turning to another topic, councilmen agreed with Dunn that the city should buy a property that has been offered to them on 1st Avenue North. It is in the flood plain and, for this reason, no one could get financing to buy it, or to rebuild a house there.

The current owners told Dunn they have a cash buyer offering $35,000, and asked if the city wanted the property at this price.

"I think it would be a very good investment," Dunn said. "It would give us more green space, and be a real asset."

"If we get this, we must tear the house down immediately," said Councilman Odie Whitehead Jr.

"It will take a resolution next week (at the Council's October meeting), but I will tell the attorney we've decided to buy," concluded Dunn.

Finally, Dunn gave a PowerPoint presentation on "Traffic Calming" measures, or designs and rules that alter traffic behavior, slowing and reducing traffic, and improving conditions for "non-motorized users."

Prefabricated "speed humps" are available, and council members agreed these could be a good idea for Old Farmington Road where it runs through Rock Creek Park. The cost for two speed humps in this area would not exceed $1,200.

"I think we've got some real opportunity here," said Dunn, though he admitted changes are "going to make somebody unhappy."

"It's something we can do fairly quickly," Dunn said, and councilmen agreed he could make a start.