By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
Nashville City Council members voted unanimously, Monday night, to build a new bridge over Dodson Creek connecting the area of Nashville Primary School and the school district bus facility. The bridge approaches were damaged in the July 15 flash flooding here.
Public Works Director Larry Dunaway told the aldermen in their regular meeting for August that the city could not hesitate to begin work. The mayor echoed that feeling.
Dunaway said that the existing bridge was still in service but had some problems requiring the new one. He said the city’s bid for the new bridge was very favorable at about $98,000.
It will be constructed beside the existing one which will remain open during construction of the new one.
Action on repairs to the vehicle and foot bridges farther downstream by Wilson Park were delayed because of other flood-related expenses.
Mayor Billy Ray Jones said that work to the city’s earthen dam and spillway at Lake Nichols was vitally needed, but he wanted to wait to see how insurance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency would contribute to the recovery. “This little flood is not over for us,” he said of the mounting repair expenses. He told the council that next year’s city spending might have to be re-evaluated depending on the help the city gets in repairs to the dam and runoff channel.
Later in the meeting he said that FEMA officials were still he re-evaluating their first damage estimates. Damage to city property wasn’t high enough to get certain FEMA help, and the city hopes that the re-evaluation will meet the needed damage figure.
There are repairs still underway at police space in the City-County Building and to the fire station, but the mayor said action to arrange payment could wait until the more important work on the dam was underway.
The Monday night meeting was long due to the reading of
two lengthy ordinances which are related to bond financing of two city water projects which were approved more than a year ago and have finally reached the bond stage.
Other items before the council:
The daughter of deceased council member Andy Anderson, Ward 6 Position 1, will fill the vacancy. The council voted 9-1 to approve the nomination of Kathy Anderson Combs who resides in the ward.
PWD Director Dunaway said that paving would probably start next week on five streets. He said there might be enough leftover money to do some work on another street. He also reported on a waste pick-up rate increase by Waste Management. A roughly three percent increase will go into effect Sept. 1.
Dunaway also reported on developments of a proposed sidewalk along Sunset Street and eventually veering off to the city park. He will talk to residents along a short stretch of 12th Street about re-routing the sidewalk through. He will also ask them about the possible closure of part of the street which is one-way already.
When asked for their input, council members said that the city should help two firefighters whose uninsured vehicles suffered flood damage while they were called out on the emergency.
Present for the meeting were council members Mike Milum, Carol Mitchell, James Parker, Kay Gathright, Vivian Wright, Monica Clark, Nick Davis, Donna Harwell, Joe Hoen and Freddie Horne. Also, Mayor Jones, City Attorney Aaron Brasel, City Clerk Mary Woodruff, PWD Director Dunaway, Financial Officer Kimberly Green, Police Chief Amy Marion, Compliance Officer David Riggs and Fire Marshal Justin Thornton.
