By John Balch
News-Leader staff
Murfreesboro Mayor Jim O’Neal announced Monday night that Friday, Oct. 25 will be be last day of operations at the Tyson Foods hatchery in Murfreesboro.
O’Neal said the local hatchery operation, which employs an estimated 20-25 people, will be moved to Hope with employees given the option to go to work at hatcheries in Nashville or Hope.
Tyson Foods invested $70 million in a new hatchery in Hope that replaces an existing one and the new one is apparently now ready. According to news reports, the new hatchery triples the old one’s capacity and will help the company nearby poultry processing plans in Hope and Nashville run more efficiently and attract new area contracts.
The mayor told council members Monday that he has been in contact with a Tyson official about possible donating the hatchery building to the city once it’s vacated. O’Neal said that under city control the building would be put to good use and would not be allowed to sit and detoriate and become an eyesore.
O’Neal said he person he talked to about donating the building was receptive and advised he would relay the request up the Tyson’s chain of command.
Mayor O’Neal added that the business is the second largest water user behind the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
In other council business Monday night, the council went into executive session to discuss the employment of Jeremy Hughes. Once back in open session, Hughes was voted in as the city’s new position of Public Works Director with a salary to be determined and adjusted by Mayor O’Neal before budget time.
The council also voted to include 4.5 percent employee pay raise to be included in next year’s budget, which will be prepared and then presented at the council’s November meeting.
The council also approved a resolution keeping the city’s millage rate at 3 mills.
The city’s Low to Middle Income index, which is higher than it has been in the past, was discussed with the city deciding to challenge the data by conducting a community survey. The city will couple with the Murfreesboro Chamber of Commerce to contact every person in the city limits with a water meter about filing out the survey and providing help to those in need.
Mayor O’Neal also gave an update on the drainage project on Maple Avenue. He said a few items need to be fixed but the project is basically complete. “Now, we just need it to rain to see if this all works,” O’Neal said.
