Proposed ordinance creates separate Rogersville Building and Grounds Department

The Rogersville Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the first reading Tuesday of an ordinance creating a new Building and Grounds Department, as well as a building and grounds director position.

Currently those responsibilities fall upon the Street Department.

Mayor Jim Sells told the Review after Tuesday’s BMA meeting that with the number of Rogersville facilities increasing, the responsibility of maintaining those facilities and grounds merits a separate department.

Also Monday, the BMA voted to purchase the Occasions on the Square property at 101 W. Main Street for a new City Hall. The city is also considering construction of a new community center at the former Unite Foods grocery store complex adjacent to Rogersville City Park.

Sells noted that most cities the size of Rogersville have a separate buildings and ground department.

The ordinance states that the responsibilities of the new director will be to organize and supervise daily work activities in the areas of improvement, repair and general upkeep; and maintenance of the exterior of all public buildings and surrounding grounds except buildings and grounds falling under the control of the Department of Parks and Recreation, Rogersville Water Department, and Rogersville City School.

The director will also supervise the maintenance and routine care of all town landscaped areas adjacent to all buildings including, but not limited to, care of trees, shrubs, flowers and lawns on public grounds, including sidewalks, planters and landscaping beds.

The director will be appointed by a majority vote of the BMA with the director’s term to coincide with the term of the BMA.

The ordinance as approved Tuesday doesn’t list a salary for the new building and grounds director position.

Consideration of the second and final reading of the ordinance is expected to be on the agenda for the Aug. 13 BMA meeting.