Surgoinsville to purchase property for maintenance department expansion

The Surgoinsville Board of Mayor and Aldermen informally agreed during Monday’s workshop to move forward with the $135,000 purchase of 113 Hendricks Street to expand the Maintenance Department.

The Maintenance Department is looking to use the garage for storage.

There’s currently no plan for how to use the house, but the board agreed that it needed to go ahead on the purchase.

“There won’t be a second chance,” Mayor Merrell Graham said.

Alderman Tim Hoss added, “We could always purchase the property then divide it to sell.”

Attorney Joe May added that he had talked to the owner earlier that day about closing on the house by the end of July if the board approves the purchase on Monday.

Sewer extension reroute

Also during the workshop, Mayor Graham announced that the town submitted a request to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to reroute its proposed $800,000 sewer extension through Virginia Hills subdivision.

The city was originally looking to connect the system to 11-W via Sandidge Hollow Road, however, disputes with a homeowner stalled that plan.

In June, the board discussed the option to run the sewer through Virginia Hills, adding that more revenue would come in quicker from the homes in the neighborhood.

Two more homes are under construction currently, which could connect to the sewer if enough work is done in time.

Employee Pay Raises

The BMA will devote most of next month’s workshop to bringing city employees up to competitive wages before a full wage increase is decided upon.

City Recorder Megan Gentry provided the BMA estimates of what a 2, 5, 7, and 10 percent increase would cost, but Mayor Merrell Graham said they should study reasonable salaries for each individual department before deciding on an amount.

“We need to figure out a base place for everyone’s wages, for instance the people in maintenance, then we can figure out adding a dollar or whatever,” Mayor Graham said.

Alderman Warren Bishop also recommended a pay scale for each department based on time worked and qualifications. Each pay scale would have levels of pay to explain the differences in pay.

“That way we can keep up with everybody and keep everybody where they should be,” Bishop said.

If any raises are granted to the city’s employees, the pay will be back-dated to July 1.

Proof of insurance required

The BMA also agreed that it would enact a stricter enforcement on its recent ruling to require liability insurance for people who host events at the Riverfront Park.

Approved in the spring, the BMA voted to require that all event holders must show proof of insurance before using city spaces for public events as part of its public spaces use agreement. Churches, schools, and civic events are exempt from this rule.

The BMA had an issue where the organizer for an upcoming vendor fair at the park has yet to show their proof.

Mayor Graham said that he would talk to the organizer to let them know that they need insurance prior to the event scheduled for July 13 and that the city would begin to enforce its new rule.

“If the town wants to require insurance, we can do that,” Mayor Graham said.