Several far-reaching ideas were presented as information-only, during Tuesday night’s regular meeting of September for the Nashville City Council.
Public Works Director Larry Dunaway presented a plan to straighten Pope Street at the intersection with Mt. Pleasant Drive at the Wilson Park baseball field. He suggested three Pope St. lanes to permit traffic to turn left or right, and for traffic turning onto Pope St. One of the considerations is that a sidewalk will cross Pope Street at that site as part of improvements along North Mt. Pleasant Drive.
He said he would continue talking with the school about developing the site.
Mayor Billy Ray Jones advised the council of a possible development on South Fourth Street, formerly a nursing home. The mayor said that developers wanted to make it a residential facility with a three-story addition at the rear of the existing building. He said that the proposal would have to go before the Planning & Zoning Commission, but that it would require zoning changes and a variation to allow the tall building. The conversion of a residence in the 100 block of W. Sypert back to commercial zoning was also discussed.
Another possible development is in trash pickup for Nashville residents.
The city’s contract with Waste Management is expiring and the company is seeking a small rate increase. The mayor, however, said he had talked some with the county about picking up the city’s residential waste. “I’d like for the money to stay here,” he explained.
Dunaway opened his regular report by speaking as a representative of the county election commission. He said that incorporated cities and school districts within the county were being asked to contribute a per capita share toward the cost of new voting machines and related software.
The city share would be slightly more than $16,700. A total cost of almost $84,000 is anticipated, he said. Council members will consider sharing the cost when they put together the 2018 budget.
Dunaway, who is a Republican representative on the election commission, and is its chairman, said he had no idea how expensive elections were until serving on the commission.
Council members briefly discussed places in town where bushes and low-hanging tree limbs obscure oncoming traffic.
Present Tuesday night were council members Mike Milum, Carol Mitchell, James Parker, Kay Gathright, Jimmie Lou Kirkpatrick, Vivian Wright, Monica Clark, Nick Davis, Donna Harwell and Matt Smith. Also, Mayor Jones and City Recorder Mary Woodruff.
