BENTON – Marshall County Fiscal Court met in regular session on Friday, January 15th. The first guest of the Fiscal Court was Bill Gibson with the Marshall County Building Code Enforcement Board.
Gibson said in their Plan Review and Inspection Fees presented to the court, they propose to reduce fees for storage on the Marshall County Building Code. Storage building inspections under the Plan Review and Inspection Fee is currently 15 cents per square foot and they would like to make changes to post frame construction for storage buildings over 2,500 square feet. It will remain 15 cents per square foot for the initial 2,500 square feet and 6 cents for any additional square footage.
Gibson said that would make the permit for a post-frame building less due to fewer trips to the site for an inspector and a typical 30 x 60 post-frame building typically doesn’t get past the 2,500 square footage. A metal or masonry building would still cost the 15 cents per square foot.
So far this fiscal year, 133 permits have been written, they have collected $86,762.19 in income, completed 32 jobs and are working on 106. Gibson doesn’t think the fee reduction will significantly affect what is brought in by the inspectors.
The change in rate will take place after the second reading to amend the ordinance takes place and is approved at the February 16th Fiscal Court meeting.
Larry Whitt, Marshall County Parks Director, updated the court on the fishing pier to be built at Big Bear in a contract with TVA. Bids for sidewalk work leading up to the pier have been received and the court approved the low bid.
Whitt also informed the court that February is the month to advertise for mowing bids which begins in March. There was a question about a few of the 34 county properties that the county typically mows. County Commissioner Rick Cocke was shown the properties by Whitt and plans are for Judge Executive Kevin Neal to view the properties.
James Coley of 300 White Dove Lane in Gilbertsville, addressed the court with concerns over a section of Little Bear Highway where, according to Coley, his husband was run off the road in November. According to Coley, his spouse’s accident was the sixth in a five-year period of reported accidents.
Coley said he has been to the Judge Executive’s office and had a “contentious” meeting with the Judge Executive and the Deputy Judge Executive.
Coley said accident number seven happened last Sunday at the same spot in the road. Two signs with 35 miles an hour speed reductions have recently been placed at the section of road in question and Coley is upset with the “two whole tenths of a mile” of distance from “said curve”.
Coley said the signs need to be closer to the section of road and said, “my question now is, is that too little too late? The curve is still dangerous and the signs are too far back from the curve.”
Judge Executive Kevin Neal addressed Coley’s accusations of a slow response time and inattention to residents safety.
“The accusations are not accurate and I’ll tell you why”, Neal said. “When that was presented in my office, it was discussed. We tried to get as much information as we could on those accidents. That used to be a state roadway, now it’s a county roadway.”
“The first step we could take was putting up those advisory signs. The time – you can’t nail down a time in a situation like this.”
Neal has gathered all the information available on the road from all sides of the issue.
“We go off the information we receive. We’re here to help. This here, is not a good way to do business. We heard you. I’ve heard you scream at my deputy judge, but that’s fine, because we deal with people.”
Neal said the way business needs to be done is gather all the information that he can get before making a calculated decision and the first thing his office could do was put the signs up.
“You are free to come to the court, but bring all the information like we do, that’s all I ask.”
Neal said the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle has to be taken into question as well.
Pat Beadles, who addressed the Fiscal Court in their previous meeting to petition the county to assume responsibility of the roads in the Kerry Landing Subdivision, came before the court again on Friday with questions about the public hearing that needs to take place.
More things need to be addressed before the public meeting on March 1st according to County Attorney Jeff Edwards.
Beadles said, “the road is going to fall in before March 1st”.
This is a private road where equipment can not be taken, according to Neal.
“The situation that we have, is you have a private road”, Neal said. “I can’t come out there and build a bridge and pave it. There are steps that have to be taken, measures that have to be met.”
Neal said to Beadles that “no one here disagrees that the road is in bad shape” but the court must take the proper steps.
Beadles would like for the hearing to be sooner. The court also stated that contractors don’t pave this time of year even if the hearing is sooner but due to information that needs to be gathered, time is an issue.
“There are certain requirements in this court’s resolution that have to be met”, Edwards said.