County projects move forward
Engineer Larry Britt reported on a number of projects working in the northern sector of the county to the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.
Projects include the following payment requests for board approval:
• payment of $11,036 on the elevated water tank near Niagara Bottling. Britt said this project may come in under the contract price leaving about $30,000 in retainage.
• payment of $365,144 for work on construction of the access road to Cooper Tires. Del Stover Drive which runs between Amazon and Cooper Tires also connects traffic coming from Gateway Global Drive at Volvo under the Highway 72 overpass and back around to Amazon.
Gateway Global Drive, a heavy-duty, 120,000-pound, truck route connects Chickasaw Trail Industrial Park south of Highway 72 back around to the Intermodal rail yard in Rossville, Tenn.
• payment of $182,158 for work at the Workforce Training Center at Wingo Road and Cayce Road. There is about $400,000 left in this project, expected to be close to completion by summer’s end.
• payment of $77,886 to SB Construction for work on the extension of Mt. Carmel Road and Gateway Global Drive South.
Other work includes the construction of a box culvert; a request for approval of gas service to the Corelle site; work on an Emergency Road and Bridge project; resumption of work on Wilson Golden Road; and a preconstruction conference for work from Norfolk Southern to Del Stover Drive and Highway 72.
Zoning director Ken Jones presented a request for replanning of Valley Oaks Subdivision on South Red Banks Road, property owned by Joe Houck. He said there has been a subdivision road there for many years but no lots sold.
Houck wants to break the subdivision up from Phase 1 to five phases.
“This is an old subdivision that has not been activated yet,” Jones said.
The covenants say only houses are allowed in the subdivision.
“He’s just starting the process over,” said Jones.
Board attorney Kent Smith recommended that all details of the plans for the new subdivision be taken up at once by the board of supervisors.
Jones presented several cleanup requests for board action:
• a lot on Gamble Road needs the grass cut.
• material stacked outside Boots and Spurs needs to be moved.
• trash in a ditch and RVs parked in the backyard at a residence on Hernando Road need cleaning up.
• 13 old cars and debris on a lot on Patriot Way need cleaning up.
The board of supervisors approved motions to go farward with cleanup proceedings.
Also, a family on Tyro Road requested a permit to build a hunting/weekend cabin for family use.
Justin Hall, executive director of the Marshall County Industrial Development Authority, said companies are requesting approval of Freeport Warehouse applications as the deadline of June 1 for approval nears. All companies approved last year have reapplied and one other company has requested the exemption.
Many companies have added equipment and jobs. Parker Hannifin has had two expansions in two years, he said, adding a $5 million warehouse and $11 million in equipment relocation. They are requesting a $16 million Freeport Warehouse exemption and will double their jobs from about 150 to around 300, Hall said.
Supervisors discussed signage and logo design at the new Workforce Training Center.
Supervisor Keith Taylor asked for a cornerstone with the supervisors’ names to be placed on the building and the board passed a motion to the effect.
Other ideas were to place the name of the Workforce Center on the exterior of the building in large letters and also add an electronic sign.
Supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett wanted the sign paid for out of the grant so the board of supervisors would not have to pay for it.
Supervisor Charles Terry asked if electrical conduit has been laid outside the building for signage.
Other amenities in the building are an executive conference room, a place for public meetings, and job fairs and community events and preconstruction conferences.
Grass cutting
District 4 supervisor George Zinn III brought up hay baling at the airport and fairgrounds and asked if the two jobs should be packaged and let to one bidder.
Board attorney Kent Smith recommended they be kept separate, because the airport is jointly owned by the city of Holly Springs and the county and because of federal regulations at the airport.
Zinn asked whether the jobs should be contracted for a longer period of time, say five years.
Hall said the county does not care what is done with the hay.
“We’re not in it to make money, just to keep it cut,” he said referring to the airport hay.
County administrator Larry Hall said that bushhogging is not preferred because the straw would remain on the ground and produce a fire hazard.