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PrintHurry up or get left out was the message County Commissioners heard from the state Department of Transportation concerning completion of state Route 70S through or around Woodbury.
“We have limited funds … but we have no debt,” Wes Hughen, TDOT project manager, told commissioners Tuesday night (Nov. 12).
TDOT’s status means that Cannon County needs to make a decision soon on the path Route 70S will take or the project could be delayed for decades. Much of TDOT’s funding comes from the state tax on gasoline and as car mileage improves the amount of funds drops.
“My recommendation would be to decide what sort of road you want and take it to the PRO (Regional Planning Office),” Hughen said.
Currently, TDOT is favoring “Alternate C” a plan which would bypass Woodbury to the south, but other alternative plans exist.
“I wouldn’t assume that it would be a four-lane highway,” Hughen told the commissioners. “You’ve got to consider that we’re not going into debt” to pay for the project.
One commissioner pointed out that even if “Alternate C” is constructed, Woodbury’s closest connection to Interstate 24 would still be through Murfreesboro.
Commission Chairman Mark Barker said completion of the highway will take 15 years or longer “unless we start something now.”
“We need to get our name in the pot or we will never get it. We need to expedite this,” Barker said.
Commissioner Jim Bush said, “We’ve got plenty of examples of what a bypass will do to a community.” And that’s not good.
No action was taken on the road project.
Commissioners did act to fill the seat vacated by the death of Bob Stoeztel. Action had been delayed at last month’s meeting.
The names of Chuck Holt, Andy Pack, Greg Fauls and Bill Melton were suggested.
Commissioner Russell Reed nominated both Holt and Pack. Holt was the only nominee in attendance.
Commissioner Bush suggested that the panel follow its previous action of selecting the person who placed second in the previous election. Fauls had placed second to Stoeztel.
“You would think that if they were interested that they (the other nominees) would be here,” said Commissioner Jimmy Mingle.
County Executive Mike Gannon said the Commission was not obligated to select the person who placed second in the last race. “Right now, you can do it anyway you like,” Gannon said.
Commissioner Tony Neal did point out the winner did have to have five votes, the simple majority of the nine commissioners in attendance at the meeting.
On the first vote, the Commissioners voted four for Holt, two for Fauls and one for Pack.
After a brief discussion, Reed changed his vote to Holt, giving him the five votes required. Holt was then sworn in by County Court Clerk Bobby Smith and took his seat on the Commission.
Commissioner Bush suggested that the panel follow its previous action of selecting the person who placed second in the previous election. Fauls had placed second to Stoetzel.
"You would think that if they were interested that they (the other nominees) would be here," said Commissioner Jimmy Mingle.
County Executive Mike Gannon said the Commission was not obligated to select the person who placed second in the last race. "Right now, you can do it anyway you like," Gannon said.
Commissioner Tony Neal did point out the winner did have to have five votes, the simple majority of the nine commissioners in attendance at the meeting.
On the first vote, the Commissioners voted four for Holt, two for Fauls and one for Pack.
After a brief discussion, Reed changed his vote to Holt, giving him the five votes required. Holt was then sworn in by County Court Clerk Bobby Smith and took his seat on the Commission.
The late Bob Stoetzel was honored during the Commission meeting.
"Bob Stoetzel was a good man. Fearless… He will certainly be missed by the Commission and the voters of Cannon County," Chairman Barker said as he presented a plaque to Stoetzel family members.
Turning to Sheriff Darrell Young, the Commissioners heard a suggestion to create a capital projects fund for future expansion of the Cannon County Jail.
"The TCI (Tennessee Corrections Institute) is pushing for us to build a new jail, not tomorrow or the next day, but in the future," Young said.
"I came up with an idea, take money generated by the jail commissary fund and put it in the capital project fund," the sheriff said.
While the commissary fund does not represent a large amount of money, it will add up, he continued. It also ties directly into the sheriff's ongoing goal to eliminate smoking inside the jail.
The Cannon County Jail does not allow smoking, instead prisoners are allowed to purchase electronic cigarettes, also called e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are a battery-powered device which simulates tobacco smoking. It generally uses a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution that usually contains a mixture of nicotine and flavorings. The sale of e-cigarettes is generating as much as $1,000 a month at Cannon County Jail.
Selling the e-cigarettes to prisoners is also helping eliminate one of the greatest hazards at the jail - smoking and the attempt to fashion cigarettes out of almost anything, including pages ripped out of the Bible.
Male prisoners caught smoking in jail even get assigned to a pink jail cell, the sheriff said. Eliminating smoking means a cleaner jail in addition to cutting down on some of the smell normally associated with a jail cell.
