Town Mayor Tim Carroll shifted the monthly council meeting up a few days so council members could talk about and rank four projects the town is seeking a spot for on the November penny sales tax referendum.
The town also gave its nod to sponsor the Whitmire Fire Department’s request for a remodeled unit.
The town’s list, with rankings, that it is submitting to the Capital Penny Sales Tax Commission, is as follows:
Project one
WHAT: Town of Whitmire Annex building
HOW MUCH: $475,000 estimate
WHERE: On the corner of Main and Glenn streets, one block from Town Hall
WHY: Meetings are currently held upstairs in Town Hall, but the layout is not in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act, says Carroll.
Currently, the town moves the monthly court session downstairs if an attendant is handicapped.
To lift the current council site up to standards with an elevator would take roughly $350,000 to $400,000, said Carroll.
The new site would provide needed storage and more fire safety features, he adds.
Also, to attract industry to the town, Carroll said the town needs a nice place to meet with prospective business representatives, “and we just don’t have it.”
Project two
WHAT: Two new sloped metal roofs
HOW MUCH: $60,750
WHERE: For the upper and lower part of Town Hall to replace the building’s current flat roofs.
WHY: The roofs are “pretty much guaranteed for 100 years,” says Carroll.
Project three
WHAT: Three main water lines
HOW MUCH: $25,854 estimate. Project total is $25,854 with the town paying $15,500 towards the cost.
WHERE: Whitmire Golf Course
WHY: The lines will water the town’s golf course.
“The main part of the golf course is the greens, and if the greens are no good, no one wants to play,” said Carroll.
Project four
WHAT: Whitmire skate park and new basketball court
HOW MUCH: $70,000 estimate
WHERE: The skate park would replace the Main Street basketball court. A new basketball court would be made off Highway 72 in the area of the ball fields.
WHY: The skate park project will accommodate skate boards, roller skates and roller blades, said Carroll.
The town will contribute $20,000 to the cost, perhaps through grant money.
Though once a high priority for area youth, the skate park is not wholly popular with all council members. By vote, council demoted the skate project in rank from its initial third place position to last place.
“I’d really rather see the money go to this park down there,” says council member Cassie Fowler, who was concerned about cleaning out the nearby creek at Heritage Park.
“Throw it out the door,” said council member Dwight Lane, who wants money to be spent on athletics like basketball, which enrich the school’s program, he said.
Carroll, however, said skate parks are big now. “I mean if they make a video game out of it….” he said, referring to skateboard video games.
Council member Debbie Harris, who helped spearhead skate park plans last year, was at work during the 3 p.m. meeting, said Carroll.
Project five
WHAT: Council also gave its approval of a remodeled fire station.
HOW MUCH: An estimated cost of $80,000.
WHY: The work will give the town fire department handicapped accessible bathrooms, energy-efficient heating and air conditioning, a remodeled kitchen and an insulated rollup door, said Carroll.
Post a Comment
