story by Senior Investigative Reporter Shannon Taylor
Updates were provided on the new municipal complex at the Nov. 7 board of mayor and alderman meeting.
A2H provided an update on their scope of services which had to be amended to include additional redesign services. The proposal was based on a change in available property resulting from property acquisition issues. “A2H has had to return to the original conceptual design phase from the design development phase to make significant adjustments to the design to accommodate the site limitations arising from the property acquisition issues.”
A2H said that “multiple design options had to be investigated based on the new site constraints as a part of reverting back to the conceptual design phase” and that they “have met with the city of Dresden to understand the new site constraints, developed multiple building layout and configuration options, met with the city of Dresden to review those options and has had to accommodate current construction to the east including additional existing condition surveys to locate and identify what has been built to date on the property to the east.”
A2H said that “all aspects of the building layout, floor plan, site design, grading and drainage and utility locations and design were affected by the adjusted site constraints.”
The proposed compensation for all of the above was $64,780 and the board voted unanimously to approve the change.
During communications from the mayor, Washburn stated that the city’s TEMA contract has been signed and they are preparing to start receiving funds that were allocated for the cleanup.
Washburn gave the order to order new fuel injectors and bearings for the leaf machine and the cost of that was about $3,300.00. It is currently being used until the new one comes in next year; however, Paris acquired a new leaf machine and they have told Public Works Director Josh Lassiter that Dresden can use theirs if Dresden’s machine breaks down again.
During input from citizens Jeniffer Green spoke on behalf of the Sunrise Cemetery requesting a trash receptacle to be donated. The motion was made by Alderman Donnie Essary and seconded by Alderwoman Klutts, and it passed 5-1 with Alderman Kenneth Moore voting no. Moore asked, “Is that going to go for all cemeteries in the city?” Washburn stated that he didn’t know the answer to that and that there were only two cemeteries in Dresden and that if they did it for one, they would probably do it for both.
Citizen Chase Kesterson requested that the packets that the alderman read be put on Facebook so that everyone could read them. Anderson suggested it be put on the city’s website and Alderman Ralph Cobb made a motion and seconded by Essary. The motion passed unanimously.
Last month Washburn received a proposal from Langdon Unger on behalf of Tony Winstead for $20,000 cash paid to him plus forgiveness of the amount for the demolition and Winstead would seek a tap for water and sewer on his property. A motion was made to accept the proposal by Essary and seconded by Anderson. The proposal was passed unanimously.
The BZA approval appeal regarding Keisha Roberts home-based hair salon was discussed and Washburn let the board know that the BZA stood by their original decision. City Attorney Beau Pemberton advised the board that if they voted to appeal the decision to the Chancery court that they would be suing their own BZA and would be naming a member of their own board, Cobb, who is on the BZA board.
Pemberton advised that Anderson and Cobb abstain from any action for or against. Moore made a motion to proceed but it failed on the floor for lack of a second.
A sewer bore bid was received for the property at the intersection of Highway 22 and 89 for the new Quick Mart Truckstop which was approved by the board unanimously.
The next board meeting will be held December 5 at 6 p.m. at Dresden City Hall under the new mayor, Mark Maddox.