| Martin annexes new WCMES location |
By: Sabrina Bates, Chief Staff Writer
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 11:47 am
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Annexation ordinances rounded out old business for the City of Martin Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its formal monthly board meeting Monday evening.
After hearing no public input during the public hearings for three ordinances to annex and rezone property along Hwy. 22, board members passed the ordinances unanimously.
The first ordinance was a request to annex approximately 17.8 acres into the corporate boundaries of the City of Martin. The property will house the new central location for the Weakley County Municipal Electric System off of Hwy. 22.
The second ordinance provided zoning services for the annexed property while the third ordinance adopted a Plan of Services for the annexed region.
Department heads reported what the board considered “good news” as they crunch numbers to balance the budget.
Martin Police Chief David Moore, Public Works Director Billy Wagster, Parks and Recreation Director Brian Moore and Martin Economic Development Director Kimberly Craddock announced they were all “under budget” for this recent fiscal year.
Martin Fire Chief Russell Schwahn reported his department was currently working on the budget.
“I’ll give some back to the City actually,” Wagster said to the board.
Alderman Terry Hankins commented that was good news to hear from the department heads, to know the City was currently operating under budget projections.
In other board news, aldermen appointed Hollie Holt and Larry Alexander to serve a four-year term with the Weakley County Economic Development Board.
The first reading of an amendment to the city’s current noise ordinance passed Monday evening.
Recent noise complaints against two fraternity houses located in a residential neighborhood off of the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin sparked the idea of introducing sound detection equipment by the MPD for the purpose of determining noise violations.
The equipment would measure noise levels in decibels.
A violation would be considered a 10dBA reading during daytime hours and 5 dBA at nighttime. The noise ordinance stipulates the following exemptions from violations:
• Noise from emergency signaling devices;
• Noise from an exterior burglar alarm of any building provided such burglar alarm shall terminate its operations within five minutes of its activation;
• Noise from domestic power tools, lawn mowers and agricultural equipment;
• Sound from church bells and chimes when a part of a religious observance or service;
• Noise from construction activity provided all motorized equipment used in such activity is equipped with functioning mufflers;
• The generation of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the existence of an emergency;
• The generation of sound in the performance of emergency work or
• Noise generated from municipally sponsored or approved celebrations or events.
A public hearing for the amendment to the noise ordinance is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on Monday, June 8.
In resolution news, the City has adopted an annual National Missing Children’s Day recognized on May 25.
This is the first year the City of Martin has adopted the state’s “Take 25” program which asks resident to take 25 minutes to help children stay safe.
According to the resolution, there is an estimated average of 2,200 children reported missing to law enforcement agencies daily.
The recovery rate for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has grown from 62 percent in 1990 to 96 percent of domestically missing children.
As a partnership with the county’s Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, the City will observe National Missing Children’s Day beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 22.
The MPD will provide free fingerprinting for children at the Wal-Mart Supercenter that day. The public is invited to participate.
The Martin Board of Mayor and Aldermen will meet again for an informal session at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.
5.14.09
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