WM rezoning to increase tax collections

By DONNA RYDER
Associate Editor
The City of Woodland Mills can be expecting at least an additional $300 in property taxes each year after deciding to rezone a piece of property from residential to commercial.
Mayor Wade Carrington began discussion on the matter, saying some things were said at the last public hearing and one of those was that the warehouse to be located on the lot would not bring the city any taxes. That statement was apparently made by alderman Waymon Reagan, who clarified that he meant to say sales tax.
Carrington continued by saying the property tax, conservatively, would be $308 per year, plus personal property tax. “I just wanted to get that clear,” he said, adding, right now, the property tax is $8 per year.
The mayor said he wished to thank the members of the planning and zoning committee who volunteered, taking time out of their schedules for two meetings to listen to those for and against the rezoning of two separate pieces of property.
He said “majority rule” voted not to recommend the Quinton property for rezoning, but did vote in favor of rezoning property for Lanny Warren from residential to warehouse commercial.
Carrington said the city “went to bat” to for the Mount Herman community when it received a $500,000 Community Development Grant to rehab the neighborhood and the city must also “stand up for businesses.”
“The businesses are just as important as residents,” he said, adding, “I think we ought to rezone. If we don’t do it, I think we’re sending a message to other businesses (to not located in Woodland Mills.)”
Carrington said there will always be people who are against a business going in.
Reagan said he doesn’t disagree, but he doesn’t agree with the way things were done or the follow-up on it. “I have nothing against Mr. Warren,” he said, adding the board never told him the property would be rezoned and, at the time, did not have a zoning board like it should have.
“Every citizen of Mount Herman came here to protest against the rezone. It’s the same reason we had for not rezoning the property down here (the Quinton property located near City Hall.) It’s the same reason and it’s not right (to rezone the Warren property.)
“I will vote my feeling. I was elected to serve the community for the betterment of the people. The heritage of this city is right there in Mount Herman. We spent $500,000 to fix it up and now you want to put a building up (and hide it.),” Reagan said.
The board then voted on the motion to rezone the property, with Carrington and alderman Tom Menees voting for the rezone and Reagan voting against it. A public hearing and second reading have been set for Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.
Minutes from the planning and zoning committee are on file at City Hall.
In other business, after the meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Carrington and in prayer by Reagan, the board:
• Decided to renew CDs for 60 months in order to receive a higher interest rate. Should money be needed, the city will only lose a small percentage of interest.
• Approved financial statements including total assets of $543,840.90 in the sewer fund and $113,050.52 in the general fund, both ending Sept. 30, and $6,529.75 in the street aid fund, $7,089 in the refuse collection fund, $545,515.28 in the sewer fund and $110,482.07 in the general fund ending Oct. 31.
• Learned Hale Construc-tion has been contacted, but has not sent someone, to look at the damage to the Civic Center. Someone ran a vehicle into the building and did not report the damage.
• Was informed $2,500 will have to be spend on the lift station. There was discussion of getting a bigger pump, but maintenance employee Perry Carr said the “whole deal” would have to be changed to get larger pump. The board also discussed the preventative maintenance performed on the station, as well as how often it needs to be calibrated.
• Set the Dec. 13 meeting for 5:30 p.m., with the business appreciation dinner to follow.
• Heard Bill Sowell had asked about the city limits sign coming from Hickman, Ky. A state mower hit it several years ago and damaged it. Reagan said he and Carr are looking into it, but that the ground is too hard to place one there now.
• Learned Gibson Electric has been contacted about a street light, which was requested by Taunda Bellamy. The company said there is one on the pole now where she was requesting it and they could replace the arm with a longer one, but it is not believed it will provide any more light than what it there now. Electric company officials suggested a light could be placed on a pole at Mt. Herman Baptist Church, if it is OK with church officials.
• Was informed Union City is repairing a place on the roadway brought to the attention of the board by Ms. Bellamy at a previous meeting.
• Heard ruts left at one of the homes in the Mount Herman area during construction have been fixed.
• Agreed to give employees a $200 Christmas bonus.
• Learned from Bedford Dunavant of Union City Insurance that the city has done everything it needs to do in regards to flood insurance. The matter has been turned over to the Federal Emergency Management Agency by Tennessee and the city is awaiting a letter stating it is a participating community.
• Learned Barbara Bolden may wish to purchase property turned over to Woodland Mills by Obion County which did not sell in a recent tax sale. Carr said she has expressed the interest in order to keep the property in the family. She may also have plans to build a pavilion to be used during family gatherings. Carrington said it may be possible for the city to get a parks grant to build there, unless she specifically wanted to purchase the property because it once belonged to her family.
• Was quizzed by Reagan about some property he read about in previous city meeting minutes, including property which had been donated to the city by Allen Searcy and then sold; property already zoned commercial, which was later requested to be rezoned commercial; a property rezone which was tabled and never revisited; and city-owned property which has been zoned and rezoned several times. Carrington replied, “That was before my time.”

Published in The Messenger 11.9.10

Print