Newly appointed judicial commissioner Dan Bradfield takes the oath of office from County Clerk Carolyn Lutz.

HUNTINGDON (January 8) Carroll County Commissioners unanimously voted to increase the fee to attend the driving school from the current rate of $50 to a new rate of $75. The school allows ticketed drivers to attend the school and forgive certain citations. County Mayor Kenny McBride said the fee has not been raised since the inception of the program. Based on the average number of annual attendees, the fee will generate another $25,000 for the county's budget.

Commissioner T. Richard Goodwin suggested raising the fee to $100 and earmarking the extra money to hire one to two extra sheriff deputies. In December, the $50 fee generated $4,900 for the county, said Goodwin.

McBride said two additional deputies were hired by the Sheriff Department this fiscal year. He cautioned that a hike to $100 might make the class too expensive, with the ticketed driver opting to pay the fine instead of attending school.

Commissioners appointed Dan Bradfield of McKenzie as one of two county judicial commissioners. Last month, the commission appointed Joe F. Williams of McKenzie to fill the vacancy created by the retiring Al Ownby. Williams, a retired school superintendent, decided not to accept the appointment. Bradfield is a former McKenzie city councilman, who served as liaison to the police department. He is also the owner of McKenzie Feed and Grain. The judicial commissioner position can be performed on an as-needed basis for law enforcement.

Other appointments included: Ray Smith and George Atwood to the Health and Educational Facilities Board with a term ending January 2011.

*Steve Knott, Tommy Crews, Jerry Drewry to the Carroll County Industrial Development Board with terms ending January 2011;

*Clay Dillahunty and George Atwood to the Carroll County Airport Committee with terms ending January 2011;

*Jerry White, Rodney Moore, Jill Holland, Angela Bartholomew, Gaylon Sydnor, Harold Baker, and Tommy Surber to the Carroll County Agricultural Extension Committee with terms ending January 2009;

*notaries elected were: Ramona Reed, Georgia M. Townsend, and Larry F. Harris.

All 21 commissioners were present.

 
HENDERSON COUNTY - (January 5) Carroll County Commissioner Thomas Richard Goodwin, age 55, of Hollow Rock was arrested for driving under the influence by the Tennessee Highway Patrol in Henderson County.

A booking report at the Henderson County Jail indicated Goodwin was arrested for D.U.I. and violation of the implied consent law. He was booked and released on January 5.

No other information was available at press time.

 

Robert Threadgill of GRW Engineers shows Billy Wood, Charles Ramey and Gene Hale the problem areas for storm water infiltration.

MCKENZIE (January 8) McKenzie City Council and members of the McKenzie Water Commission convened in an informal work session to hear possible remedies to the city's sewer system.

McKenzie was placed on moratorium in January 2006, because of storm water infiltration into the sewer system, causing manhole overflows and other similar issues. The moratorium prevents the city from adding new customers to the sewer system until the problems with the system are corrected. Additions to the sewer system are by special permission by the state, such as the recent approval of the new Mexican restaurant, being constructed on Highland Drive.

With the new information, McKenzie City Council is expected to move quickly to solve the problem. Using the $500,000 CDBG grant, the city is expected to authorize G.R.W. Engineers Inc. of Nashville to seek bids to the repair the city's sewer lines in the three geographic areas with hopes of having the work completed in the summer. Once the repairs are complete, the city would ask to be removed from the state's moratorium.

"There are problems in the sewer system that need to be corrected and some of the homeowners are going to have to make changes," said Robert G. Threadgill, Jr. P.E., a representative from G.R.W. engineers of Nashville.

The contractors estimate problems with 97 citizen-owned lateral sewer lines in those identified areas. The city is responsible for the sewer line to the landowner's property line. The property owner is responsible for the remaining service line, known as a lateral. Threadgill said the citizens are responsible for repairing any deficiencies in their service lines. One possible solution is for the city to allow the landowner to repair the line within a specified time after which the city could repair the deficiency and charge it back to the customer, payable over a prescribed period of time.

Threadgill said the estimated cost for the homeowners to make repairs is $800 to $1,000, depending on the length of the pipe to be repaired. Councilwoman Darra Adkins said she paid approximately $1,250 for repairs at her home during a very wet winter season, in which she relocated for four days.

G.R.W. was chosen by the city council to survey the sewer system. G.R.W. inspected McKenzie sewer system in September and October of 2006.

G.R.W. hired contractors to smoke test 50,000 feet of the sewer system. Smoke was inducted into the underground sewer system. Smoke escapes from defects in the system. In areas inspected, all indicated problems such as roots and broken pipes.

There are three areas that the city thought might be more severe sub basins - areas one, two and nine. Sub-basin one is around Como Street, sub-basin two is around Manley street sub basin pump station and sub-basin 9 is near Main and Maple streets.

"At this stage of disintegration, the costs of replacing and repairing the damage to the system average approximately $400,000," Threadgill said.

Threadgill recommends fully inspecting one section of the sewer system each year and making replacements. The system would be completely replaced in 10 years. The state recommends it as well, said Threadgill. He suggested inspecting the entire system every 10 years.

Infiltration is groundwater that gets into the sewer system. The groundwater table rising, on a natural basis, can cause it or rain soaks through ground into the system. With infiltration it takes several hours or even days for the water to get into the system. Inflow is a direct opening in the line and the sewer system will see changes very quickly when it rains.

To do rehabilitation, the city can dig up the old lines and replace them with new ones. That is the most expensive option. Pipe bursting is an option that requires pulling a new pipe through the old and cutting out holes for the service pipes. The final solution is line existing pipes with CIPP, a felt coated with chemicals that when heated cures into a hardened inner-liner than cannot be penetrated by roots. The inner-coating process eliminates the need to dig up pipes.

Standard pricing 5,000 feet is approximately $425,000 or $85 per foot. Pipe bursting costs $325,000 or about $65 per foot. Pipe replacement is approximately $150,000 for 5000 feet or $30 per foot.

"The costs of failing to act can be serious," Threadgill said, "Water running into system will get worse. It increases operating costs. The more water that runs into the system, the more water that has to be treated at the wastewater plant. More water requires more chemicals and electricity to be used." There are also economic costs, he said. A city on moratorium has no growth in communities because no new customers can be added to the system. There is no new income.

It finally gets severe enough that there is a rate shock to homeowners because the city has to pay for it in some way. Only way to pay for it is to borrow money and increase rates for homeowners.