Nicky Boyette – Steve Beacham, chair of the Planning Commission, represented a resolution forwarding the Hazard Mitigation Plan developed by Craig Hull of the Osage Group for city council’s consideration Monday night. The resolution states the plan “identifies natural hazards, assesses local priorities and targets specific infrastructure components for strengthening.”
Beacham said the 150-page document identified three hazards in particular: the tunnel underneath downtown, the dam at Black Bass Lake and the sewer and infrastructure issues in town. He said by adopting the plan, the city can chart a direction for addressing these concerns.
The first question from council was from alderman David Mitchell: “Does the plan obligate the city to spend any money?”
Beacham said the plan did not obligate the city to spend anything, and adopting it does open up grant opportunities.
Alderman James DeVito moved to have city attorney Tim Weaver draft a resolution adopting the Hazard Mitigation Plan, and vote was unanimous to approve the motion.
Council was not so fast to adopt another part of Hull’s plan, establishment of an Improvement District. Beacham explained the Improvement District would be a partnership between public and private entities to provide a cooperative and equitable structure to accomplish common goals such as repairing the tunnel downtown which runs underneath both publicly and privately owned properties.
Alderman Terry McClung pointed out the resolution council received from Planning did not clearly establish participation levels for the financial partnership.
Mayor Butch Berry said the Improvement District would be for the five or six property owners from the courthouse down to the Grand Central Hotel, and said once details were ironed out the Improvement District would help identify how the partners could repair the crumbling tunnel beneath them.
Sentiment was the group wanted to hear more explanation from Hull. Berry said he would try to get him to the next meeting, so the topic was tabled.