By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Grayson tourism treasurer Don Combs and board chair Mindy Woods-Click spoke to Grayson city council last week, discussing the hiring of a new tourism director, as well as grant funds and plans for the Blue Goose building.
Combs opened the meeting by introducing the council to the new tourism director Lana Axtell. Axtell, who originally applied for a job running the Blue Goose collective, has a skill set that was actually suited to a wider set of duties, Combs explained. Because of her background and experience, instead of hiring Axtell to run the promotion and administration of that single project, they offered her the job of tourism director. In that role Axtell will work to promote not only the Blue Goose building and its offerings, but tourism in general.
The Blue Goose will be an important hub for that work, though, particularly with the news that tourism has obtained a $191,000 USDA Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) to help aid in renovations to the building. Woods-Click explained that this is in addition to a $25,000 USDA business development grant awarded to Grayson Main Street. In addition to benefiting up to five local businesses financially, the USDA will also provide tailored business assessments and business development advice.
Woods-Click said that with these two grants, and an earlier grant from T-Mobile for the renovation and repair of the library roof, she has experienced a very successful grant writing season.
In sports park news park manager Grant Harper noted that the sports park plans to pour more concrete parking areas, as well as paving some stretches of roadway and installing more curbing and sidewalk space this fall. He said they are trying to schedule that work to coincide with the end of baseball and softball season.
The splash pad, he said, will likely remain open through Labor Day, though it may also be reopened on occasion after that official closing, if temperatures continue to climb throughout the late summer and early fall.
Council and tourism also discussed possible street closures for an Octoberfest event on October 21.
Code enforcement officer Joe Hammer also approached the council with a plan that he believes will encourage more businesses to improve their facades. Hammer suggested abandoning the current sign fee structure, which can be complicated and expensive, in favor of a flat fee of $100 for a street sign for a new business, and a lower $20 fee for a rebrand of existing businesses.
Hammer said he felt lowering the fee, specifically on the rebrand, could encourage more businesses to replace their old, faded, and hard to read signage with newer, more eye-catching signs which would make the town look better.
Council moved to approve a motion to amend the existing sign ordinance to reflect this new fee structure.
In other action council discussed possible repaving projects, the tornado warning siren use the previous week during inclement weather, accepted bids on a truck, and discussed personell issues with police chief Tony Cantrell.
Cantrell told council he would like to consider amending the department’s policy on moonlighting. Currently Grayson police are not allowed to work security jobs at any establishment that serves alcohol. They are also limited in the number of hours they are allowed to work a second job.
Cantrell said while he does not want to change the number of hours that can be worked, which is currently capped at 24 hours, he does wish to reexamine the alcohol policy.
The reason for this is the opening of a casino establishment in the Ashland area, which will be looking to hire off duty law enforcement officers to serve as casino security. The establishment, however, will serve alcohol.
City attorney Jason Greer said that he didn’t see any potential issues with changing the rule as long
as restrictions against working those jobs in their own jurisdiction were included. He said the original rule was enacted after the city approved alcohol sales, in order to prevent potential conflicts of interest from arising when a law enforcement officer might work as a bouncer in the same community where they served.
Cantrell also gave an update on the police dog. Instead of the dog they were previously going to receive, a female Belgian Malinois, the department will now be receiving a male German Shepherd. There will be no other changes in needs, and the kennel and other amenities should still be the same, despite the German Shepherd being a slightly larger breed.
Fire and police also discussed issues with blind spots and accidents caused by large trucks blocking the view near Love’s truck stop, and other accidents along Carol Malone.
Council also discussed side by side and golf cart requirements and permitting requirements, delivery truck parking impeding the flow of pedestrians, animal control needs (see story in this edition), and the city’s audit and staff training in municipal administration.
Councilperson Jennifer McGlone also raised concerns about the city’s procurement policy. McGlone said she would like to see the city implement a policy where a department issues a request, they are then given a purchase order number, and finally bring the bill back to make sure the purchase is approved and documented.
City staff noted that it works this way in most cases, but because of the nature of the fire department, and their volunteer staff, exceptions might have to be made for that department, so that work could be completed when staff was available to work on it – which might not coincide with the city’s regular business hours.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
