By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Grayson City Council began its regular scheduled meeting last Tuesday, July 14, with the public comments section, hearing concerns over individual fireworks displays within the city limits. The council was presented with video evidence of a large display that had been set off, with falling debris striking several homes near where the display was set off. The time stamp on the video clearly showed that the display occurred after the deadline stipulated in the city noise ordinance.
The council assured the concerned citizens that the matter would be examined to see what could be done to prevent both the noise and property damage in the future. Steps taken could include an updated ordinance that could include fines for violations. Said fines could be levied against the offending parties, as well as increased fines applied for repeat violations. One possible solution discussed was requiring anyone wishing to set off fireworks within the city limits to purchase a permit through the city. Property damage, regardless of any existing ordinance, could be addressed through the court system.
In other business, Grayson Utilities Director Gerald Haney presented updates on utility projects to the city council.
“We had applied for a bunch of grants over the past year or so,” Haney told the council. “One of the grants we found out recently we have been approved for was an ARC (Appalachian Regional Commission) Grant.”
The grant, Haney said, was $412,000, with matching funds of $103,000 required.
“What that is going to do is allow us to paint three of the steel tanks,” Haney told the council. “We have seven storage tanks, and three of them are the steel tanks. They (the steel tanks) will get repainted, and we are going to put emergency generators at two of the pump stations.”
Haney said the first of the three tanks in question was the tank located on Paradise Hill.
“It is the most visible on you can see,” Haney told the council. “There isn’t much surface area, but the word ‘Grayson’ is painted on it.”
Haney said the last time the tank was painted was in 2014 and has been at that location since 1971. The tank holds 60,000 gallons of water and provides pressure to Paradise Hill and the western portion of Grayson, Haney said.
A short distance down the road from this tank is another steel water tank with a 300,000-gallon capacity as well as a concrete tank, Haney said. That will be the second steel tank to be repainted, having previously been painted in 2011.
“The third steel tank to be repainted is on the east part of Main Street,” Haney told the council. “It was also painted in 2011, but it needs repainting more than the others because it is starting to show rust and is down to the primer.”
Haney also informed the council of other grants the utilities commission had submitted.
“A couple of other items we have submitted for are a water line replacement on US 60, and a new line on B and L Lane,” Haney said. “The other one is a FEMSA (Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association) Grant for safety. So, we are doing some stuff so we can locate gas lines better.”
Haney told the council that, if the grant was approved, the work would entail adding GPS (Global Positioning System) to the lines and adding a transmitter as well.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
