By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Fall events, golf carts, and storm water were all up for discussion when Grayson City Council met in regular session last Tuesday, August 12. During the public comment section of the meeting the council heard from city residents in the area of Landsdowne and Third Street about storm water that did not drain properly and adversely affected their property. Residents Steve and Suzie Duncan told the council about a depression in the road toward Hord Street and two storm drains, one of which was at the edge of their property.
“Every time it rains, the grates (on the storm drains) fill up with leaves and sticks,” Duncan told the council.
Duncan said that 20 years prior he had installed a 24-inch culvert pipe on the property, so drainage should not be a problem. But the grating being obstructed caused water to overflow onto his property.
“It ends up being a foot or more deep across the road,” he said, and often ends up in his garage.
Duncan posed as a solution that, while the paving for the water line project was underway, perhaps an additional concrete storm drain could be added to maintain the flow of storm water and eliminate back up. Grayson Mayor Troy Combs agreed that it would be an effective solution and suggested the possibility of changing the grade of the road slightly while the project was still being finished. The council agreed to look into further possible solutions.
Also on the agenda was a report from Grayson Tourism Director Lana Axtell who spoke to the council about upcoming tourism events. Axtell said the main focus was preparing for the city’s annual Octoberfest event.
“We have some new things for Octoberfest this year,” she said. “There will be the Hocus Pocus Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Baptist Church.”
The breakfast, she said, is planned to be held at the cafeteria of Prichard Elementary, but tourism is waiting on final approval for that location.
“We have also added a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party,” Axtell told the council.
Other events planned for Octoberfest are a cornhole tournament, pending the ability to secure enough boards to play multiple games, and a kid’s gaming area, Axtell said.
“There are a lot of moving pieces still,” she told the council. “But we are really excited for this year.”
Grayson utilities director Gerald Haney spoke to the council and gave an update on the city water pipe replacement project. The current project is winding down and is ahead of schedule to meet its September completion date. Haney provided maps and photographs highlighting the progress of the project to council and informed them that all the pipe had been placed.
“Everything that was going to be put in the ground for the water project has been done,” Haney told the council.
Haney also informed the council that all the old cast iron water pipes had been ‘retired.’ “Decommissioned after 94 years,” he noted.
“It has been tied in and tested,” Haney said of the new lines. “They have to replace some sidewalks, and there will be some cleanup. But for the most part, this will probably be the last week they have a full crew here. We are thinking we are still going to be replacing a segment on Fourth Street,” he added.
There is also a sewer project in that area, but the commission is still waiting for a change order to move forward with that project.
“As soon as we get that (the change order) we will give them the go ahead to start on that,” Haney said. “And at that point we will be able to move forward with the overlay paving. We are still projecting the first or second week of September for completion.”
The overlay on the roadway, Haney said, will be a full two inches of pavement on the roadway where the water project lines were installed. It will also include what Haney referred to as a ‘keyway’ milling, which is essentially blending the new roadway into an existing roadway in certain areas.
The council also discussed passing an ordinance concerning street legal special purpose vehicles. Typically, those vehicles are ATV’s, UTV’s, and Mini Trucks.
“These vehicles will have to be street legal and compliant with all regulations,” Mayor Combs reminded the council during the discussion.
One concern brought up by council members was the noise level of some of these types and models of vehicles, and the possibility of requiring individuals operating these types of vehicles to wear helmets.
The council is considering formulating an ordinance that will deal with how these vehicles operate within the city limits and vote on it at a later date. Combs added that there have been a large number of calls to his office in support of special purpose vehicles, and the council will consider this in formulating any ordinance. Currently Carter County is actively licensing such vehicles that pass inspection and pertinent regulations.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
