Council tables residential annexations, amends cemetery ordinance
Annexation dominated Madison City Council’s meeting on May 24. RECORD PHOTOS/GREGG L. PARKER
MADISON – “The good news is that we are growing. The bad news is the credit card is almost full,” District 4 Councilman Mike Potter said.
Potter was referring to revenue shortage for Madison City Schools (MCS) and needed city funding, dominating discussion at Madison City Council’s May 24 meeting.
“Citizens of Madison need to soul search on how we’re going to pay for our future. If we don’t, the wheels are going to fall off the Cadillac,” Potter said.
David Hergenroeder with Madison Board of Education said campuses will be 97 to 98 percent full for 2016-2017 school year. “We’re down (in revenue). We’re in the red. Everyone needs to be involved with the income problem,” Hergenroeder said.
The school board “is eliminating teachers that we would keep otherwise. We’re making hard decisions,” Hergenroeder said. “We’re asking for a moratorium on annexation of non-commercial property and rezoning of residential property … until we have an income stream for adding a new elementary school.”
Concerned parents echoed Hergenroeder and asked why the city continues to annex property that can cause problems to residents.
District 5 Councilman Tommy Overcash’s motion later passed to table annexations.
“Even if we stop annexation, it’s not going to solve the problem,” Council President Tim Holcombe said, referring to hundreds of acres already rezoned for residential development.
Council amended cemetery grounds regulations. City Attorney Kelly Butler stated any existing flag pole permanently and properly installed as of (May 24) will be allowed. A monument was defined as “one piece” that covers any number of graves, in reference to shepherd hooks for plants and flowers. Residents can place temporary wreaths for one week before/after a holiday.
As of June 1, Public Works can remove any prohibited items listed in the ordinance. Mayor Troy Trulock wants to consider additional members for Madison Municipal Cemeteries Committee.
Council paid several bills:
* Madison recreation complex — $9,275, Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon Inc., engineering site work.
* County Line Road — $27,265.87, Littlejohn, construction engineering and inspection.
* Library construction — $23,377.04, Holzheimer Bolek & Meehan, architectural/engineering services; $5,650, OMI Inc., geotechnical services; and $5,500, surveying.
* Herbicide — $35,300, ChemPro.
Council approved requests for on-premise alcohol for Casa Blanca’s new owner, 140 Browns Ferry Road and Uncle Maddio’s Pizza, 8048 U.S. 72 W.
Trulock re-appointed Elbert Balch to his slots on Madison Station Historic Preservation Commission and Madison Municipal Cemeteries Committee.
Wesley Grigsby with Police Benevolent Association discussed employee retention concerns.
