Monthly meeting sees recognition of firefighters, domestic violence
JACKSON, Tenn. – With the beginning of a new month, it was time for Jackson’s monthly city council meeting.
Tuesday’s city council meeting began with Mayor Scott Conger proclaiming this week as Fire Prevention Week.
Local firefighters joined the meeting and were recognized.
There was also reallocation of funds for the pickleball courts. That cost will be $47,000.
Conger says it turned out to be a bit more than what was budgeted.
“Yeah, so that was in our plan for, I’m trying to remember now, our capital budget. That was our plan for pickleball courts. The cost came back higher than what we originally budgeted for,” Conger said.
This extra money is being moved from a different project that came under budget. The city is also looking for more creative ways to accommodate for housing.
“This is one of the efforts we’ve done over the last several years, and I think we are going to look at more creative ways to do that. Removing parking minimums is one thing we did a couple of years ago. Allowing for residential dwellings to be inside of commercial developments is another one. And then the ADUs as well just to provide those opportunities for attainable housing,” Conger said.
West Tennessee Healthcare requested bond anticipation notes in order to fulfill some renovations and different projects, according to Conger.
“When the revenue isn’t there through the year because the budgets run differently, right, and so your expenses and revenue runs different. So you have to take out bond anticipation notes,” Conger said. “So they are requesting the approval of an additional $80 million in debt because they have some renovations and some different projects going on.”
Conger stated that he thinks the hospital said they have about $320 million in debt.
The Jackson Transit Authority also got approved to purchase a bus wash system.
Conger says this is an upgrade from equipment that has gotten old, and that this was in the planned budget for this year.
Also, at the city council meeting, Conger made another proclamation.
Conger proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the City of Jackson.
This is an effort to encourage residents to support survivors and become part of the efforts to build safe, stable, nurturing relationships and families.
Anyone can call WRAP’s 24-hour crisis line at (800) 273-8712.
Barbara Hobson, the Family Justice Center Project Manager for WRAP, talked about this year’s campaign.
“This year WRAP’s campaign is ‘Wrapped in Support’ because we want survivors to know that they are not alone, that they don’t have to suffer in silence, and that we are here to support them,” Hobson said.
October became National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1987.
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