Chick-fil-A contribution, Bemis Trail Project among agenda items during city council meeting
JACKSON, Tenn. — The Jackson City Council wrapped up their April meeting Tuesday morning. There were many considerations on the board including a development contribution for a fast food restaurant, a contract for a new project, plus more.
A $350,000 development contribution was made for the new Chick-fil-A on Emporium Drive. This was the second reading for this contribution and it did pass-clearing a major move forward.
“For their speed of development and our ability to make some adjustments to that intersection it was easier for them to give us the dollar amount of what they projected the cost would be for improvements of that area. We are not going to correct it. There’s a lot of traffic over there, but we can make some minor improvements,” said Scott Conger, City of Jackson Mayor.
The council also moved forward on appropriating more than $113,000 in bond proceeds and re-appropriating almost $203,000 in bond proceeds.
Bond money is taxpayer money. Today, the city council had to fix how some of that money was allocated, citing typos in the original paperwork. It’s a small correction, but a big price tag attached.
“There were several of them. There is no new money. It was when you put that many projects I think one of them was missed and so the money was just sitting. So moving some things around. Some proceeds that were not appropriated where they should’ve been so we’re just cleaning that up,” said Conger.
However, Mayor Conger says this will not add to the total amount.
“There may be some place where a project that was given a proposal two years ago may be a little more, so we have to come back and do that, but we won’t add anymore to the total amount. It’ll be some moving around,” said Conger.
The city is also moving forward with a contract to purchase land for a trail.
The Bemis Trail Project would bring new green space and trail access to Jackson, with the cost per acre being $37,000.
“You’re looking at a landing spot parking lot in Bemis to start. Then we will redo the municipal parking lot next to Hub City Brewing and there will be a connection from there to Bemis on the abandoned railway. It’ll be a greenway,” said Conger.
The city is moving forward to re-appropriate $25,000 to the ballpark for supplies and services and Conger says this was already budgeted for.
During the meeting, the city also had several proclamations and recognition’s. Those including: the Jackson Fire Department commendations, Child Abuse Prevention Month proclamation, Sexual Assault Awareness Month proclamation, Equal Pay Day proclamation, and a Jackson Arts Council update.
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