Council approves grant fund for radio infrastructure for EPD, EFD, and Street & Sanitation

The Elizabethton City Council approved four different items of business that will bring change to the radio infrastructure for the Elizabethton Police, Fire, and Street & Sanitation Departments during February's City Council regularly-scheduled meeting at Elizabethton City Hall.
 
Council accepted a grant from the Tennessee Violent Crime Intervention Fund for radio infrastructure to join the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network.
 
Over the past year since Carter County has planned to move to the TACN system, the City police and fire departments have been seeking grant funding to add the radio repeater site necessary for city police, fire, street, and sanitation to have the radio coverage necessary to also join the TACN system.
 
The police department applied for and has been awarded a competitive TN Violent Crime Intervention Fund Grant in the amount of $2,000,000. The grant will fund the infrastructure necessary to provide the needed radio coverage in the city.
 
Due to equipment delivery and construction project timeline estimates, it could be 12 to 18 months before this system is up and running.
 
This grant only provides funds for 35 handheld radios. Additional radios will be needed for the police, fire, and street and sanitation to move to this system. The police department and fire department continue to seek other grant funding to purchase the additional radios needed to transition the departments to operate on this system.
 
The remaining number of radios (with estimated pricing) additionally needed is:
84 mobile (vehicle) radios at $4,999 ea = $419,922.72 76
portable (handheld) radios at $4,569.16 ea = $347,256.16 9
base station radios @ $5,220.12 ea = $46,981.08
Total additional radio cost estimated $814,159.96
 
Motorola Solutions currently holds the state contract for radios, repeaters, and infrastructure (Contract Number 424) (Edison ID: 65725).
 
City Council also approved a resolution for the Franklin Pool Renovation Agreement with the Frist Tennessee Development District. The City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department received the CDBG Grant through the First Tennessee Development District (FTDD) to improve Franklin Pool Facility by renovating the pool's surfacing, installing new gutters, installing a heater and a new chlorination system for this community facility.
 
First Tennessee Development District has submitted an agreement with the City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department to render certain technical or professional administrative services for the Franklin Pool Improvements Community Development Block Grant. In plain language, this agreement is for FTDD to serve as a grant administrator for the project.
 
A resolution of support was given by Council for the 2024 RAISE Grant Application. The grant (2024 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant) will be for the Downtown Elizabethton Complete Streets Improvement Project.
 
There are 2 streets involved which are East E Street and East Elk Avenue. In general, this project is to make both of these roadways bi-directional with on-street parking, adding bike lanes, utility improvements, signage, striping, and improving sections of sidewalks and sidewalk ramps to be ADA compliant.
 
In other old business, the Council approved the following:
  • Ordinance to consider on Second Reading and Public Hearing City of Elizabethton 2023/2024 Budget Ordinance Amendment #8 for the General Fund regarding the stormwater line repair behind West Town Shopping Center on Hudson Drive. While this is a much needed repair, this project was not accounted for in the FY2023-2024 budget. As such, a budget amendment will need to be made to account for the project expenditures and allow the contractor to repair the drainage issue. Financial Impact: Increase Repair and Maintenance Expenditures by $314,725 in the General Fund to be funded by Fund Balance.
  • Ordinance to consider on Second Reading and Public Hearing City of Elizabethton 2023/2024 Budget Ordinance Amendment #9 for the General Fund regarding unplanned sponsorships for the Independence Day Celebration and the Covered Bridge Days Jams events.
  • Ordinance to consider on Second Reading and Public Hearing City of Elizabethton 2023/2024 Budget Ordinance Amendment #1 for the Water/Sewer Fund regarding current year vehicle purchases.
In new business, the following items were approved by Council:
  • A resolution to accept Public Entity Partners 2023-2024 James L. Richardson Driver Matching Grant Program for Elizabethton Electric.
  • A resolution to participate in the Public Entity Partners Property Conservation Matching Grant Program for Elizabethton Electric.
  • A resolution to approve a lease agreement proposal between the City of Elizabethton and ClubCar for Golf Carts.
  • A resolution to participate in the Public Entity Partners Cyber Security Matching Grant Program.
  • A resolution to Consider and Support the Submission of a TDOT Transportation Planning Grant for Traffic Signal Timing Updates.
  • A letter of Intent to purchase a 2025 Kenworth T480 with a Roger's Manufacturing Dump Body for the Water Resources department.
  • A resolution to approve annual IT Services contract with Doe River Technology Services.
The council also approved the purchase of traffic signal vehicle detection equipment (intersection of Broad and Lynn) --Engineering Department ($28,500.00) and approved expenses including Bid #603 for a 1000 KVA Pad Mount Transformer for Elizabethton Electric ($70,030.00) bringing the total financial impact to $98,530 for the month of January.
 
Council also gave approval for the following events:
  • Music & Miles Half Marathon. The Goose Chase requests to host this year's Music and Miles Half Marathon on Saturday, May 11, 2024 beginning at 7:30 A.M. The course for this event will remain the same as 2023 with road closure requests at 3rd Street for the start/finish of the race and E. Elk Ave. from the monument to 19-E (right lane closure). Police Department assistance is requested where necessary along with provided volunteers, to help direct traffic and participants safely through intersections. EPD estimates $1980.00 in staffing and overtime. Street Department's estimate is $600.00.
  • First Christian Church Easter Sunday Service. First Christian Church would like to hold their Easter Sunday lawn service on Sunday, March 31, 2024 on the Hattie Avenue side of the church. They are requesting to block a section of Hattie Ave. from E. Doe Ave. to the front of Danny's Auto Glass and Upholstery to ensure the safety of the elderly and children during this service. The requested road closure is from 8 A.M. until 12 P.M. Street Department Cost is estimated at $300.00
  • Friends of the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter - Happy Tails 5K Race. The Friends of the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter is requesting permission to host the "Happy Tails 5K Run/1K Walk" once again this year as a fundraiser to assist the animal shelter. This 5K will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2024 beginning at 2PM and will use the 5K course that has been used each year this event has operated. The Street Department's estimated financial impact is $745.02 in staffing and overtime hours.
The invocation for the February meeting was provided by the Rev. Jody Bewley of Roan Street Church of God in Elizabethton.

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