The Greenfield City Board met Tuesday evening to discuss the town’s business, with the most notable items on the agenda focusing on beautifying the downtown area.
After approving the minutes and voting to pay the city’s bills, Mayor Eddie McKelvy announced the city’s sales tax revenue for the month was $33,795.93.
Director of Public Works Tony Stout then told board members he had received a letter from the state informing him that the board has the option of discontinuing the fluoridation of the city’s water.
According to Stout, the letter stated that the majority of citizens currently get plenty of fluoride from toothpaste, and the added fluoride was unnecessary. Stout went on to say that the city could save upwards of $2,000 per year in maintenance and equipment costs by cutting off the fluoride. The board voted to table the discussion until next month.
Fire Chief Bob Dudley presented his monthly report for July during the meeting, announcing the Greenfield Fire Department had 10 calls due to the dry weather and informed everyone that Fire Prevention Month was coming up in October.
Chief Dudley also brought a zoning request before the board from the Lamar Siding Company to erect a large sign in the vacant lot next to Flower’s. Dudley wanted to bring the issue before the board before he signed off on it, citing his belief that the people of Greenfield would not approve.
Rick Williams of the Greenfield Advancement Association announced the Block Party was a big success, and thanked board members for their help.
Williams also announced the GAA would like to have another fundraiser in the form of a cookout on Front Street the first Friday in September, and potentially have an outdoor movie showing later on in the month, which would be free to attend.
The board then heard from Randy McKinnon of TLM Associates, Inc., an architecture and engineering firm out of Jackson, about potential grants for the renovation of the downtown area. TLM, who did the work in Martin, plans on assisting the city with grant applications.
McKinnon advised the council that the most important thing was to “get moving and get in line” with the applications so that the city would be ready to start the improvements when the state approved grants in the coming years.
The grants the city would be applying for are 80/20 matching grants, meaning that the city would only have to pay for 20 percent of the project, with the state furnishing the remaining 80 percent.
The council then voted to move forward with McKinnon on creating a master plan for the grant application process and the eventual “beautification” of the city.
Bill McCall, coach of the Greenfield High School tennis team, asked board members about the potential construction of a tennis court on the land behind the press box. McCall respectfully requested that the council pursue grant monies for the project.
McCall was supported by Frank Gibson, who stated that there were a number of opportunities to obtain grant monies, as well as private donations, which could assist in the construction of tennis courts, not only for the schools’ tennis teams, but for the general public.
“The worst thing that could happen,” said Gibson, “is that everyone would say ‘no.’”
The board took the words of McCall and Gibson into consideration and moved to form a committee to pursue the grant monies and the acquisition of a site for the proposed tennis courts, consisting of McCall, Gibson, and Greenfield Alderman Troy Jones.
With no more business to discuss, the council adjourned.
The Greenfield City Council meets in Greenfield City Hall the second Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m.
Editor’s note: Logan Watson is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin.

WCP 8.16.12