| Dresden focuses on traffic issues |
By: Mary Jean Hall, Press Staff
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Posted: Friday, September 7, 2012 3:45 pm
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The Dresden Board of Mayor and Aldermen narrowly passed an ordinance to prohibit heavy vehicle traffic on most streets.
According to Dresden Mayor Danny Forrester, a similar ordinance was discussed about 12 years ago.
The ordinance would essentially prohibit any tractor-trailer, or any category of truck with a Gross Value Weight in excess of 10,000 pounds, from operating on any street in Dresden other than on Morrow Street, Main Street or any street designated as a state or federal highway.
According to Forrester, exceptions would occasionally be made for the heavy vehicles that need to make deliveries in residential areas. Exceptions would also be made for emergency vehicles, school buses, and vehicles owned or operated by the city, public utilities, any contractor or material’s handler which is and while engaged in the repair, maintenance or construction of streets, street improvements, utilities, or sanitation collection within the city.
The purpose of the ordinance is to solve the problem where evidently, the heavy vehicle traffic creates a safety hazard and results in increased maintenance and repair costs for the streets.
“It’s hard not to make that turn,” Alderman Donnie Essary said regarding on of the streets that the “heavy trucks” would have to turn on.
The ordinance passed 3-2, with Aldermen Jake Bynum and Essary voting against it.
The board also approved Ordinance 2013-04, which would adopt a policy on the repair of drainage problems on private property within the city limits of Dresden.
The ordinance resulted in residents requesting assistance in repairing drainage problems on private and public properties within the city limits.
The ordinance states that a drainage problem exists along Pikeview Street and affects the properties owned by Buck Hurt, Weakley County Gas & Oil, Lynn Arnold, Jesse Garner, and Jimmy Dilday.
The West Tennessee River Basin Authority has studied the project and has developed a design to solve the persistent drainage problem. The estimated total cost is $99,115.
The city of Dresden would only pay for up to 25 percent of the total project cost, and the rest of the cost would be up to the property owners.
The city is also looking for grants that can be applied to the project to help with the expenses.
According to the city attorney, if the water continuously backed up like it is in that location, it could possibly open the city up to be liable.
The problem doesn’t lie with the roads; it lies with the water. The state isn’t responsible to fix the problem because it is city water that is overflowing onto a state road.
The drainage ordinance passed the board 4-1, with Richard Tidwell voting against it.
There should be a public hearing during the next meeting regarding the ordinance.
The board will also be pursuing easements from the property owners between now and the next meeting.
The board started the bidding process for the construction of a farmer’s market.
In order to get a grant from the USDA, the bidding process must be started by Oct. 1 and construction must be complete by Oct. 1, 2013.
The board decided to re-open the bidding process for the paving bids.
They also approved $500 to be donated to the Weakley County Crime Stoppers program and $250 to be donated to the Dresden Middle School Lion’s Den Store.
The next meeting of the Dresden Board of Mayor and Aldermen is Oct. 1 at Dresden City Hall.
WCP 9.06.12
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