Smyrna council workshop previews consent items: fiber replacement, sidewalk addendum, greenway signage grant and sewer ordinance updates

At the Smyrna town council workshop, staff reviewed consent-agenda items and administrative actions the council will consider at its upcoming meeting.

Staff described Item 1 as authorization for the mayor to execute an amendment for CEI (construction engineering and inspection) services tied to the ITS Phase 3–5 project. The work covers replacement of aging Murfreesboro GIS fiber along Lowry Street, and staff said TDOT authorized roughly $250,000 to be included in the ITS budget to replace the line; the replacement fiber will run from Sam Griffin to town hall.

Item 2 would authorize Addendum 2 with Kimberly Horn for the Old Nashville Highway sidewalk project, adding $19,500 to pay for boundary surveys and to secure easements needed to build sidewalks between Enid Springs and Rock Springs Road. Staff said state funds are involved and characterized the project’s funding split as an earlier 90/10 structure that evolved into an approximate 80/20 split.

Item 3 is a $23,482 contract from the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial to revitalize historical signage along the Smyrna Greenway: the town would replace 53 existing panels and install six new trailhead markers with no local match required. Staff said fabrication is estimated at about six to eight weeks and installation is expected to be completed by town staff around June 2026.

Separately, utilities staff explained proposed updates to the town’s sewer-use ordinance requested by the state following a TDEC pretreatment audit. Staff said the redlined changes largely update referenced codes and language to align with state requirements rather than creating new industrial-pretreatment obligations; a question from council sought whether the changes address previous industrial issues and staff replied they are primarily language/code updates.

In an announcement outside the consent agenda, utilities staff reported an emergency purchase of two flash-mix units at the water plant from Guthrie Sales and Service for $39,866 after repeated oil leaks rendered the units unrecoverable; staff said the equipment is part of the coagulation/pretreatment process and the purchase is necessary to restore normal operations.

Several items on the workshop packet were procedural or informational (a proposed annexation and PRD zoning request was withdrawn shortly before the meeting) and the second reading to adopt the 2024 International Fire Code was noted as unchanged since the prior review. Staff will place these items on the council meeting agenda; no formal votes were recorded in the workshop transcript.