Mayor reports school remediation, sidewalk easement costs; Enbridge pipeline progress announced

County Mayor McCall updated commissioners on recent public-works and facilities items, reporting that remediation work at Ward School for lead-based paint and asbestos was finished this week and that painting work on Broadway will be matched to existing finishes.

The mayor said the Tennessee Department of Transportation notified the county it failed to secure easements for a proposed multimodal sidewalk running from the depot to McMurray, and that TDOT is seeking additional funding to obtain easements on roughly 10 properties at about $11,000 each.

On a separate infrastructure matter, the mayor and Commissioner Jeremy reported that Enbridge is about 60% complete on pipeline installation and anticipates an open-house event for the public on June 22 to showcase progress at the pump station. Commissioner Landon raised a question about whether the county could lease space on an Enbridge-erected tower to host sheriff's department equipment as a lower-cost option; the mayor said details about equipment placement and leases would need to be explored by staff.

The mayor also said engineers and a representative from Tema continue discussions about the potential jail site next to the fire hall. No public comments were offered on these items during the meeting.