Coffee County Highway Commission hears updates on paving, mowing, quarry traffic and schedules July meeting for July 8

The Coffee County Highway Commission approved its meeting agenda and May minutes, then moved into routine operational updates from highway staff, who reported on mowing, patching and paving priorities.

Staff said they completed one mowing round and started a second while adjusting routes to address recurring over- or under-mowing on some runs. Crews patched a section of Fred Lusk where wet material under the road required removal and a rebuild; staff said they plan hot-mix paving when weather permits.

Commissioners and staff noted increased dump-truck traffic from a reopened quarry (identified in the transcript as supplying a cement plant in Manchester), which has placed additional stress on certain bridges and led to concerns about weight limits and bridge condition. Staff reported ditching and tile cleaning to reduce flooding risk in several locations and said they had removed large debris from drainage tiles.

Devil's Backbone was added to the paving list and staff assigned flagging duties; commissioners said limited funds must be spent before the fiscal-year change on June 30. Commissioners who attended a conference in Gatlinburg described discussions about possible county funding approaches (including proposals to return a portion of real-estate transfer fees to counties) but said those proposals did not yield new county revenue this year.

The commission discussed trimming brush at intersections (examples cited: Casey and Riggsby, Shady Grove) to improve sightlines and noted that some mailbox damage has resulted from mowing operations; where damage occurred on state roads, contractors are expected to return to make repairs. The chair urged residents to report accidents so state agencies can consider roads for safety grants; commissioners said state grants and safety surveys in the past have funded chevron and curve sign installations on prioritized roads.

The commission set its July meeting for July 8 at 3:00 p.m. at the administrative plaza (moved from July 1 because several members will be out that week) and adjourned on a motion seconded by Jeff.