by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the March 27 meeting, the Monteagle Town Council approved a contract establishing a canine drug-search program and the police department switching from using .357 Magnums to 9mm pistols. The council heard from Adam Hughes with Save Our Cumberland Mountains about the efficacy of adopting the Jackson Law to regulate dumping and solid waste facilities.

Police Chief William Raline stressed the drug dog was trained to alert on fentanyl, heroine, and methamphetamine, not marijuana. Money in the drug fund from confiscated cash and vehicles would pay for the program for three years, Raline said. He anticipated future drug arrests facilitated by the dog would pay for the program beyond that time, noting for the former owner dog-facilitated arrests yielded $80,000 in the first six months. Raline said the dog was a non-aggressive breed, “very docile,” and trained for tracking to search for children.

Raline recommended the police switch from using .357 Magnums to using 9mm pistols, explaining .357s were more expensive for practice and training due to the ammunition cost. Mayor Greg Maloof said 9mm pistols “appeared to be a safer and more practical weapon and ammunition program for our city.” The money to fund the weapons “swap” will come from the police Machinery and Equipment budget. The council approved an amount not to exceed $2,500.

Hughes said adopting the Jackson Law would allow the town to block or accept the creation or enlargement of landfills and solid waste processing facilities within one mile of the city limits. “There’s no downside,” Hughes emphasized. Maloof recommended the town “consider” adopting the law.

Turning to utilities concerns, the council approved Monteagle engineer Travis Wilson’s recommendation for core sample testing of the concrete basin at the water plant, cost $33,000, before proceeding with recoating the basin. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued Monteagle a Notice of Violation requiring the town to address the “peeling” surface coating. “You wouldn’t want to spend $60,000-$70,000 to line the basin and find out it’s not going to adhere and will peel off due to degradation or a chemical process going on inside the concrete,” Wilson said. The core sample will provide information on what material to use for the resurfacing. The basin was critical to the water plant’s operation, Wilson insisted. If it failed, Monteagle would have no water.

Updating the council on the TV camera inspection done to identify inflow and infiltration of rainwater into the sanitary sewer, Wilson said the contractor who did the inspection reported “it was one of the worst systems they had televised.” ARP grant money will pay for the repair. Asked about sewer capacity concerns with new development coming, Wilson said sewer rehabilitation could be done “within a year” once the grant funding was received.

The council also approved $500 for Tennessee Tourism Organization dues and $2,800 for the Street Department garage to increase the electric service from 100 amps to 200 amps to facilitate charging batteries for power tools.

In “new business” the council approved an ordinance governing accessory dwelling units; an ordinance allowing businesses to have side and front loading rather than a rear setback to accommodate loading; and an ordinance extending the time for site plan review to one month.

The council announced the following events: Easter Egg Hunt at 1 p.m., April 1, Hannah Picket Park; Monteagle Cemetery cleanup at 7 a.m., April 1, and 2 p.m., April 2; Fresh Mess farmers market Mondays at Harton Park, 4–6 p.m., beginning May 15; and Sparkle Week, May 15-19. The Monteagle Cemetery is taking bids for lawn maintenance. See the Monteagle website for details.