At the March 27 meeting the Sewanee Community Council reviewed and approved the selection of five council members and two community representatives to serve on the Project Funding Committee, charged with reviewing and recommending community enhancement projects for funding. The council also discussed the implications of a renewed effort to locate a quarry in the Greenhaw community, and reviewed meeting dates for the 2017–18 academic year.

At the discretion of the council, the Project Funding program awards up to $10,000 annually for community enhancement projects. At the January meeting, the council decided a council member should chair the review committee, and the committee should, in addition, consist of four council members and two community members. Council members Annie Armour, Flournoy Rogers, Theresa Shackelford and Charles Whitmer will join council member Pixie Dozier, who agreed to serve as chair.

“No community members responded to the call for committee members,” Dozier said, “so I did some inquiring on my own.” Dozier enlisted St. Andrew’s-Sewanee teacher Jennifer Bachman, and Elizabeth Koella, who was raised in Sewanee, to serve as community representatives. Sarah Marhevsky, chair for the last two years, will serve as ex officio advisor.

Armour brought to the council’s attention the renewed efforts of Tinsley Asphalt to establish a rock quarry in the Greenhaw community at the foot of the mountain. Tinsley’s efforts in 2008 to have the property rezoned to accommodate the business failed.

“Tinsley brought the rezoning question before the Franklin County Commission again last month,” Armour said, “but the vote was postponed.”

Council representative Shackelford said the asphalt company was “just one commissioner short of having enough votes to pass the rezoning request.”

Armour reminded the council that subsequent to approval of the rezoning request “property adjoining the University domain could easily be rezoned to industrial.”

On the suggestion of council representative David Coe, the council will invite Sewanee’s Franklin County Commissioners Johnny Hughes and Helen Stapleton to the May 22 meeting to discuss the implications of the renewed Greenhaw rezoning effort.

The council approved a 2017–18 meeting schedule of Aug. 28, Oct. 30, Jan. 22, March 26 and May 21. The council will meet on the intervening months if council business dictates a need.

Council member Barbara Schlichting announced the Trustees Community Relations Committee meeting with council members scheduled for 4:30 p.m., April 27. Community members should contact their council representatives by April 20 to have issues added to the discussion agenda. The public is invited to a community-wide meet and greet with the trustees at 5:30 p.m. the same day, at the American Legion Hall. For planning purposes, an RSVP is appreciated. Contact Tanner Potts by email at <tlpotts@sewanee.edu>.