The DeKalb County Commission Monday night voted to exercise an option to purchase the old Fina Market building at the corner of South Mountain Street and Meadowbrook Drive as the future home of the DeKalb County Ambulance Service.
County Mayor Mike Foster says the purchase price of the building is $125,000.
The ambulance service, for the last several years, has been located on Highway 56 north in Smithville but Foster says the building is too small for today’s needs and is in need of repair. ” We looked at 27 pieces of property, trying to find a suitable place to relocate the ambulance service. The building we’re using now is very small and in need of repair, the septic system is causing problems, and the building is only big enough to shelter two units (ambulances) and they need a place to shelter five units.
Sumner Regional Medical Center is under contract with the county to operate the ambulance service for $163,000 per year, and the county, which owns the ambulances, buys a new one each year. This year’s budget includes $80,000 for the purchase of a new ambulance.
Foster says Sumner Regional has agreed to buy an ambulance this year and let the county use the $80,000 budgeted for a new unit to go toward the purchase of the building. Foster says the existing ambulance service building on the Cookeville highway could be sold at auction and the money from the sale used to help fund the purchase of the new location. The remaining money needed for repairs and updates could be borrowed if it is not available in the budget. Sumner Regional has also agreed to pay the county monthly rent on the building in the amount of $1,500.
According to Foster, the old Fina Market building would meet the county’s needs. “The building is 125 feet long and 40 feet wide and is situated on three lots that are 300 feet along Meadowbrook Drive and 137 to 150 feet wide in depth. The building has a roof on it that is four years old. The two central systems are four years old. It has two bathrooms and a kitchen in it. We’ll have to do some modifications on it and submit our plans to the city planning commission for approval. The building is almost perfectly situated and suited for this because it’s on a four lane highway and the ambulance service, by agreement, will not run sirens until they get away from the building and into the major intersections to protect the neighborhood.
In other business, the commission voted to purchase emergency license plates for volunteer firefighters and members of the Rescue Squad who meet certain conditions. Foster says this is a small token of appreciation from the county to them. “To show our appreciation to our volunteers who work for the county, including the volunteer firemen for the City of Smithville, Alexandria, Liberty, Dowelltown, and the volunteer firemen from DeKalb County and the Rescue Squad, we would like for the county to purchase one emergency license plate for each volunteer fireman and rescue squad member who has completed one year of service and training and who meets the requirements of their department chief. A list will be supplied to the county by the department chief each year. They cannot serve for one year and then sit out forever and still get the free license plate.”
The commission also voted to apply to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for water line extensions by the DeKalb Utility District to serve over 131 people in the Marshall Medlin Road, Pumpkin Hollow, Alexandria to Dismal, and Henley Hollow area and the Dry Creek, Possum Hollow, and Frazier Hollow area. If approved, the grant will be funded at no cost to DeKalb County. The DUD will pay the 10% matching obligation. The project cost will actually exceed the amount of the grant, but the DUD has committed to seek a Rural Development Grant and Loan combination to complete the project.
The commission also adopted a budget amendment in the amount of $306,532 as federal grant pass through funds for a six mile, six inch water line replacement in the Johnson’s Chapel community, which will include the addition of nine or ten fire hydrants.
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