Baxter will build a new building to store salt, a roughly $140,000 project.
Alderman Dustin Stanton said the city had been storing salt in a barn. Stanton said the salt mixes with the dirt floor in the barn, making it unusable.
“I mean, he’s pretty much having to take his excavator and bust chunks up, and we’re almost to the bottom of the pile,” Stanton said. “And we’re starting to get in the dirt. And once we get into the dirt, I mean there’s no sense in even knowing if it’s going to mess the salt-spreader up.”
Mayor Danny Holmes said salting the roads assures roads are kept clean and keep the public safe.
“You know, if you’ve got iced covered roads with no salt it’s very dangerous,” Holmes said. “And we all know that, so this is something that I’m very excited about. I think it’ll be a great asset to us and also the citizens of Baxter.”
Holmes said the safety of the city outweighs the cost of the building. Holmes said this decision will help Public Works, the citizens of Baxter and the Aldermen.
“You never know what’s going to happen when it comes to money,” Homes said. “But I think they did the right thing tonight and I’m very proud of them.”
Ramsey said the new building will have a metal roof with poured concrete floors and walls. The Mayor and Aldermen approved the $140,000 bid. The board also approved financing the building.
The city received two bids.
In other business, the Aldermen approved the city as a Purple Heart Community. The designation honors service members who were wounded or killed in combat. The American Legion requested the resolution, as Livingston and Cookeville had been recognized as Purple Heart Communities.
Aldermen approved on second reading, a zoning change for 199 Millie Lane. The property goes from Low Density Residential to General Commercial.
The board voted to support a resolution for recurring funding for the railroad in middle Tennessee. Local governments have been asked to support that resolution in hopes of getting state funding to repair the railroad. Tourist trains can no longer run to the Upper Cumberland because of the condition of the railroad, especially in Smith and Putnam Counties. .
Alderman also approved a resolution to appoint the Joint Economic And Community Development Board as Putnam County’s growth planning committee.