News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Byrdstown Aldermen approved the repaving the parking lot for the town’s Main Street Park Monday night.
Mayor Sam Gibson said the parking lot has become thin and is cracking in several areas. Gibson said the town needs to follow through with the project.
“I think it would be a good time for us to go ahead and put a cap on it before it does start coming up,” Gibson said. “We’ve sealed it a few times in the last ten years. I know we have sealed it probably three times probably even four.”
Gibson said due to the size of the parking lot, the project could cost anywhere up to $150,000. Gibson said the town does have the budget to take on this larger project.
“We’ve got a really good fund balance set aside and we would have to reach into our fund balance to do that,” Gibson said. “Some of you have heard me talk about it in the past and we’ve kind of been saving and looking toward doing this for a while.”
Gibson said repaving the parking lot should not be too difficult as the contractor would only have to work around the pavilion and two storm drains. Gibson said however it will be tricky finding the time to do it without interfering with upcoming events.
“The thing is, that is considerably used and we will have to work around things,” Gibson said. “I will go ahead and say this I haven’t thought about it but we are having Second Harvest coming in with a food giveaway that even though they are doing the commodities in January, March, and May. Second Harvest is coming in February, April, and June so every month we are going to have a food giveaway right over there in that area.”
Gibson said the town will get with a consultant to figure out how thick the repaving should be, what they want to leave out, or if they want to add something to the parking lot. Gibson said it will take some time before bidding out the project but he hopes to have the project completed by May.
In other business, Gibson said he might have to cancel a few fishing tournaments due to conflicting schedules.
Gibson said Byrdstown has hired a new auditor. Gibson said the previous auditor was limited to a certain amount of books he could audit. Gibson said with the town obtaining more grants it was a change he did not want to make but it had to be done.
