Salem finally approves street project

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

SALEM ? Finally.

After nearly six months of discussion and several failed motions, the Salem City Council approved entering into an agreement with Henry County to repair the Liberty and Main streets intersection.

The council began discussing the project in late winter, saying the intersection was dangerous due to its narrow scope. Because the intersection involves both city and county roads, Henry County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss discussed the project with the council earlier this year, relating that the county was willing to enter into a repair/reconstruction agreement.

Wesley Martin Construction had submitted a $10,000 bid last winter to repair the road and Hotchkiss proposed that the work be done on a 60-40 cost-share basis with the city picking up the 60 percent of the cost.

?I am still waiting to get this approved by the council,? said Councilman Bill Wixom Jr., who was the chief proponent of the project. ?I would like to get it approved so the county can get it on their schedule.?

The council approved Wixom?s motion, 3-2, with Warren Barton and Jeremy Hunold dissenting.

Council members also unanimously passed a resolution to place a local option sales tax measure on the November ballot. Salem and the remainder of Henry County currently have such a measure in place but it expires on Dec. 31, 2015. In the resolution, Salem said the sales tax revenue would be used for capital improvements and property tax relief. The measure does not have a sunset clause.

A new coat of paint is on the immediate horizon for the exterior and interior of the city water tower. A representative from Maguire Iron, Inc., said the water tower?s interior is painted every 8-10 years and the exterior every five years and that the clock is nearing midnight since the last paint job.

The representative said his firm would allow the city to pay the $53,606 cost on a payment plan. Council members gave their approval to the project which could begin as early as Friday.

Dave and Cathy Helman gave presentations on the $16.9-million Mt. Pleasant Community School District bond referendum, which is set for Tuesday, Sept. 9, and needs 60-percent approval to pass.

Cathy Helman said passage of the referendum is important ?not just to Salem but to everyone in the Mt. Pleasant School District.

?We must support this,? she said. ?this is an opportunity for all of us to join together as a community to invest in our children.?

She referred to an attempt to close the Salem Elementary School in 2009, an attempt which was defeated through lobbying by Salem residents. ?We did petitions, we wrote letters. Seventy five of us went to the school board to make our case?We were courteous and we were clear. They backed down. I believe they realized having a wonderful rural school like Salem in the Mt. Pleasant (School) District is an asset to the entire district.?

Dave Helman noted that most of the elementary attendance centers in the MPCSD are old and need work. ?Major improvements need to be done. There have been major changes (in education) in 50 years. There are many issues here and voters need to take a look at the facts.?

Helman, who serves on a three-member political-action committee, encouraging passage of the referendum, pledged ?to do everything I can do to tell people the facts.?

He said property taxes ?will not go one penny higher than they did in 1998 when they built the new high school.? The rural Salem resident also pointed to a survey of 20 similar-size school districts in which Mt. Pleasant has the fourth lowest property taxes among the 20 districts.

?Our schools are an investment, our kids are our product?If people look at the facts, they will know this is absolutely necessary.?

Helman said his PAC is planning a number of community meetings between now and the referendum to educate the voters on the facts.

Jim Dean of Salem added that he hopes the vote does not turn into a referendum on the district superintendent. ?This is a referendum on buildings, not the superintendent. The buildings haven?t been touched for a long time. This is a good opportunity for Salem.?

In other agenda items, the council:

? Appointed Jody McLeland to a six-year term on the Crew Public Library board replacing the retiring Blondie Gohlson.

? Approved the purchase of a water heater by Salem Old Settlers for the shelter house in the park. Old Settlers is also looking for a refrigerator for the shelter house.

Salem City Council members meet again in regular session Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 5:30 p.m. in the community building.