Council Gets Updates on Market and Speeding

At the June 24 meeting, the Sewanee Community Council received an update on the future of the Sewanee Market and on the Police Department’s efforts to reduce speeding on Hwy. 41A. The council also discussed a commitment on behalf of the Lease Committee to reduce the transfer fee.
Speaking on behalf of the University, Frank Gladu, vice president for administrative services, informed the council of the ongoing search for a new operator for the Sewanee Market. The current operators are experiencing difficulties, Gladu said, and no longer want to manage the business.
The new operator would be responsible for providing refrigerators and freezers. The operator would be offered a contract for at least two years or until construction of the roundabout on Highway 41A called for in the Campus Master Plan.
The Master Plan also calls for an independently owned, grocery-type facility in the downtown area. Gladu said several individuals had expressed an interest in operating the Sewanee Market for the next two years.

Police Chief Marie Eldridge addressed concerns about speeding on Highway 41-A. When public school is in session, there is an officer on duty there in the morning and afternoon, Chief Eldridge said, but speed monitoring is more “relaxed” during the summer months. 

The speed trailer, which shows drivers their current speed, is occasionally placed on Highway 41-A. The typical excess speed there is 38–41 mph, she said. A resident suggested parking an unoccupied patrol car at the side of the road. A council member suggested purchasing an additional trailer, but Eldridge said it would cost $5,000–$6,000, and the money would be better spent on a permanent monitoring device.

Council representative Drew Sampson noted that several years ago the University said it would consider lowering the transfer fee assessed when an individual sold their home; the current fee is 1 percent of the value of the home. The council will review past meeting minutes to determine what was proposed and then refer the subject to the Lease Committee.

The next meeting of the Community Council is scheduled for August 23. The Council does not meet in July.