Council Reviews Projects Totaling $11,000

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the March 28 meeting, the Sewanee Community Council reviewed recommendations for allocating $11,000 in funds for Community Enhancement projects.

A committee led by Sarah Marhevsky considered 12 project proposals submitted by the community and narrowed down the list to seven, recommending the following Community Enhancement projects receive funding: $3,179 for sand and refurbishing the restrooms at the youth soccer field on Ball Park Road; $2,049 for mulch at the Elliott Park playground; $1,800 for a picnic table at the Elliott Park playground; $2,200 for electrical repairs at the American Legion Hall; $1,322 for lighting at Angel Park; $300 for soil and bulbs for planting by children in the Plateau Playground group; and $150 to help offset operating expenses for Community Poetry Night.

The Council will vote on the recommendations at the May meeting.

Commenting on the choices, Marhevsky said the committee wanted to continue to support Elliott Park, which received funding last year, and similarly, the soccer field was a community undertaking deserving of ongoing support.

All the projects submitted had substantial merit, Marhevsky said. The committee also received a number of suggestions not formally drafted as proposals. Marhevsky thanked committee members Pixie Dozier, Theresa Shackelford, and Megan Taylor for their commitment to making fair and carefully thought- out recommendations that would benefit a broad segment of the community.

The Community Enhancement program is in the second year of a two-year trial. In the summer of 2014, the Council approved increasing the municipal service fee paid by all leaseholders to generate $10,000 to be used for physical improvements and amenities on the Domain. Of the seven Community Enhancement projects funded in 2015, all are at or near completion. The total award for 2016 was increased because the dog park proposal funded in 2015 had $1,000 left after purchasing a fence, and the unspent amount was added to the 2016 fund basis.

Two proposals calling for construction of sidewalks on Brakefield Road and Tennessee Avenue were not recommended for funding, Marhevsky said, because they would have cost $10,000 or more each, using up the full amount of resources available in 2016.

Council member Phil White supported the need for sidewalks and asked the council to discuss this in May.

A visitor asked if the amount of funding could be increased, since there were many worthy projects. Provost John Swallow said increasing funding would require increasing the municipal service fee. The council will consider putting the question before the community in the November elections.