Grant updates were the main topic of discussions when Polk County’s Industrial and Economic Development Board (IEDB) and Joint Economic and Community Development Board (JECDB) met one after another last Thursday, April 2.
In the IEDB meeting, board member and Copperhill Mayor Greg Barker said the city has applied for a $150,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation to replace the two traffic lights in the city, a T-Mobile grant for improvements at City Hall and also a THRIVE planning grant.
Board members voted to change their regular meetings to the first Wednesday of each quarter beginning at 6:30 p.m. The JECDB members also agreed to change their meetings to the same date. The only scheduled exception are the July meetings, which will be moved to Wednesday, July 8, due to the July 4 week holiday.
JECDB board members also heard plans for using the $7,000 Archive Grant that was recently awarded. With hopes of a donated microfiche machine, Danielle Shelton and Hunter Raby discussed ideas and presented a budget for several acid-free supplies. There was talk of organizing, filing and digitally scanning the information currently held in the archive room at the courthouse. JECDB member Aaron Hood suggested contacting classes at Polk County High School for help since there would be heavy emphasis on technology and history in both projects.
The Welding Equipment Grant previously announced by the board is “moving forward,” Chairwoman Monica Farrow said. The Memorandum of Understanding that was needed between the county and school system has been approved by attorney Eric Brooks.
Farrow reminded board members the equipment grant was the only way the board could help the schools. Even for the Welding Grant, the cooperation of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology was needed. The JECDB cannot seek grant funds for school construction or maintenance. “That’s up to the schools,” she said.
Farrow and Barker also talked about the $25,000 grant that has been received to construct a statute in Copperhill honoring the miners and other copper company employees. Barker said it is hoped that project will be completed by Labor Day.