By Crystal McGough, copy editor
The Clay City Council passed a motion at its regular council meeting Tuesday night, Aug. 13, 2019, to enter into an agreement with the Jefferson County Board of Education concerning the use and maintenance of property within the city.
The agreement allows the city to use, maintain and build upon properties near Clay Elementary School that are owned by the BOE. The board will lease the properties to the city for $1 per year for 80 years, to be paid in 10-year increments that will automatically renew.
“We’ve done this before, back when the city leased the old city hall,” City Manager Ronnie Dixon said. “There was a lease agreement, a grounds and maintenance agreement, with the Board of Education.”
Dixon said that the board’s attorney put together a new agreement that covers the property where the city is building four tennis courts and12 pickleball courts, as well as the old CCMS baseball field, which is being repurposed into a softball field. The lease also covers the land between Clay Public Library and Clay Elementary School, where an old cabin is located.
“We’ve had several people express interest in (the cabin), but when they come out, there’s no way to move it because the bottom of it’s rotten,” Dixon said. “They can’t get it on a trailer, so it’s going to have to be taken apart piece by piece if anybody wants to save it and erect it somewhere else. The school system doesn’t want it; Dr. (Sharon) Gallant didn’t want it and Mr. (Jacqnaii) Finkley doesn’t want it.”
While the BOE will still own the property, the agreement allows the city to make anything in that area available for public use.
Under unanimous consent, the council passed Resolution 2019-15, declaring weeds to be a public nuisance at the following addresses:
2503 Timber Train
5170 Yorkshire Drive
5176 Yorkshire Drive
5180 Yorkshire Drive
5184 Yorkshire Drive
5188 Yorkshire Drive
5192 Yorkshire Drive
5198 Yorkshire Drive
5202 Yorkshire Drive
5240 Baggett Drive
5269 Jean Drive
7210 McFrancis Road
8053 Lizmore Lane
The council also passed Resolution 2019-16, declaring personal property to be a public nuisance at 5191 Hickory Drive.
Councilor Dennis Locke made a motion to table Resolution 2019-14, a resolution for the abatement of weeds, because there were concerns that the address listed on the resolution may have been wrong. That resolution is expected to be revisited at the next city council meeting.
The Clay City Council will meet again on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, at Clay City Hall. Pre-council will begin at 6 p.m. and the regular council meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m.
