Commission elects Bosse, McClendon to Library Board
By SUSAN LEATHERS
Brentwood Home Page
During the second public hearing on the city’s proposed 2011-12 Fiscal Year Budget, resident Bill Akin asked the Brentwood City Commission to make the city’s annual voluntary allotment of funds to local public school parent-teacher organizations an actual line item.

The hearing took place Tuesday as part of the commission’s regular monthly meeting.

Akin was referring to a traditional annual gift from the city to local PTOs. In 2010, Brentwood and Ravenwood high schools each received $60,000; Brentwood, Woodland and Sunset middle schools, $15,000 each, and the city’s public elementary schools received $10,000 each.

“The school board is out of control,” Akin said of the Williamson County Board of Education. “They took a $239 million budget, reduced it $3 million and said that it was all they could cut.

“I could borrow Mike Walker for a day and we could cut 10 percent of it,” Akin continued. “Please make this a separate item so it can be debated individually and not on a consent agenda.”

No one else spoke during the hearing, or during the two that followed -- one concerning the establishment of the property tax rate and one on the proposed six-year Capital Improvement Plan.

Third and final public hearings on the budget, CIP and property tax rate will be held at the commission’s June 27 meeting. A second and final reading on the ordinances will also take place on that date.

Under the consent agenda, which the board passed unanimously, the board:

• Authorized an agreement with S&W Contracting Inc. for installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Moores Lane and Gordan Petty Drive.
• Authorized the acquisition of easements and other property for construction and maintenance of a water line interconnection with the Harpeth Valley Utilities District, and
• Approved a change order with Presidio Networked System for new phone system.

Under new business, in addition to the approval of two proposed rezoning requests on first reading (click here to read story), commissioners passed on first reading an amendment to the municipal code regarding storm water management and erosion control and an amendment to the 2010-11 budget appropriation ordinance.

Two new members of the Library Board were also elected. They are incumbent Bert Bosse, and newcomer Laura McClendon. Eric Wyse also applied to serve three-year terms on the board.

In commissioner remarks, Betsy Crossley spoke about the loss of Vonnie Munn, a longtime Library Board member and vice chair, who died on May 31. She also noted that the percentage of e-books being checked out of the Brentwood Library continues to increase. The most recent figure available shows that 40 percent of checked books were electronic versions, up from 20 percent the previous year.

Anne Dunn announced that the city’s Historic Commission is planning a major fall event that will take place at both the historic Ravenswood house in the new Marcella Vivrette Smith Park and at nearby Oak Hall, the nearby home of James P. (Jimmy) Wilson III, a descendent of James Hazard Wilson II who built not only Ravenswood house, but Oak Hall and nearby Inglehame as well.

“It will probably be two years before members of the public get to see this historic gem,” she said of the c. 1835 Ravenswood, but guests at the Patron’s Party will get a sneak peek. The Historic Commission is beginning to look for patrons and sponsors to help underwrite costs. Anyone interested should contact Dunn or Linda Lynch, the city’s community relations director, for more information she said.

Regina Smithson announced that the parks board had agreed to allow the Brentwood Soccer Club to move its popular August tournament in Crockett Park back to October. She also announced that the board is discussing the formation of a Friends of Brentwood Parks organization, similar to Friends of the Brentwood Library.

In a related matter, Webb announced the public hearing on the new Smith Park is set for 6 p.m. June 22 at Brentwood Library.