The Baileyton Board of Mayor and Aldermen heard a presentation on a road safety audit from the Tennessee Department of Transportation on Tuesday night.
Nicholas Barnard from TDOT’s Region 1 Traffic Operations Office presented the study that took place from July 2021 to June 2024 on Van Hill Road from the southbound ramps of Exit 36 to Horton Highway.
The study concluded that the stretch or road sees a crash rate 12 times higher than the state average on similar roadways. There were 20 crashes during the time the study was conducted. A total of 45% of the crashes involved large trucks, and 65% were in dry conditions.
The study found that pavement markings were faded in some areas, there were no pavement markers along centerlines, some signage and markings need to be updated, a concerning number of driveways and undefined access areas, and a high volume of trucks contributed to safety issues in the study corridor.
A Shell gas station on the road has hundreds of feet of “open frontage” without signage or pavement markings, leading to issues with vehicles exiting and entering the area haphazardly and vehicles parking to close to the road blocking sight-lines.
Recommendations include adding a turn lane in the middle of Van Hill Road to help those exiting and entering the roadway, and adjusting markings on the pavement near businesses. Additional larger stop signs, other signage, and moving existing signage was also recommended.
One recommendation included placing markings on the pavement at the entrance to the TA Travel Center, but Bobby Grubbs, who was representing the business at the meeting, disputed the need for the markings.
Barnard said that the draft report presented Tuesday was preliminary, and was meant to be reviewed by town officials and other stakeholders. Feedback will then be sent to TDOT before a final report is created.
The safety improvements outlined in the draft report would not require local funding, and would be paid for through federal traffic safety dollars. Barnard noted that the improvements were meant to be low-cost but effective safety measures.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the board unanimously accepted a $150,000 bid from Brown Brothers Paving to pave and stripe the parking lot and road leading into Baileyton Park. The project is being funded through a paving grant.
Baileyton Police Chief Bruce Halliburton told the board that he recently had become a fully certified law enforcement officer in Tennessee after moving to the state from Arkansas. He noted that he would soon have two officers patrolling Baileyton along with him.
Halliburton said that he was pursuing procuring body cameras for the department through WOLFCOM, a company that provides cameras at no cost and charges for using video storage space. Halliburton said that at a cost of about $4,000 per year, the option would be cheaper for the town than purchasing cameras through other companies. The police department will enter into a three year contract with the company.
Members of the board also noted that they would like to review some of the town’s antiquated ordinances, including one that notes that a business establishment cannot serve alcohol if a pool table is present in the business. Another states that livestock such as cattle are not allowed within 1,000 feet of a residence, business or public street. The board will look to change the ordinances at a future meeting.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Baileyton Beer Board approved a beer permit for on-premises consumption at Big Poppy’s bar in the town.
NO CANDIDATES FILED FOR ALDERMEN SEATS
No candidates had filed to run for two Baileyton Aldermen seats up for election on August 6 when the filing deadline passed Tuesday at noon.
Aldermen Andy Pierce and Kenny Kerr, both confirmed to Radio Greeneville News previously they would not be seeking reelection.
Baileyton Mayor Jamie Tilson said after Tuesday’s meeting that there was an appointment process to fill the seats if no one runs to fill them. He noted that he would bring appointments to the board for review to fill the seats if they were to be vacant at the end of the current term after the August election.
According to the town’s charter, current aldermen “shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified.”
An individual must be 18 years of age and have lived in the Town of Baileyton for two years to serve as an alderman.
