By Crystal McGough
For The Tribune
The Clay City Council unanimously passed a motion made by Councilor Don Baker Tuesday night to fund a clean room and additions to Fire Station 4, located on Clay-Palmerdale Road within the city limits. The motion was to fund the project from the city’s capital fund, and to not to exceed $60,000.
Center Point Fire District’s Chris Horn proposed the project during the pre-council session.
“Back in the day, when I started in the fire service back in the ‘80s, it was ‘the dirtier you are, the better you are,’” Horn said. “That was our logo. That was our goal. We wanted to be dirty. Times have changed.”
Horn told the council that firefighters who lived by that motto, and subsequently would store their dirty bunker gear in their living quarters, have begun to see an increase in cancer diagnoses.
“We’re trying to remove that,” he said “We’re in need for a clean room and an addition at Station 4. We have outgrown that station.”
In addition to the clean room, the proposal included adding four bedrooms, an officer’s quarters with a bathroom and office, and a larger H&H building.
“I know every aspect of what (Horn) is talking about,” Baker said. “The statistical numbers of the rate that firefighters get cancer. Anything we can do to help those guys who serve us and do a bang-up job in the city of Clay, I’m more than willing to do that.”
City Manager Ronnie Dixon said that the city owns the building and has the money in its capital budget to fund the project.
“I like that the building belongs to us, so we are investing in something that we will still own,” Councilor Dennis Locke said.
Additionally, during the pre-council session, Dixon updated the council on the proposed new “Eastern area” school and BOE President Oscar Mann also spoke on the Jefferson County Board of Education’s Capital Expenditure Plan during the regular council meeting.
“We had a press conference today announcing our Capital Expenditure Plan, $230 million for seven new schools and eight renovations, and multiple additions and work on athletic facilities and things of that sort,” Mann said.
As part of the proposal, the city of Clay will gain a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) elementary school on the property behind Bryant Park where the old civitan building used to be.
Students will have three choices for elementary school: the STEM school, a Fine Arts school at Clay Elementary, and a General Education school at Chalkville Elementary. Both the STEM and Fine Arts schools will continue to offer regular classes, as well.
Federal Judge Madeline Haikala approved the plans for the building and renovations of 16 schools in the Jefferson County school district on Friday.
“We were given the green light Friday,” Dixon said. “It’s official that we can build them. We’re looking at the 2019-2020 school year for having these new elementary schools open.”
Dixon said that the purpose of the new school is to take 500 students from the 1,300 currently at Chalkville Elementary, 140 students from Grayson Valley, who are currently zoned for Pinson schools, and 500 from Clay Elementary, and place them into the new school. The goal is to reduce the student population at Chalkville to 800, and to have roughly 650 kids each at Clay Elementary and the STEM school.
“It’s easing the overcrowding and getting rid of around 79 portable classrooms in the county,” Dixon said. “If the plan is approved, it will be based on testing and parents’ choice. If your child tested well in math, they would be a candidate for the STEM school. If your child tested well in music, they would be a candidate for the Fine Arts school. If they didn’t test at all, they would stay in general studies.”
In other city news, Councilor Locke announced this month’s $500 school grant winners. Tiffany Payne, a fifth grade math, science and language arts teacher, won for Clay Elementary and plans to spend the money on Chromebooks, computers and related essentials. Latisha Lambert, a science teacher, won the grant for CCMS and also plans to purchase Chromebooks, computers and related essentials. CCHS Physical Education teacher Jeremy Monceaux won for the high school and plans to purchase an iPad to help with things such as tracking classroom health progress and fitness test goals.
Councilor Bo Johnson announced that the first of three movies for the annual City of Clay Spring Movie Nights will take place Friday, April 20, on the Clay-Chalkville High School football field. The movie will be Ferdinand and festivities will begin around 6:30 p.m. with free face painting, inflatables and refreshments.
Dixon also added that the new Clay Public Library continues to be ahead of schedule and under budget, with the grand opening scheduled for June 2.
“The library population is growing in anticipation,” he said.