JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Board members of Jasper held their monthly meeting on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
As per tradition, the meeting kicked off with prayer and pledge, as well as Mayor Turner thanking those war veterans attending the meeting for their service of our country. The meeting then continued with the first approval to be made, which is the approval of minutes from the past two monthly meetings that the city board has had. Both sets of minutes were approved.
The next proposal to be shared was for rezoning the property located by State Route 150, directly across from the new Jasper Middle School. The property itself is an I2 industrial lot, which according to City Attorney Marshall Raines Jr., the purchasers of the lot plan to build and open a new gas station, one that would also house a fast-food restaurant for travelers. To do so the owners requested to have the lot rezoned to be a commercial lot and not an industrial one. “The request was to change that I2 industrial to a C2 commercial, which would allow a gas station there. [He] intends to put like a gas station and fast-food franchise in there,” stated Raines. He also added that since there’s been a lot of oncoming travelers coming through the bypass since its opening, he felt that adding more commercial business to the lot itself could draw more revenue for the town. The request, however, was delayed for a public hearing and second reading before being officially approved for by the city.
Another major discussion made during the meeting was of updates regarding the new Library Board. During last month’s meeting, Jasper voted to establish its own board. The Executive Director of the new board, Ann Gray, explained that under state law, the board is ready to hire and establish its own set of members for separate roles, which according to state law, seven members in total are required to have a proper and running library board.
“So, this first year of appointments, we will have someone who serves one year, a group that serves two years, and a group that serves three,” stated Gray. Another proposal shared was the expansion of Carolyn Stewart Public Library, which for Ann is a much needed goal for the newly established board. Other updates shared included the success of the town’s Jack-O-Lantern Jamboree, police reports, updates on the sport teams and of their successes, as well as the announcement of the upcoming Christmas Parade, scheduled for Saturday, December 14 at 6 p.m.