Jefferson sitting on traffic light deal
‘Ball is in their court,’ says county BOC chair Bell
The Jefferson City Council failed to take action Monday night on a proposed agreement with the county to install a traffic signal at the Kroger intersection on the Jefferson bypass. In fact, city manager John Ward never mentioned to the council that city officials had been meeting with county leaders over the last two weeks and had a proposed intergovernmental contract between the two for the county to manage the project for the city.
County leaders said this week they would not proceed with helping the city until the city council had approved the agreement. The city had earlier asked the county for help with the project, which then led to a series of meetings between the two governments. The proposed intergovernmental agreement came from those meetings.
“The ball is in their (Jefferson’s) court,” said board of commissioners chairman Pat Bell. She said the county wouldn’t proceed with the project until the city officially approved the deal.
Meanwhile, the state department of transportation approved both the turning lane plans and signal design engineering for the traffic light project last week. The state had earlier rejected Jefferson’s plans as not being feasible.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Ward told the council that the city was getting a cost estimate from the county, but he didn’t review any details of the proposed arrangement.
The need for a traffic signal at the Kroger intersection has caused an uproar with citizens in the town. Multiple wrecks, including three fatalities, have happened at the intersection, which is located near both the city recreation complex and city schools.
The state agreed earlier this year to allow a traffic signal at that location, but little action had been taken by the city to get the project moving until August, when a large number of city residents took their complaints to a council meeting.
It was after that meeting that Jefferson Mayor Jim Joiner asked the county for help in moving the project forward.
AGREEMENT DETAILS
In the proposed agreement, the county would agree to take over the construction and engineering management of the project and donate $40,000 toward the cost, but only after Jefferson agreed to a list of responsibilities. That list includes:
• the city paying for all project costs;
• the city responding to engineering questions;
• the city arrange for utility relocations in the area;
• the city ensure all environmental clearances are complied with;
• the city certify that all rights of way and easements are secured;
• the city providing detours around the project area and to notify the city schools, businesses and residents of the detour routes.
