Murfreesboro City Council meeting Thursday night and opened with Vice Mayor Madelyn Scales Harris introducing the near-capacity room to 11-year-old Noah Gaines who shared how he was inspired to personally help many homeless in our city.
Moving Story from Impressive Young Man
First, he and his mother would make care packages that included food, socks, and essentials and then hand them out. Eventually, Noah included his church family in his efforts and created Noah's Heart Foundation where once a month people get together to carry out that exact exercise on a bigger scale. Noah's story was met with applause.
After he led the room in the opening prayer he was invited to a photo with Mayor McFarland who quickly exited the room, but returned a short while later to present young Mr. Gaines with a well-deserved Key to the City which was met with a robust round of applause.
As I wrote above, the chamber was near capacity and those seats were filled with representatives from area non-profit organizations that have made requests for funding. The non-profits include organizations advocating for human rights, the arts, health, tourism and one, in particular, proposes to be a potential solving point for completion of the bike trails. Since 2005 SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) has led the effort to create, enhance, preserve and ride what middle Tennessee has to offer for the off-road bicycle community.
The council engaged in some discussion regarding the non-profit organizations concluding with Mayor McFarland recognizing the value that these organizations bring to Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee and thanking them for the "heavy lifting" they do. McFarland then announced that the Council will not be revealing any decisions on the requests in tonight's Council meeting and told those in attendance from this group that he nor any of the others on Council would hold any ill of those who elected to exit the meeting. With that, a full 70% of that near-capacity room left with smiles and laughter.
A full agenda proceeded in which council heard from Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Chief, Mark A Foulks addressing the completion and how expenditures incurred in connection with the Doug Young Public Safety Training Facility will be reimbursed.
The council then took further consideration of departmental budgets for 2018-2019 including the Water Resource Department where Darren Gore reported the progress, growth, and goals of the cities water resource department.
Dr. Linda Gilbert shared the outstanding achievements of several schools in the Murfreesboro City School. She shared that the administration operates as an "upside down triangle" where the children are first and she is last and every decision is made with that at the forefront of their minds. Dr. Gilbert also thanked the Council for their support and their consideration of larger issues facing the school system including security, growth, and diversity. She underlined the need for a new elementary school in the St Andrews area where Assistant Superintendent of Administrative and Support Services Gary Anderson assisted by detailing how the school administration accounts for support staffing and supplies for new schools that come online.
The Evergreen Cemetery Commission also shared the financial report of the grounds as well as plans to expand the number of burials in the cemetery with increased plot pricing to keep pace with the need of additional staff and new mowing equipment that will discharge clippings in the back of the mower in an effort to help better preserve and minimize damage to tombstones.
All budgets were voted in the affirmative and those presenting were commended.
The final act of the Council was to reappoint Tommy Campbell as Chair and Phil King as the School Board Representative of the Cable TV Commission.
