Commission Receives Tour Of Ongoing Construction At Oneida

Huntsville, TN (2011-05-02) Prior to its regular committee work sessions Monday night, members of the Scott County Commission were given a tour of the ongoing construction project at Oneida Middle/High School. The building is being constructed with funds provided to the school district by the County.

Neal Richardson, Lead Architect and Partner with Upland Design Group, led an entourage of representatives from the Scott County Commission and the Oneida Special School District Board of Education, along with school administrators and others, on a tour of the expansion of Oneida High School, which is still under construction. The project includes a new all-purpose room, an area designed as not only as a gymnasium, but also for stage productions. According to Richardson, the gymnasium is built to TSSAA specifications, and can host both basketball and volleyball games. Individual seats with drop-down tablet arms will be installed along the east wall of the facility. The seating, noted Richardson, can be extended far out onto the playing surface to allow for closer seating to the stage area, while also giving students a writing surface for test taking. The lower section of the addition also included a new fitness and wellness center, allowing the schools to more easily conform to state regulations regarding fitness amongst the student population.

On the upper level, the project has included a number of science laboratories, including two biology labs, a chemistry, and a physics lab space.

While much work remains to be done on the addition, Richardson hoped that the work could be done by August. “Hopefully, we can come back in three months, and we can show you a much different space,” Richardson said.

In other news Monday night:

· The Intergovernmental Committee approved an extension to the County’s contract with the Tennessee Department of Corrections to house State prisoners in the Scott County Jail. The amendment extended the termination date of the contract from June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2012. The maximum reimbursement the County would receive for housing state prisoners for the additional year was $681,000 ;

· The Community Development Committee agreed to allow County Mayor Jeff Tibbals to resurvey potential sewer customers to determine the viability of the Mudd Street sewer extension project, which is being paid for by a Community Development Block Grant. If the number of households wanting the service falls below ten, the grant will be returned;

· County Mayor Jeff Tibbals warned Commissioner of impending redistricting due to population changes in the most current census. The Intergovernmental Committee, with the assistance of the Scott County Administrator of Elections Gabe Lowe, will take on the task of redrawing the district lines to account for the population changes, and bring them to the full Commission for approval later this year.