HIGHFILL -- The council in Highfill, on Nov. 10, gave final approval to an ordinance banning through truck traffic on certain streets within the city and approved moving a part-time police officer into a vacant full-time position.
The council approved the request of Blake Webb, Highfill's police chief, to move a part-time officer up into a full-time post recently vacated. Due to the officer's experience, Webb asked for and received approval to start the officer at a higher rate of pay than normal starting pay. Also approved was a $1,000 per year stipend for the new full-time officer to complete K-9 training and assume the role of K-9 officer for the department.
The ordinance banning through trucks on certain Highfill roads and streets passed on its third and final reading. Following publication of the ordinance, it will be illegal for trucks to use Highfill's Main Street, Fourth Street, Digby Road, Peterson Road and Mason Valley Road as through routes. Violators could be charged with misdemeanors and fined up to $500 for each offense. Trucks are defined as any vehicle requiring a commercial driver's license to operate.
Signs will be posted to warn drivers of the restriction. The new law will not prohibit trucks from using the above roads if they are making deliveries inside Highfill's city limits along those roads.
According to Stacy Digby, Highfill's mayor, he had contacted some of the companies using the city streets as through roads to county destinations and asked them to use other routes but with no success. Digby said that, in many cases, other routes outside the city are more direct and involve roads built for the heavier truck traffic.
"We can't afford to pay $20,000 to $60,000 per year to repair streets torn up by county traffic," Digby said in an earlier meeting.
Passed on its first reading was an ordinance which will allow for the adjustment of lot lines without the need to obtain a lot split. The ordinance has been recommended to allow the moving of a line between two lots in cases where no new lot is created.
An ordinance adopting a proposed budget for 2016 was tabled until it can be further reviewed and any necessary adjustments can be made.
General News on 11/18/2015