[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6211079,"mediaKeyId","3699800-f14a275e1af61dcc4b216de3b7f9e9bb","parentId",3699800,"title","Lewisburg staff to compare tall‑grass code options; council delays ordinance change until review","audioSeconds",45,"startMs",3858000,"endMs",3903000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699800-f14a275e1af61dcc4b216de3b7f9e9bb&start=3858&end=3903","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699800-f14a275e1af61dcc4b216de3b7f9e9bb/thumbnail_3858000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6211079/Lewisburg-City/Marshall-County/Tennessee/Lewisburg-staff-to-compare-tallgrass-code-options-council-delays-ordinance-change-until-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211079-2a8e0fcd7dc9c9d61a2ee58c942a6e90/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199793&Signature=etXkxqHn6HBvpx9adFV4W6nFZ5U2mrnNoEwobh6GnRNtLw5x-zhbPfDfw~kjGUoqh0QalGXPpEYI1Ib0hfvVkmnoCw60ffeecfMTHDeachdhQZsKdJ~GTipyWKSmIL2jOSORqqj8vvvhrnZMFKYqxGj-tIyMxx3hXMPwYkXROXe9zXo3a8rDFSwWtpqKmWtZgnbiHQkHqieGSjXC3HnAafBsPK2plefxRbK41M3bPbaPwGKcir8qckltu3wvqjFql-76g6FNSLa~9wVyUWuOytwB3qYl7iQKMkN04HXjpGuhmOX1VN38aYkpJ16lKV~c-TjLPOlGTsfzcY6nh2KoeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lewisburg, TN","date","2025-06-05T18:18:24Z","article","The Lewisburg mayor and council asked city staff to gather and compare alternative property‑maintenance models — including the city’s draft amendments to Title 13 (tall grass and vacant lots), MTAS guidance and the International Property Maintenance Code — before placing any ordinance changes on the regular meeting agenda.

Chris Rush, a city staffer, presented two draft versions that differ mainly on fine amounts and described a recommended reduction in notice time from 10 business days to 7 calendar days and lowering the tall‑grass threshold from 12 to 8 inches in the draft. Rush said staff prefer Draft B for the violation amounts but recommended staff review the broader international code options to address interior and exterior maintenance comprehensively and to reduce public‑works liability. “We basically with this draft, we bring it down from 10 days, just a 7 day notice,” Rush said.

Why it matters: Councilmembers and staff said repeat violators have been the primary enforcement burden; the current process — repeated notices followed by citations — provides limited deterrence and consumes staff resources. City attorney and staff discussed liability when public works crews perform abatements and raised the option of contracting third parties to perform abatement work to reduce municipal exposure.

Key points from discussion: Staff described options including (1) updating the existing Lewisburg municipal code to the staff’s preferred draft, (2) adopting the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) as other nearby cities have done, or (3) blending local provisions with MTAS model language. Staff noted Pulaski and Columbia as local examples; Pulaski’s approach allows administrative enforcement and liens for unpaid abatement costs, which can be more efficient than issuing citations that go straight to court.

Repeat violations: Councilmembers asked for stronger remedies. Rush and the city attorney said the council can adopt graduated penalties, liens, or administrative remedies for habitual violators; they suggested options such as escalating fines for repeated citations and placing abatement costs as liens on property tax bills if owners do not pay.

Next steps: Staff will circulate the International Property Maintenance Code and the MTAS model, annotate differences against Lewisburg’s current ordinance, and return recommendations to the council at a future work session; the council did not place the change on the immediate (Tuesday) agenda and directed staff to prepare comparative materials.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session June 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Councilmembers asked staff to compare draft municipal code updates, MTAS guidance and the International Property Maintenance Code to address tall grass, repeat violators and enforcement liability; action postponed to allow further review and potential merging of models.","taxTitle","Lewisburg City, Marshall County, Tennessee","taxId",54314,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211084,"City hears update on actuarial valuation for Whisper Water plan ahead of June 30 audit deadline",70,1454000,1524000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699800-f14a275e1af61dcc4b216de3b7f9e9bb&start=1454&end=1524","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699800-f14a275e1af61dcc4b216de3b7f9e9bb/thumbnail_1454000.jpg","/articles/6211084/Lewisburg-City/Marshall-County/Tennessee/City-hears-update-on-actuarial-valuation-for-Whisper-Water-plan-ahead-of-June-30-audit-deadline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211084-6507196b4a9ca5a6ed95634ae34b541d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199793&Signature=d9Q6yRZwNhfuSSlqJmymMJkqAD6~bd8MjSHOekUSTPT~JH9FCk9r0mxPWNZCGAhNA4RU2FVHD7zaTxwuccyVNWTHJrAy0daRAKstnIMont66LotwFxNYTOZri7yjzD6c1KhdkZOKvPP9o8MNPp1zAeVn4cZYalA3BGsC8AfBe7sPPmHq3KHuVrW0KyRRfE5y9UGh-yhmIM3eEP6BHeE2kJIGlK7UsAgdMxGQv-3Ui7IFJH9Tg2nri9R~cite9Eufnh1yE2JJSIO-5aykOfq68Rz5jhEdmiEJ~plc6PaW1RRr4jWaPVpFvjoX6Qz40JNtnFvHdJLMs~r~miLOcMcVHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance staff updated the Lewisburg mayor and council on the status of an actuarial valuation required for the June 30, 2025 annual audit and said the work remains in progress but may be marginally delayed.

Jake (last name not provided), appearing for the city, said the city engaged an actuary firm, referred to as 1America, and provided requested documents in mid-May. He told the council the actuary’s assigned contact sent an out‑of‑office autoreply on May 29 for a family emergency and the firm is working to reassign or pick up the account. “We were initially told on the May 1 that it would be 6 to 8 weeks before they completed their study,” Jake said. He estimated the current interruption may cause about a one‑week delay but that staff still expect the 6-to-8-week timeline overall.

Why it matters: The actuarial valuation is listed in the city audit report and provides figures the city’s accountant needs to prepare fiscal-year-end numbers for the June 30 audit. Staff said the valuation and any clarifying responses must be complete so auditors have required inputs for the annual financial statements.

What staff said: Jake said city accountant Lisa uploaded requested documents on May 15 and followed up after the May 29 inquiry; the actuarial firm has sent a few clarification questions that the city has answered. Jake said staff will continue to press the firm for assignment of another contact if the original actuary remains unavailable, and he expected either completion or a clearer update by the next month’s work session. No formal council action was taken.

Limitations: The city did not specify which line items or liabilities the actuarial valuation covers in the work session update, and Jake said he had not received detailed status beyond the autoreply and firm‑level follow up. Jake identified Lisa as the city accountant and said she is tracking the submission requirements for the auditor.

Next steps: Staff will continue to follow up with the actuarial firm and report back to the council; the city intends to meet audit deadlines pending receipt of the actuarial report or assigned staff at the firm.","City staff told the mayor and council an actuarial valuation needed for the June 30, 2025 annual audit is in progress but may be delayed a week due to the actuary firm's point of contact being out on a family emergency.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211088,"Lewisburg delays traffic-calming studies, will collect fall data for Eighth Avenue and other streets",635,72000,707000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699800-f14a275e1af61dcc4b216de3b7f9e9bb&start=72&end=707","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699800-f14a275e1af61dcc4b216de3b7f9e9bb/thumbnail_72000.jpg","/articles/6211088/Lewisburg-City/Marshall-County/Tennessee/Lewisburg-delays-traffic-calming-studies-will-collect-fall-data-for-Eighth-Avenue-and-other-streets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211088-31bf1707175006833c73f3bc80aa6c53/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199793&Signature=WAZEWlpyfGXIsIkp3e8mCd0NwW23w56aGyX5nS6ijZe40ekScvf3g75~lFEvUe~q6W7dw6KNQXucYqzK4lETWksaQnUO5cvs4BZySGol2YjRXbzzg09bUOmVcKxGC7mrbyGuZ4EXttLQg2v7UfP9QveNlKeFWVqswUm2hBwYp9XzSYgf5Li7PBuIesBolJPHbAavRoC0RHeKH5vXLDISuFkYLxbEOzoeH5GiZ-T~0-Sunn6G~GGv0-QYVCr-3~V0Gcd9uESJsE9OegwXtCv2xjX9VT1KSfAYc5qzwkDCaAhQ~prbWnJW9DUhoVtc98sMJatak4tK9CoKADJJf6xARA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lewisburg City leaders agreed to delay structural traffic-calming changes and to ask a Municipal Technical Advisory Service consultant to gather speed and volume data in the fall, when school traffic is in session.

The decision follows a presentation from Brad Peters, a public works and engineering consultant with MTAS, who advised the council to base traffic-calming decisions on measured data rather than perception. “I typically leave them up a week,” Peters said of radar counters, recommending one-week counts timed with school sessions. The mayor and council asked staff to assemble the list of candidate streets — including Eighth Avenue (near Seager), Third Avenue North, Second Avenue at College Street, and the Ashwood/Taylor/Hall corridor — and to have police and staff coordinate timing with Peters.

Why it matters: Council members cited concerns about children and school buses on cut-through streets and wanted evidence before adding multiway stops or speed humps. Peters told the council that traffic engineers commonly use the 85th-percentile speed as a baseline and that many cities require that threshold be 5 to 10 mph over the posted limit before considering speed humps. He also explained the technical difference between speed bumps (narrow, parking-lot style) and speed humps (wider, intended to moderate rather than stop vehicle speed) and said removable preformed humps are an option for trial installation.

Most of the meeting's discussion focused on whether a four-way stop is an appropriate remedy. Peters cautioned that four-way stops are typically adopted based on volume and intersection-warrant formulas rather than as a general speed-control measure; they can be problematic at offset intersections and may increase low-speed collisions. “Typically, traffic engineers do not advise using four-way stops to slow traffic down,” Peters said. He recommended using measured volume counts to determine whether an intersection meets multiway-stop criteria.

Council direction and next steps: Council members agreed to delay any new studies until fall so data include school-related traffic. Staff (Gina and police leadership) were asked to email Peters the list of streets to be counted and to coordinate installation of radar counters. Peters said MTAS can perform targeted counts (not citywide) and will deliver a written report of vehicle volumes and speeds for each requested street. No formal vote was recorded; the council set the direction administratively and placed the request on the upcoming regular meeting agenda for finalization.

Background and options: Peters described alternatives beyond humps and stops — including chokers, curves and roundabouts — but noted cost differences. He also described common neighborhood policies used by many cities: requiring a neighborhood point of contact and a simple majority of signatures from affected residents before installing humps, because such measures generate neighborhood impacts (noise, localized nuisance). Peters said preformed humps can be trialed and later removed; permanent asphalt humps require proper markings and higher cost.

The council asked that the radar counts be timed for when school is in session and that the consultant coordinate with the police chief. Staff will return recommended study locations and the MTAS report to the council once counts are complete.

","The Lewisburg mayor and council asked MTAS consultant Brad Peters to conduct targeted traffic counts and hold off on physical traffic-calming installations until fall when school traffic resumes; staff will compile a list of candidate streets for the study.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lewisburg staff to compare tall‑grass code options; council delays ordinance change until review

City hears update on actuarial valuation for Whisper Water plan ahead of June 30 audit deadline

Lewisburg delays traffic-calming studies, will collect fall data for Eighth Avenue and other streets