Piperton Board approves park grant application

By: Carolyn G. Rhea,
Staff Writer
The Piperton Board met on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and present were Mayor Henry Coats and Commissioners Ronnie Gross and Russ Fletcher.
Department Reports
City manager Steve Steinbach stated they are halfway through the 2026 fiscal year. Their funds are in a strong position and the board had a financial statement to review. He commented sales tax is dragging but this is not a concern long term.
Elizabeth Reed of the Building Department reported they currently have 53 homes being built. For December 26 permits were issued with five being for new homes. There were 135 inspections and 10 code compliance contacts.
Richard Mills, director of Public Works, introduced Ricky Hobbs who is the assistant Public Works director. The Piperton Farms sewer project is complete except for two lots that are vacant at this time. The license agreement from RailPros on the TDEC-ARPA waterline installation has been received and it should start moving forward. The Shaws Creek and Madeline Farms fence repair is now complete. Damage was caused at Madeline Farms last year when a tank popped from below ground and had to be relocated and the fence at Shaws Creek was due to a storm.
Fire Chief Reed Bullock reported for December 44 calls for service, with 30 being medical. Police Chief Jonathan Roney reported for December 57 calls for service, two arrests, and seven vehicle crashes. A new officer started Jan. 5 who is a former Memphis Police Department officer with 36 years of service. This makes 12 full time officers now. There will be 2 Axxon cameras installed, one on Highway 72 and the other at Raleigh-LaGrange Road soon. These are similar to the Flock cameras.
On the development report, city engineer Harvey Matheny stated there are three projects underway. The Lakes of Greenbrier, Phase 3, will record the plat soon. Piperton Hills, Phase 2, is in early construction now and Piperton Preserve, Phase 7, is getting started on the dirtwork. The Vesta Home Show for October will be in the Phase 7 part of Piperton Preserve.
Park Grant
Richard Mills stated the Parks Board met to discuss what grant to apply for next. They decided that restrooms were at the top of the list and asked for board approval. This was passed.
Accessory Structure
A request was made to consider approval of a 2,016 square foot accessory building on Raleigh-LaGrange Road by Robert Conrad. Elizabeth Reed stated this meets the setback requirements and the lot is large enough. This was approved.
Rezoning Request
Ordinance 415-26 is to rezone 82.75 acres from R-C (Rural Conservation) to MUPD (Mixed Use Development) to be known as Prestonwood MUPD. This is located on the east side of Keough Drive. There will be five phases and allows three dwellings per acre. They are proposing 237 lots and more details will be at the second reading. The board voted approval on first reading.
Printer Donation
The police department is asking to donate nine surplus printers to the Rossville Police Department. Chief Roney stated Rossville is going to the Watson software system for tickets that is compatible with these printers. Piperton is using another software with different printers now. He is asking to donate the printers and the board voted to approve.
Budget Amendment
Steinbach brought up a budget amendment on second reading and went over the changes. This was approved and the meeting was adjourned.