CITY PLANS FOR NATURAL DISASTER

The Jackson Board of Aldermen took the first step Monday night to better prepare the city for a major disaster.

The council approved a plan, formulated by Alderman David Hitt and Jackson Fire Chief Gary Niswonger, that details the procedures, chain of command and designated emergency procedures and shelters the city would use in dealing with a large-scale earthquake, flood or other natural disaster.

The plan, which is more than 100 pages thick, will require a demonstration by Hitt at a special council study session sometime next month so the aldermen will understand their roles as city leaders and citizens.

"Jackson has never had any formal plan that would outline where everyone would go and who would be in charge," Mayor Paul Sander said. "This plan will make a disastrous situation a little less chaotic."

Also on Monday, the board approved, by a vote of 5-3, the final plat of a four-lot Litz Brothers subdivision -- even though the project could add to a current water problem on Mulberry Street.

Those aldermen opposed to the project, Hitt, David Ludwig and Kerry Hoffman, speculated that the construction would dump more water onto Mulberry Street, which is already experiencing drainage problems.

The measure passed, despite these concerns, because of the relatively small size of the subdivision, the city's improved drainage requirements and the fact that no more streets would be added.

"Some of the aldermen felt that maybe this new construction would add to this problem on Mulberry," Sander said. "But, since there are no new streets, and they wouldn't be laying down any new concrete, the rest of the board felt it would not be a major concern."

Mulberry, and a small creek that runs adjacent to it, have been experiencing runoff problems partially due to the city's lack of an erosion control ordinance. Recently, the city incorporated just such and ordinance, and is looking into installing a storm water code for future construction.

The Litz Brothers subdivision plat was approved because it complied with all of the city's requirements. Halting the plan at this stage, because of some late concerns, would not have been fair to the developers, Jackson City Attorney David Beeson said.

Beeson did suggest, at the end of the meeting, that a system should be installed that would allow the aldermen to voice concerns about developments earlier in the process.

The installation of underground electrical cables behind lots one through 20 of the Indian Hills subdivision was temporarily put on hold. The project, which was budgeted at $30,000 this year, received no bid that was lower than $38,000.

The plan is an improvement project that would simply make the city's electrical system more efficient and the delay would not inconvenience the residents of Indian Hills, Sanders said.

The aldermen will rebid the project later in the year.