Enrichment Center seeks waiver on city fees

City officials are calling for a special meeting to determine whether extra funds are available to assist Enrichment Center officials following a request that they waive utility and impact fees for the shelter project.

Board members unanimously agreed Monday night to hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, at City Hall to discuss the project, which is slated to be completed on April 30.

Mayor Frankie Burnett said the meeting is necessary and that board members needed more time to review both the current budget and the Enrichment Center project. After many failed attempts to settle on a meeting date, the board agreed to Wednesday.

Debbie Walker-Druzbick, Enrichment Center executive director, said the purpose of Monday's meeting wasn't specifically to ask the council for more money. Instead she said she wanted to update members on the construction progress.

"But a large part of our unexpected expenses are from the fees," Druzbick said following the meeting.

She said some of the unforeseen costs stem from the $56,922 in impact fees and utility hookups, which were originally budgeted to cost roughly $24,000. Druzbick added that if officials would waive some or all of the fees, it would be a huge help to the project.

In 2009, council members approved the construction project for the Enrichment Center to renovate a concrete structure at 800 Gary Grubbs Blvd. near the Quarry Golf Course. The building would not only serve as a pro shop and possibly a coal mining museum, but also an emergency shelter for evacuees with special needs.

Currently, Druzbick said she is working with city officials to examine the project and consider cutting nonessential aspects from it.

"We're not going to be able to open without a generator, water pump or anything else that makes this a special needs shelter," Druzbick said. "Those essential things will be there. But we felt that you needed to know where we are with the project."

In other business, council members gave the green light to move forward with offering environmentally friendly burials at the Brooksville Cemetery.

The "green concept" for burials would eliminate the use of embalming fluids and concrete vaults to allow only biodegradable caskets or shrouds. For cremations, a biodegradable urn would have to be used and all grave sites would require hand digging to "protect the natural beauty of the area," according to a memo from Mike Walker, city director of parks and recreation.

The Earth-friendly option wouldn't be without its costs, however. While a base cost currently is $600 to $650 for a plot, the greener option would be a base cost of $2,800.

That would equate to a $283,125, or 457.6 percent increase in city revenue for the burial area from a maximum $61,875 in expected revenue previously to a potential $345,000.

Other additions to the cemetery include building paths leading through the environmentally friendly area along with providing engraved "marker stones" instead of tombstones.

Although there were initial misgivings about the increased price, council members were in agreement that the green option would be a unique and pleasant addition the cemetery.

"And if we haven't sold any in a year, we might revisit it," Vice Mayor Joe Johnston said.