MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Friday, June 26, 2009 3:15 pm

Concerned with how a blanket ban on guns in parks will affect the city, Murfreesboro City Council chose to defer voting on the issue Thursday night.

“I’d like to wait to hear from the TSSAA and see if this would affect Spring Fling,” Mayor Tommy Bragg said.

City Manager Roger Haley proposed a city-wide ban in municipal parks after Tennessee’s General Assembly passed a law that allows carrying guns in state and city parks legal, as along as the individual has a carry permit.

“It’s not our intention to interfere with the Second Amendment rights of the people … (but) to provide for a safe environment for the children and public use our park facilities,” Haley said last night.

Councilman Toby Gilley disagreed in full, saying he wholly supports the new state law. Gilley was the only councilman who voted against deferring the measure.

Haley’s suggestion to outlaw guns in city parks backed is by Murfreesboro Police Chief Glenn Chrisman, Parks and Recreation Department Director Lanny Goodwin and Old Fort Golf Director Tracy Wilkins.

The resolution would have prohibited the carrying of guns in municipal parks, natural areas, historic parks, nature trails, campgrounds, forests, greenways, ball fields, golf courses, sport complexes and community recreation centers within the Murfreesboro City Limits.

The penalty for doing so will be a maximum of a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

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City Council unanimously approved Murfreesboro’s budget and tax levy for the next fiscal year, which is balanced with no new taxes or fees but cuts the size of government.

The proposed budget totals $96.8 million, an increase of $3.39 million over last year. But $2.96 million of the increase comes in the form of debt.

The city’s property tax rate will stay level at $1.407 per $100 of assessed value.

Only a hand full of city departments will see a budget increase next year, those include state street aid, fleet services, community development, the VA golf course and administration.

Early in the budget process, the city proposed laying off some employees, but thanks to an unexpected windfall no jobs will be lost.

The city will use $1 million of the windfall to pay for its current debt, which frees up cash to save the jobs.

The city will also add some much needed cash to the budget of the fire department, solid waste, St. Clair Senior Center, parks and recreation department, community development and fleet services.

Haley also recommended leaving frozen and vacant positions unfilled, because it doesn’t affect any active employees and saves the city more than $994,000.

The unfilled positions are scattered throughout city departments and include 18 police officers. The police jobs may be funded by stimulus money, if the cities COPS Hiring Program grant is approved.

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The city approved a measure to control methane leaking from the Old City Landfill on West College Street.

The measure will burn off the excess methane released by the decomposing trash in the old landfill, but Bragg asked if it was feasible to harvest the gases for other uses.

Sam Huddleston, an engineer on the project said harvesting the gases isn’t an option.

“There’s just not enough gas here to make that an option,” he said.

When the landfill was closed in 2004, a passive landfill gas management system was installed, but late last year the gases seeped their way into the Gateway Island pond.

The city consulted with environmental consultants, Griggs and Maloney, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to develop a plan to manage the gas situation.

Griggs and Maloney suggested installing a long-term active gas extraction system, which burns excess gases as they rise to the surface from a well placed within the old landfill.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.