Mathis wants to meet with school board to discuss ‘mess’ with new park project

Burns Mayor Landon Mathis says the town has gotten into a “mess” with its new park on Highway 96 and he wants to set up a meeting with the Dickson County School Board to determine what its interest is in the park. “We’re in a little bit of a mess,” Mathis said at Monday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, adding that it is up to the new administration to address the situation. The town is in danger of losing the remaining portion of a state grant if it cannot finish the first phase of the project. Parks Director Chris Ward said it still needs concession stand and restroom facilities, handicapped-accessible walkways, utilities and lighting installed on at least one of the two ballfields. Mathis said the school board has “shown some interest in coming in on it, taking it over.” The school board has contributed funds for the construction of an access road and for engineering for a turning lane on Highway 96 and is hoping to negotiate a joint user agreement that will allow Stuart-Burns Elementary and a proposed new middle school to have access to the facilities. School board Chairman Tim Potter had said he wanted to discuss the board’s investment in the project at a school board work session last week, but put the subject off in light of the new administration taking over in Burns Monday night. Potter also serves as attorney for Burns but was not able to attend Monday’s meeting. Mathis said he wants to set up a work session to meet with the school board to discuss the project’s future and Ward asked that a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation representative be a part of that meeting. Mathis did not discuss a date for that meeting Monday night.