Dayton Council OKs trip to Germany

DAYTON, Tenn. — Dayton councilmen agreed this week to help pay for an industrial recruiting trip to Germany to strengthen the city’s position when Volkswagen suppliers consider locating in the Chattanooga area.

Mayor Bob Vincent said he was concerned when other communities in the region were invited to participate in a state-sponsored recruiting trip but Dayton and Rhea County initially were ignored.

“I called Sen. (Tommy) Kilby and asked why we were not invited to the trip to Germany,” he said. With the senator’s assistance, an invitation was issued to Rhea County Executive Billy Ray Patton, and the county finance committee last week agreed to fund the $11,000 cost from hotel-motel tax revenue.

“Rhea County and Spring City own an industrial park, and we own another,” Mr. Vincent said. “We will benefit too. I think we should help in some way.”

The council agreed to contribute $2,000 for Mr. Patton’s participating in the trip, which leaves Oct. 20.

Also this week, councilmen authorized City Manager Frank Welch to negotiate with the state and Bledsoe County on the price of water for delivery to Bledsoe County and the proposed new state prison.

Mr. Welch said officials have asked for up to 1 million gallons per day. But he said they offered to pay $1.43 per 1,000 gallons, less than it costs to treat the water. Councilmen said treatment and delivery would cost about $3 per 1,000 gallons.

In other business, representatives of PSC Metals Inc., a recycling company, told councilmen they bought the former DIB Hardware property on Walnut Grove Road and intend to open a transfer station there.

Dan Whittenberg, operations manager, said the company expects to buy more than $2 million in scrap metal a year and transport it to Chattanooga for processing.

Meeting earlier as the Dayton City School Board, council members agreed to hire a part-time assistant to work with a new computer program designed to help special education and low-achieving students improve math and reading skills.