Inside this Directory:

14600 La Grange Rd,

P.O. Box 621,

La Grange, Tennessee 38046

City Recorder: Vera Downen

Office Hours:

8:00 a.m. until 12 noon, Mondays through Fridays with the exception of holidays observed by the Town.

Holidays observed by the Town employees are:

Town Bulletin

Boards:

In order to keep citizens and the public aware of agenda business which will be coming up for consideration by the town board and commissions, two bulletin boards are being used.Citizens may also post notices which pertain to community interest on these boards.One bulletin board is located just beside the Post Office, downtown, and the other is at the Civic Center, north porch entranceway. Keep yourself informed by taking the time to check the bulletin boards regularly. Specific public notices are also published in the Fayette County Review .

elections are held the second tuesday of each even numbered year for a two-year term of office.

Mayor: Lucy Cogbill Vice-Mayor: Aldermen: Paul Davenport Bill Hylander Bob Lee Wesley Kennedy Minette Kinney

MEETINGS: The Board of Mayor & Aldermen meet the Second Monday of each month at the Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. Special-called meetings can be called and notices posted on the Town Bulletin Board. Agendas for each meeting are posted on the Town Bulletin Board prior to the meetings.Meetings are open to the public and are regulated under the Tennessee Open Meeting Laws. Citizens are urged to attend.

Planning Commissions in Tennessee were enabled to be organized and have specific duties and non-legislative powers under Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 13-4-101. The local, La Grange Planning Commission has By-Laws which govern the election of officers, meeting times, etc.

APPOINTED TERMS: Members to this Commission are appointed by the mayor and the practice is to have the nominations approved by the Board of Aldermen. The terms are for 5 years, with at least one members’ term expiring each year (staggered terms).The mayor serves as a full, voting member of the commission during his/her elected term as mayor.

MEETINGS: The La Grange Planning Commission currently meets the Third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Civic Center. The meetings are open to the public and the Open Meeting Laws of Tennessee (otherwise known as the Sunshine Laws) requires that this body must deliberate towards a decision in an open, public forum.

According to TCA, 13-7-401; the purpose of the creation of Historic Zoning is to:

The Town of La Grange was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1975. T.C.A. 13-7-403 enabled counties and/or cities to create Historic Zoning Commissions.The La Grange Historic Commission (HZC) was created by local ordinance in 1982. The HZC has By-Laws which govern their meetings, membership, etc.

The current members of the La Grange Historic Zoning Commission are:

Chairman: Patty Crenshaw Secretary: Marilyn Elder Members: Eileen Cowan Bill Hylander Jordan Northcross Kathy Lee Phil Wallace

APPOINTED TERMS:Staggered terms are for 5 years, with at least one member’s term but no more than 2 member’s terms expiring each year. Positions are appointed by the Mayor, approved by the Board of Aldermen.

MEETINGS: Historic Zoning Commission meetings are held the Fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are open to the public and are subject to the Tennessee Open Meeting Laws.

TERMS and membership for the Board of Zoning Appeals is addressed within the Municipal Zoning Ordinance.

MEETINGS of the Board of Zoning Appeals: Special-Called meetings are called when receipt of an application for an appeal decision to a zoning matter occurs. Notice of the meetings are posted on the Town Bulletin Board or may be published in a local newpaper. Meetings are open to the public and are subject to the Tennessee Open Meeting Laws. This is an appeal board of the Planning Commission.

Supervisor/Operator: John Stoll: 878-1246, OFFICE OR 878-1056, HOME

Any new commercial or residential establishment within the city limits of La Grange is required by ordinance to utilize the La Grange Water System for their potable water usage.

Passed by ordinance in February of 1998 is a requirement that when any change in property ownership occurs to an existing commercial or residential property within the corporate city limits [that is not currently on the town water supply for their potable water source] that property has 30 days in which to connect to the water system after such a transfer in ownership takes place. The complete ordinance language is available for review at the Town Office.

The water system is state approved and the supervisor is certified. The elevated water storage tank holds up to 100,000 gallons of treated water, capable of continous delivery of water for a minimum of 24 hours in the event of an electric power outage..

New customers desiring water services should ask for the Water Dept. Customer Service Agreement in order to apply for customer service at the Town Office. A $20.00 non-refundable application fee is required before water service may be established.These application agreements for water service are not transferrable to another’s name. Also, if establishing water service requires a physical connection to a main water line, new connection fees are applicable. New customers will begin to receive a regular monthly bill as soon as a new connection is installed.Fees for new connections were revised by the Board of Mayor & Aldermen on March 9, 1998, as follows:

$250.00 for service tap fee, plus $ 50.00 for meter box & line for a standard 3/4 inch line connection. For other size connections, please refer to the schedule of adopted connection fees at the Town Office.

The customer is responsible for water lines on their own property from the meter back to the household and are encouraged to repair any leaks in their lines or household as quickly as possible if they occur. The La Grange Water Dept. is responsible for all water mains and subsidary distribution lines from the wells to the individual meter boxes. For a complete description of Water Dept. policies, including shut-off and reconnection policies, please consult the manual of approved policies at the Town Office.

Water Rates increased effective January 1, 2001 due to the State of Tennessee’s Wastewater & Water Financing Board agreement regarding the La Grange Water Dept.’s finances. For complete info regarding the background of why this increase was needed, please ask for a copy of "Keeping You in the Flow" newsletter at the Town Office.

Current Metered Water Rate Schedule as of January 1, 2001:

Customer’s water bills are due in the office by or before the closing hour of noon on the fifteenth (15th) day of each month, with a 10% late penalty assessed for any payments received after that time.

If you have any questions regarding your water service or billing, please ask the Water Dept.Supervisor, Mr. John Stoll, or inquire with the City Recorder Ms.Vera Downen, at the Town Office.

*NO FEES for First Responder Medical Emergency Calls or False Alarms whatsoever.

No fire call fees are charged for calls made within the Town Corporate Limits.

The Municipal Code of Ordinances address Streets & Other Public Ways and Places. Per Ordinance Number 12-102: "It shall be unlawful for any property owner or occupant to allow any limbs of trees on his property to project over any street or alley at a height of less than fourteen (14) feet or over any sidewalk at a height of less than eight (8) feet."

Be mindful of the condition of the sidewalks beside your property and perform the necessary work to see that the proper clearance is adhered to as required by the ordinance. For further information on Town Streets and Sidewalk Ordinances, please review a copy of the La Grange Municipal Code at the Town Office.

The garbage collection date is each Thursday at approximately 8:00 a.m. It is recommended that you have your trash bins at the curb before 8:00 a.m. Please remember these guidelines concerning garbage pick-up: Bagged household garbage only will be picked up at curbsides. The garbage service will NOT pick-up tree limbs, sticks, leaves or other yard waste, used appliances, discarded Christmas trees, or non-bagged items, according to our contractual agreement. The monthly fee for the city-wide service is $10.75 and this amount is included on the monthly water service bills. If a pick-up has been missed at your house, please call the Town Office.

Barker Bros. uses the following standard when weather conditions prevent them from running their routes as scheduled:

If there are 2 or less days of inclement weather that keep the trucks from running, they begin their route where they last stopped. If there are more than 2 days in a row of inclement weather, the trucks begin by running the city contracts and the main approach roads to each of those cities.

permits are required BEFORE beginning a project or one of these activites. For further information, check with the Town office for an application regarding permits.

has regulations which apply to all zoned districts throughout town and within the corporate limits. A map showing the different zones can be seen at the Town Office. The zoning ordinance regulations which govern the areas represented on the zoning map are also available.The Municipal Zoning Ordinance, compiled by the Planning Commission, was adopted on November 10, 1986 by the La Grange Board of Mayor & Aldermen.

Historic District zones are designated on the Municipal Zoning Map as: "Historic-Residential" (H-R), "Historic-Commercial" (H-C) and "Historic-Agricultural" (H-Ag)

These areas have additional guidelines that address, among other things, exterior alterations to structures within the Historic District.

A copy of the Historic District Guidelines are available at the Town Office.

Applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness (C.O.A.) are required for intended changes to the exterior of structures within the Historic District. There are no application fees required for applying for a Certificate of Appropriateness. The deadline for submitting COA applications is noon on the Friday prior to the Fourth Thursday night monthly meeting date.

Building Permits and Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) are two separate permits. Pick-up applications for both from the Town Office.Fill out both applications with the called for information, sign the applications and return them to the Town Office. The building permit application will be forwarded to a member of the Planning Commission and the application for Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Historic Zoning Commission for their next meeting. A building permit cannot be issued for construction or demoltion within the Historic District unless a COA has been approved for the intended project first.The issuance of Building Permits is under the purview of the Planning Commission.

Historic Commission members’ duty is to review COA applications.The Commission has a maximum of thirty (30) days in which to make a decision on an application after it has been submitted. After that time, if no action has been taken, an application is to be considered approved. Applicants are encouraged to review the Historic District Guidelines for direction when making decisions regarding intended projects.If you need assistance with your application, or have further questions, you may want to contact an officer of the Historic Zoning Commission. Members of the Commission may not make individual decisions on COA’s and the collective decisions must be done in open, public meetings under the TN Open Meetings Laws.

La Grange contracts building inspection services through the Fayette County Planning & Development Office. Approval for an application for a building permit (which may include a site map, building plans, location of utilties, etc.) falls under the purview of the Planning Commission.The actual subsequent inspections of structures are performed by the Fayette Co. certified building inspectors.

For questions involving details of building code specifications, contact the certifed building inspectors; Marsha Smith or James Morris at (901) 465-5220. The Town government adopted the Southern Building Code by local ordinance in 1990.

The building permit fee is determined from your application data and payment of the fee is required prior the issuance of an approved permit.Fees are made payable to the Town of La Grange and can be remitted at the Town Office.

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON A BUILDING PERMIT FORM CALLS FOR THE APPLICANT’S SIGNATURE AND AN ATTESTMENT THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IS TRUE. FEES CAN BE DOUBLED FOR INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT WHICH ARE FOUND TO BE FALSE OR MISLEADING, per the Southern Building Code.

Please review the application information which specifies the required inspections necessary. If you are uncertain whether your project requires a permit, it is advisable that you check with the Town Office first. A Final Inspection and a Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Inspector are required before a structure may be inhabited.

Phone: 465-5226. Tax assessments are generated by this office, so any inconsistency or error that you believe may have occurred should be addressed to the Assessor. Inquiries of this type which are directed to the La Grange Town Office will be forwarded there.

If you have not registered to vote yet, registration forms are available at the Fayette County Election Commission Office. Registration forms should be submitted 30 days prior to an election date to the Fayette County Election Commission. For more info, contact:

"Any person residing within the corporate limits or any person not residing in the corporate limits but who owns and has continuously owned at least five thousand (5,000) square feet of real property within the corporate limits of the Town of La Grange for a period of six (6) months prior to an election, shall be eligible to vote in town elections provided he or she is properly registered in accordance with the applicable laws of the State of Tennessee."~La Grange Charter.

Section 4, as amended by Chapter No. 224, Senate Bill 2551, of the Acts of 1988.

Ms. Eileen Cowan, President La Grange Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 632, La Grange, TN 38046

The Cemetery Association is a non-profit organization and not a part of the municipal government.

New Beginning Church -COGIC Organized in 1996 Reverend Johnny Hill
Commerce St & New Beginning Dr. Sunday Worship Services 10:45 a.m.

Pine Hill Baptist Church Organized in 1839 Reverend Nelson Hunt
Main Street, La Grange
Sunday School begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship Services begin at 11:00 a.m.

***************************************** For more information on local churches, see the La Grange website section entitled "Organizations".

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Is your phone listing correct?

*La Grange Town Office *La Grange Post Office *Cogbill’s Store *Fayette Co. Chamber of Commerce,Somerville, Tn. *The National Sporting Dog Center (Grand Jct.)

Corrections Management Corporation sends out litter crews to town when they are available. Last year, the La Grange Horticultural Society organized a community-wide clean-up day and won $500. for high local participation levels. Everyone’s efforts to help keep La Grange clean is greatly appreciated! State "Adopt-a-Hwy" programs are available through TDOT, OR for those who would just like to organize a pick-up day with a club or group of friends, Supervisor Joe Thomas of TDOT has told us that bags could be provided along with a pick-up for the bags for any planned litter clean-up day.You may contact the Town Office at 878-1246 to get the word to Joe, or call the TDOT Somerville area maintenance office at: 465-7346.

It is my hope that this directory will prove to be a useful guide to you. A copy has been printed for each La Grange household, church, & business establishment. Extra copies have been printed for any new comers to our town.Plans are to place the Directory on the La Grange website.The cost of paper & printing has been paid for by the business advertisements on the paper copies.~L. Cogbill

POISON CONTROL CENTER 1-800-288-9999

LA GRANGE WATER DEPT. OPERATOR, John Stoll, Home: 878-1056

POLICE DEPT./CHIEF: Randall Ervin,Town Office: 878-1246

FIRE DEPT./CHIEF: John Logan, Hm: 878-1437,Town Office 878-1246

TO REPORT A GAS LEAK: Dial Hardeman-Fayette Utility District,Moscow, Tn: 877-6236

TO REPORT AN ELECTRIC OUTAGE: Call Bolivar Electric Dept:1-800-332-0457

TOWN OFFICE: 878-1246 Hours: 8:00 am-12 noon, weekdays City Recorder: Vera Downen Mayor: Lucy Cogbill Home: 878-1628 Cogbill’s Store: 878-1235

LA GRANGE POST OFFICE: Postmaster Mikal Kelley, (901) 878-1136.

TO REPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: The Journey Center,a part of Fayette Cares: 465-0015

TO REPORT A NUISANCE OR VICIOUS DOG: Fayette Co. Animal Control Officer Bill Crook,at Fayette Co. Sheriff’s Office: 465-3456.

TO REPORT HUNTING VIOLATIONS: Call the TN Wildlife Resources Agency: 1-800-831-1173

LOCAL GAME WARDEN: Ty Inman at: 1-800-831-1173 (Violations number)

Our department depends upon its hard-working volunteers to operate.More volunteers are needed to train for emergency fire-fighting response in our area. If you or someone you know in town or our rural Fire District No. 8, is interested in becoming a part of this service, please contact the Fire Chief, John Logan, or the Assistant Fire Chief, Phil Wallace.

Volunteers, both men and women, can help in other ways as well-not just in fighting fires. For example: helping out at the Fire Hall with maintenance or helping to finish painting the building, help with education and awareness of the Fire Dept.’s needs and objectives to our entire rural fire district and its residents. Phone calls to rural residents to inquire about more volunteers or donations to keep our department ready to meet emergencies. Volunteers could help plan and organize fund-raising events or activites to benefit the dept. All of these examples and more are ways you can help out.

The department set out on a course to upgrade and improve its service to us. It is not a small task, and the members of the Fire Dept. could use our help to support their plans. The efforts made today could help to save a life and/or property tomorrow.

On occasion, our officers encounter a homeless individual or transient who needs assistance. These instances are few, but when they do happen, the action taken can be a matter of life or death for these individuals.

Recently, during the cold winter months, two instances of travellers through our area came through during freezing temperatures. One of our Officers helped to provide transportation and cash from his own pocket to provide a hot meal for the traveller. The traveller was out of gas and money.The police officers feel that a small fund that they can make use of to help transients is needed so that a hot meal, a room for the night or gasoline for a car, for instance, can be obtained to help them on their way.

According to the Sheriff’s Dept., there is no public shelter in Fayette County available for public safety officers to take travellers to. The Sheriff’s Dept. usually tries to get a local motel room for these individuals. The instances cited are: travellers passing through with no money, some folks have been involved in a car wreck and their vehicle is disabled, sometimes a car part is the only thing needed to help them get their car running again and back on the road. A bus ticket was purchased for a person involved in a wreck by the Sheriff’s Dept. in one case. Fayette Cares sometimes provides funding, but they are not able to do as much as they used to or can in these situations.

Please be aware that junked vehicles, burned out debris, high weeds, and other states of poor maintenance should be addressed by the property owners.

The Kidney Foundation will tow your old and junk cars to sell at auction to raise money for their charity. The auto owner receives a letter of acknowledgement after the sale of the cars, informing them of the price it sold for, and the letter can be used for tax purposes as a charitable donation. Even cars that are beyond repair may be accepted to sell for salvage.

You will need to supply information on the make, model, year, etc. of the vehicles you would like towed away.

Further information is available by contacting Paula Jennings, National Kidney Foundation, Memphis, TN. Phone: 683-6185.

Dumping of old appliances or other trash is strictly forbidden in the town.

The Garbage Pick-up Service, Barker Brothers, INc., only picks up bagged, household garbage.

The Fayette County Landfill in Somerville, TN accepts old appliances and other large bulky waste items.

Contact the landfill for further details on how to properly dispose of household appliances, and other items.

Thank you for your cooperation.