Conger to County, JMCSS: No help from City on road improvements for Pope
On Thursday, Jan. 2, the Jackson City Council was set to have a work session and agenda review ahead of its monthly meeting on Jan. 7.
But before the work session began, Mayor Scott Conger called for an attorney-client privilege meeting for the Council, which allowed for a meeting of the Mayor, present Council members and City Attorney Lewis Cobb.
They met for about 30 minutes, during which an e-mail went out from the Mayor's e-mail account to the City Council, Jackson-Madison County School Board, Madison County Commission, all the legislative bodies' attorneys and local media.
The e-mail had four attachments - an early site package put together by Henson Construction May of 2023, a study by Orcutt-Winslow on the new Pope School done in 2019, a pair of 2019 articles from The Jackson Sun covering school board meetings in which Orcutt-Winslow made presentations about the site for the school and a letter from Conger to the school system and county commission.
The main point of the letter was to let the County and JMCSS officials know Conger has no intention of allowing the City to pay for any part of the four off-site improvements needed on Ashport Road and Old Humboldt Road for the new Pope School.
"While the City is committed to supporting educational progress in our community, we must clarify why we will not construct or fund the off-site road improvements stipulated in the Board of Zoning Appeals' (BZA) approval on January 23, 2023," the letter said.
Once media and other City personnel were allowed back in the room with the Mayor and City Council, there was some discussion on the matter before they began their work session for Tuesday's meeting.
"This was sent out to alleviate some confusion because there are a couple of narratives out there being spread that possibly we might pay for or actually do some of the off-site improvements, and that's not the case," Conger told the seven Council members that were present - Candace Busby, Richard Donnell, Larry Lowrance, Russ McKelvey, Frank McMeen, J.P. Stovall and Marda Wallace.
Wallace asked for confirmation what the City is liable for in the situation.
"There's attempted to be a narrative among apparently some Commissioners and school board members that we're responsible because the school site is in the city limits, but we're not," Conger said. "And it's unfair for the City to pay for something that's the County's responsibility."
When the traffic study was done two years ago, the BZA came back with four phases of off-site improvements required before the school could open.
- Phase 1 - installing a turning lane on Ashport Road directly in front of the school
- Phase 2 - installing a one-lane roundabout at the intersection of Pleasant Plains Road and Ashport Road
- Phase 3 - widening Ashport Road and Old Humboldt Road at their intersection (where the current Pope School is) with a turn lane on Old Humboldt and a right-turn lane on Ashport
- Phase 4 - extending the right turn lane on Old Humboldt turning onto the Highway 45 Bypass
There have been discussions during meetings about a possible compromise that would allow the school to open on time - in August of this year - as long as there's a written plan by JMCSS and/or Madison County to get all improvements done in a timely manner.
"This is a ruling by the BZA," Conger told the Council when asked if there's anything he personally desired to do or could do. "I don't have a magic wand where I can wave and they can all the sudden be able to go to class there.
"I've told them in multiple meetings that I won't stand in the way of the school opening, but the BZA is the committee that made this decision."
Conger's full letter to the Commission and JMCSS Board is printed below:
January 2, 2025
Dear Commissioners and School Board Members,
I am writing to address the City of Jackson's position regarding the road improvements required for the new Pope School construction on Ashport Road. While the City is committed to supporting educational progress in our community, we must clarify why we will not construct or fund the off-site road improvements stipulated in the Board of Zoning Appeals' (BZA) approval on January 23, 2023.
The BZA approved the Jackson-Madison County School System's (JMCSS) request to construct and operate the new Pre-K through 8th grade Pope School with several conditions, including:
- Completion of traffic mitigation measures (road widening, turn lanes, and roundabout
conversion) identified by KCI Technologies and Alexander Engineering.
- Employment of traffic control officers during school pick-up and drop-off times.
- Conducting a traffic impact study prior to Phase 2 of the development.
- Ensuring zero net increase in stormwater runoff and compliance with stormwater management
plans.
- Adhering to detailed site review and permitting processes to meet City standards.
These requirements are vital for the safety and functionality of the area and must be met prior to the school's opening. However, these conditions are the responsibility of JMCSS and Madison County, not the City of Jackson.
When considering the options for the new school site, JMCSS had two distinct choices:
- Passmore Lane: Priced at $1,750,000, it was favored by Orcutt | Winslow for its infrastructure readiness, traffic capacity, and potential for future growth.
- Ashport Road: Priced at $798,000, it posed significant challenges, including narrow street lanes, costly off-site road improvements, and extensive grading due to the site's depression, referred to as a waterway.
Despite these known challenges, the Madison County Financial Management Committee opted for Ashport Road, citing its lower upfront cost. This decision was made despite warnings in Orcutt | Winslow's report that extensive infrastructure upgrades would likely fall under the school district's financial responsibility.
Scott Conger, Mayor 121 E. Main St. Suite 301
Jackson, Tennessee 38301
