Page 24 - May-June2018

TCAPWA EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS By John Fox

West Branch Meets in Town of Atoka

The Tennessee Chapter of the American Public Works Association’s Daniel Lovett, Lee Shaffer, John Fox, Bo Mills, Sam Watson and Gordon
West Branch held its quarterly meeting Feb. 22 at Atoka’s new Town McIntyre at the February 22 West Branch meeting in the town of Atoka.
Hall facility. Held in cooperation with the Town of Atoka, Williams
Equipment and Precision Concrete Cutting, the TCAPWA branch
meeting drew more than 35 members and guests. TCAPWA officers
and past officers in attendance included APWA President Bo Mills,
past TCAPWA Presidents Bill Kilp and Bill Yearwood, and TCAPWA
Secretary Sharon Rollins.

John Fox, TCAPWA West Branch Director, talked about news and
activities taking place in the American Public Works Association
and several upcoming TCAPWA activities including the upcoming
Tennessee Public Works Institute courses and TCAPWA/SWANA
Conference scheduled for Oct. 21-23 in Nashville.

Daniel Lovett, Director of Public Works, Utilities and GIS Manager
for the Town of Atoka, discussed Atoka’s new Town Hall facility,
which includes a safe room, and the new technologies they are using
to keep pace with the needs of a fast-growing community.

For many years, the Town of Atoka operated out of a building that
was designed to serve a population of 1,000 residents. In just a few
short years, the town had grown to almost 10,000 residents and needed
to build a facility that would meet its current and future needs. As the
result of research into various funding methods, a grant opportunity
from FEMA was found, and Atoka brought the idea to FEMA for
combining the daily functions of its Town Hall and a storm shelter for
its residents. Following its application and award, the Town of Atoka
received a grant of $1.1 million, and with help from the Fisher and
Arnold firm designed the new Town Hall/Safe Room facility.

24 TPW May/June 2018