Traffic lights discussed at LaFollette workshop

A traffic light that is slated to be installed at Hunter’s Branch Road, installation could start in July

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Monday afternoon, the LaFollette City Council met for the monthly workshop. From the workshop, several promotions are slated to be on next week’s monthly meeting agenda.

It begins with the promotion of Judy Brown to assistant payroll clerk, then the promotion of Billy Daniels to a full time entry level firefighter, next is the promotion of Jackson Stagnolia and Jerry Campbell to full time patrolmen and rounding out the promotions are Jeffrey Hicks to a full time operator in the public works departments and Kainen Fernandez to a full time sanitation operator.

The council discussed applying for a TDOT traffic light grant for South Avenue and Jacksboro Pike (at Gamble Motors). The grant is for $125,000. The new traffic light will be a radar detected traffic light which enables the traffic light to sense when traffic is backing up hence changing the traffic light and moving traffic.  

City Administrator Stan Foust updated the council on other traffic light issues. Foust reported the traffic lights at Lowe’s, Woodson’s Mall-Food City and Walgreens are currently in the planning phase for replacement. The traffic light at First Street will be going away soon and replaced with a caution light. Finally he discussed the traffic light that is slated to be installed at Hunter’s Branch Road stating installation could start in July.

The police department is requesting permission to apply for the Traffic Highway Safety Office grant for the 2026-27 grant cycle.

Police Chief Matt Forsyth along with Detective Sgt. Timothy Collingsworth spoke to the council about the current towing policy for the police department. The policy has not been updated in 25 years. Several areas of the policy were discussed beginning with the amount of insurance that is currently being carried for the department as it pertains to this policy. Two other areas of concern were ensuring a reasonable and standardized amount are being charged for towing and how much time goes by before a lien holder and insurance company are notified about an impounded vehicle.

Other items on the agenda for next week are a beer permit for Vapor Fox LLC, opening a new bank account at Peoples Bank of the South for the capital projects, and Resolution 2026-03 amending the 2025-26 budget.

The regular monthly March meeting for the City of LaFollette is slated for Tuesday, March 3, 5:30pm, at City Hall. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-02242026-6AM)