CEDAR CREEK LAKE–Gun Barrel City Mayor David Skains was the guest speaker at the July luncheon meeting of the Cedar Creek Lake Chamber of Commerce at the Cedar Creek Country Club. Skains was congratulated by the crowd on his recent win of a third term as mayor. According to the city charter, this will be his final term as the charter only allows three terms as mayor.
Skains began with an update on Welch Road, which he called the worst in the county, having now completed phase three of the road repair, completing 22 miles of road repair in the last year.
The Pier 334 project, at the site of the former Big Chief Landing, is set to break ground sometime early next year, having experienced some delay. The project features a Hilton Hotel with all the rooms facing the water. In addition, there will be a three-story retail facility and a splash pad that will convert to an attractive water feature in the evening. The top floor of the hotel will feature a restaurant, as well as restaurants in the retail building. Parking for the retail will be east of the current liquor store. There will also be a right-hand turning lane into the property, alleviating some of the traffic concerns, Skains said.
The mayor also told the group that the south side of the bridge is slated to be redone in 2025 but funding for the project has yet to be allocated. The condo project near Vernon’s Lakeside has been revamped to a three-story complex instead of the previously planned seven stories.
The assisted living facility is nearly complete, Skains said and a 55 and older housing project is still in the plans for that property.
Skains said one of the biggest accomplishments has been the increase of paid firefighters so that the fire department can begin fighting the fire as soon as they arrive, having six full – time firefighters and nine active volunteers that work on a daily basis. The city also purchased a new boat for rescue which should be active in another month. The police department has had a staff increase. City Manager Jeff Arnswald is the current acting police chief and the interview process is underway to hire a new chief. The city has hired several new officers, as well as a police captain, ensuring three officers on patrol at all times, Skains said. A recent budget amendment allowed all hourly employees a 15% increase in salary.
Skains alluded to many new opportunities in the city, including new businesses and two more commercial buildings that were coming up. Also planned to be discussed is a Veterans’ Memorial as well as a community center added to the park.