The East Ridge City Council voted Thursday night to reimburse Mayor Mike Steele $17,515.40 for attorney expenses to fight an ouster action in Criminal Court.

Voting to approve were council members Tom Card, Larry Sewell and Brent Lambert.

Councilman Denny Manning and Mayor Steele abstained.

City Manager William Whitson said in a memo to council members that all charges had been dismissed against the mayor. He said the council needed to decide if the mayor should be reimbursed "for his defense of the false allegations and charges brought against him."

He was represented by attorney Dee Hobbs.

In other action, Mr. Whitson said a workshop is tentatively set for Jan. 21 to get community input on future use of the McBrien School property located next to City Hall.

He said the city will gain control of the property in August 2010. The school is closing and merging with East Ridge Elementary in a new school on the East Ridge Elementary campus.

The council voted to purchase a fire rescue engine at a cost of $396,867.

East Ridge will buy the fire rescue engine by "tagging onto" a city of Chattanooga bid package.

Mr. Whitson said having the new engine would mean longer life for the city's only ladder truck.

Kevin Verro, the city's new bio-diesel director, said he plans to have a bio-diesel program up and running by the spring.

He said 68-ounce plastic containers with handles and wide brims will be made available for citizens to take home and collect cooking oil and grease, then return. Large drums will be set out at businesses to collect waste oil.

He said the city will construct a two-container processing plant that can be mounted on the back of a truck and taken to schools for educational displays.

The plant is to produce bio-diesel to be used to power the city's fleet.

Mr. Verro said soap can be made from the glycerin by-product for use by the city in washing garbage trucks and fleet vehicles.

He said of the program, "We are on the cutting edge. It's something to be celebrated."

Bill Breneman, who heads the East Ridge Merchants Association, said the group has objections to spending over $1 million to beautify Exit 1 on I-75, then allowing gaudy fireworks dealers to be at that location.

Mayor Steele said it is going to be very difficult to get a bill through the legislature allowing the fireworks sale and then a developer will need to be found to locate there.

But he said if that happens, there will be restrictions so that the fireworks store would not be an eyesore. He said there would be restrictions on signs and lights.

Mayor Steele said a fireworks store could be a strong economic generator for the city, drawing many customers from all over North Georgia.

East Ridge officials are planning a Thanksgiving dinner on March 23 at 7 p.m. for victims of the recent flood.

Bi-Lo donated 18 turkeys and Shuford's will cook them.

A tree lighting ceremony will be Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

The East Ridge Christmas Parade will be Nov. 21 starting at 6:30 p.m. The council is seeking to find a suitable float for 88-year-old Dot Guinn, who attends all the council meetings and many city functions.

Mrs. Guinn praised the East Ridge Police Department, saying officers had led a long funeral procession recently for a longtime East Ridge resident. She said she was touched by the fact that several officers had stood at the entrance to the cemetery with hands over their hearts.

She urged higher pay for the city police.

Mayor Steele asked Mrs. Guinn where she plans to be buried.

She replied that she will be laid to rest at the National Cemetery.

She said, "My funeral is going to take all day. My son is going to cook a goat."