A $5 fee was approved Monday night for each traffic citation given in Collegedale upon a plea or judgment of guilty. The commissioners acted at the request of Police Chief Brian Hickman who made the suggestion as a way to off-set some of the associated costs of the new electronic ticketing that Collegedale Police recently began using. The hand-held devices were included in the new budget but not the paper, printers or the cost of maintenance, said Chief Hickman.
Hand-held equipment is now used for writing traffic citations and printers that are concealed in the headrest of the police vehicle will print the ticket.
The department currently has just seven of the devices which must be passed around when a shift changes. The plan is for each officer to have this or her own hand-held device at a cost of $3,000-$4,000 apiece. In addition to the cost of the equipment itself, thermal paper that is used in the machines must be bought and the associated maintenance fees paid for, which will be a couple thousand dollars yearly.
This new charge is a court cost for electronic ticketing and it will expire after five years. A special fund has been established to hold the money derived from this fee. The state sets guidelines for what the money can be used for.
City Engineer Joe Farrow informed the commissioners about amendments that have been made to the city ordinance which regulates and controls stormwater runoff. Mr. Farrow said that the original ordinance that had been created 15 years ago has been completely overhauled. The purpose of these changes is to make sure that there is no increase in the flow of stormwater caused by new construction.
The amendments have updated Collegedale’s ordinance to match those of the state of Tennessee and Hamilton County. Regulations have been added for the building of a single-family home if 10,000 square feet of impervious surface is added. This includes features such as roof tops, driveways, parking areas and patios. Provisions have also been added for conditions created with the categories of one-, two-, five-, 10- and 25-year storms.
Commissioners authorized the city’s participation in the TML Risk Management Pool Safety Grant. This is a 50/50 matching grant from the Tennessee Municipal League which will provide a maximum of $1,500 to match the city’s contribution for the purchase of safety equipment such as bullet-proof vests and work boots.
Mayor John Turner closed the meeting with praise for the Fourth of July celebration sponsored by the city. “The fireworks were awesome,” he said. In addition to music from the East Tennessee Orchestra there was a bluegrass band which many people would have been unaware of had it not been for the Jumbotrons set up around the park. A contract for $15,000 had been agreed for having three of these large screens. Because only two were put up, the commissioners have asked for the contract to be re-negotiated.