With a new, full-time codes enforcement officer, Soddy Daisy is prepared to clean up the town. At the commission meeting Thursday night, City Manager Janice Cagle suggested creating an ordinance pertaining specifically to the maintenance of mobile home parks that can now be enforced because of the new position. Before drafting it, Ms. Cagle asked for comments from the commissioners.
She reported that the transmission needs to be replaced on the city’s boom-mower.
The cost for the repair is $13,518. Approval was given for the work despite the high cost because the alternative would be to purchase a new tractor that would cost $52,000, with an additional cost to buy a new boom.
Because one person has another obligation that conflicts with the current schedule of the Soddy Daisy Commission meetings, Ms. Cagle has received the request to change meetings from the first and third Thursdays to the second and fourth Thursday nights of each month. The commissioners were given time to consider the change before making a decision. This would require an ordinance to be passed, said City Attorney Sam Elliott, because it is in the city code.
Fire Chief Mike Guffey told the commissioners that four firefighters would be leaving Tennessee on Feb. 17, heading to Glendale, Ariz., to pick up the new fire truck that has been bought.
Police Chief Phil Hamrick asked permission for designating one of the department’s drug dogs as surplus property in order to adopt him out. He said that Chase, a six-year-old black lab, is medically unfit for work. He was given permission to retire the dog, with instructions to find a good home. The city now will own one police dog and one officer uses his personal dog that is trained and certified for drugs. Vice Mayor Patti Skates asked the chief to put money in the next budget to get vests for both of the working dogs.
Ms. Skates also asked the chief how many hours each month were spent at the schools, since she said recent events at East Ridge and Lookout Valley middle schools had been alarming and could happen in Soddy Daisy. Chief Hamrick answered that monthly an average of 120 hours were spent on school checks. Ms. Skates then asked for a resource officer to be placed at the middle school, possible sharing costs with the sheriff’s department. She said with additional income from liquor sales the city will be receiving that an officer could possibly also be placed at the elementary school next year.
Pam Glaser, who is heading up the parks and recreation department, said a review has been done concerning the use of city parks. In the past, she found that the parks had been reserved by groups that fell into three classifications. City-sponsored major events that promote outdoor activity and economic development or have an educational purpose is the first category. The second is “shared sponsorship,” which is when the city jointly sponsors a function with a non-profit agency for a charitable event such as with a school. The remainder of reservations have been for small private events such as picnics and birthday parties for 50 people or less.
Recently the city has had requests to use parks for large-scale private events that would involve selling tickets and that would have a business aspect. This type of activity is currently prohibited in the parks, she said. Ms. Glaser said that the parks department does not have a full-time director to coordinate these types of events, and there also is no policy in place for this kind of use. Members of the parks committee want to focus on improving the facilities, she said, and have concluded that the three types of current use is serving the city well at this time. She did recommend creating procedures for this kind of activity for future use.
Mayor Rick Nunley said the commission would accept the recommendation of the parks department and deny a request that had been made for “opera in the park.” He also said that any request to use the parks should go through the parks and recreation committee. Ms. Glaser said an application process would be established.
Commissioner Gene Shipley made a motion to proceed with a proposal that would offer emergency protection to a neighborhood in Soddy Daisy that now lacks proper access for fire trucks and ambulances. The incline to reach the area causes problems with vehicles dragging on the road, and if a train is stopped on the tracks, it totally blocks residents and prevents emergency response vehicles from accessing them. The problem area is in the vicinity of Dayton Boulevard and Cox Lane. The First Baptist church and landowner Jay Brown have agreed to allow access through joint use of their properties. The access would be gated and used for emergencies only. Authorization was given to spend up to $5,000 on the project.
Discussion took place about a “three-minute rule” that was approved in 2009. This rule puts a three-minute limit for citizens to speak at commission meetings. The question was whether or not to enforce that regulation. Mr. Shipley voted no, saying that it would be wrong to limit the time taxpayers could take to express concerns before the board. The other commissioners agreed and repealed the three-minute limit noting that the mayor retains the ability to stop discussion at his discretion.
On second and final reading, the commissioners approved a fee on package liquor stores that are now being allowed in the city. A fee of three percent of the wholesale cost will be collected beginning March 1. It will be paid to the distributor and then given to the city. In July 2016, the amount will increase to five percent.
Thursday night, two properties were rezoned upon recommendation of the planning commission. A tract of land at 7629 Dayton Pike that was part of the Thomas Farm was zoned differently than the rest of the property. The city manager said this should have been changed from Rural Residential to Agricultural District when the city annexed the land. It was approved on first reading Thursday night. Property at 11133 Dayton Pike was rezoned from Residential District to General Business District to accommodate an industrial welding and inspection business.